04/21/2018
SLASH YOUR MEDICAL BILLS
SERIOUSLY FOLKS! You can reduce a $20,554.44 medical bill to $3,300.00 with a five minute phone call! I have done it!
To start, “Here is the bottom line”! You should always negotiate your hospital, Ambulatory Surgery or physician practice bill. Always! This is true because the fees for these services are not really based on actual cost. For instance, There is usually a huge disparity for a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) exam done at Emory midtown versus Grady, or WellStar in Marietta versus Northpoint in Alpharetta, or Macon Medical versus Coliseum, or Insight Imaging Mobile MRI versus Poukie and Them’s MRI in Unionville…you get the point!
So, the only question is, “What is the best approach for you to negotiate a lower $$$ amount based on your financial situation and your particular medical services/provider.
There are legitimate approaches to negotiate your medical bills. However, the first questions you should ask yourself is; What can I afford? And! Am I satisfied with the service? If the service provided to you did not have the anticipated outcome/s! If you were treated inappropriately by staff! If you had to wait too long! All of these factors can be used as leverage weapons in the negotiation process.
Okay…First things First…Organize yourself and be informed! All medical bills are “codified” meaning numbers and alfa characters replace the written word of what was actually done. Upcoding (Charging you for services you did not receive) and unbundling (Charging you Ala Carte when it should have been a one price at the buffet) frequently happens. It is very common for hospital bills to contain errors or over charges. For instance, If you are discharged in the morning, you should not receive a full day’s charge for that day. If you receive 4 diagnostic exams to determine if you broke your leg you should only pay for the exam that verified your leg is actually broke.
All Right Now! Are you ready to do some haggling with your hospital? Are you ready to dicker with your doctor? Establish a point of contact. Call the billing office number listed on the statement. When speaking to the representative. “All Ways!” be courteous and polite (Nobody wants to help a rude person). Then, be clear and confident. Say something like, “These bills are extremely expensive. Would you consider adjusting the price to be more affordable? ” Or “ My insurance isn’t covering this treatment, so I’m paying for my own care and would like to see if you can lower the price.” Or “Before I pay, I need to understand this statement better, could you explain in detail?”
…And the negotiations begin! It will be important to understand that the person on the other end of the phone may be dealing with the same issue as you or has a significant other who is. Also, please know, this blog is condensed for a lay person’s understanding. You may need a professional that understands the coding (ICD-10 and CPT-4), medical necessity, billing guidelines, contracted rates etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
I hope this helps! If you have a friend that can use this information, please re-post. If my team can assist you in pursuit of reducing your medical cost, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at physicianpracticerevenuecycle@gmail.com.
Kind Regards,
M.K. Andrews, MHA,CMPE,CPC-P,CHTS-PW
