Woman, 36, is handed $17,979 bill for breast cancer screening despite being insured - and could have paid $2,100 if she did NOT use her insurance

submitted by [deleted] from dailymail.co.uk

sorted by:
top
newinsightfulfun
you are viewing a single comment's thread.

view the rest of the comments →

[–]makesyoudownvote 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Something like this happened to me, only with way less money, but I'm still pissed about it.

I had my hearing go out on my right side a few years ago, during a particularly rough time in my life financially, and rightly I went to the doctor to try to figure it out. I had been having a lot of issues on the right side of my body (I still am, but that's only somewhat related) He ordered a series of tests including an MRI and a hearing test. My insurance did not approve the MRI so I didn't end up getting it, but several of the other tests I had to do they didn't deny until AFTER I had finished the test leaving me in a bit of debt. My hearing also returned about a week before the hearing test could fit me in, so naturally I felt it wasn't necessary but my doctor told me to get it anyways because my insurance would definitely cover it and he wanted to establish a base line in case it got worse again in the future.

When I went to the lab I told them I didn't really want to get the test unless it was 100% covered by insurance. I reiterated that I did not have the money and I do not consent to the test if it makes me liable for paying a cent. They assured me it was and they had gotten pre-approval from my insurance. Now the test cost $60 without insurance but with insurance it was a little over $500. I got the test done, and 3 months later I received a bill for $539. I called them and told them that I wasn't paying it, they had told me it was pre-approved and assured me that I wouldn't be paying a dime. They said that my insurance was refusing to pay it. Now I should add here, this insurance was still the insurance I had from when I had a good paying job, it was Blue Shield Platinum PPO which is supposed to be the best insurance you can get, yet they still weaseled out of everything. I fought this thing tooth and nail and eventually got the bill talked down to $150 after over a year when it started affecting my credit score because they had sent debt collectors after me. By then I had a job again and I could pay it, but the principle of the thing REALLY pissed me off.