|
Good call. $75k seems good for contents to me (it's what I carried when I had renter's insurance.) that makes it feel low for bare walls.
|
#
?
May 26, 2021 18:27
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 27, 2024 14:08 |
|
|
I'm worried because I started getting sick and I don't have health insurance. I applied for a individual plan with blue cross. That isn't covered by ACA so they are researching my history and said they'd get back to me in 10 days. I also applied for medicaid, accidentally at first, because I make 0 income the application went through DHS. I had labs drawn yesterday that were concerning, but have refused follow up until I get the health insurance, as I don't want to be denied. I'm afraid Medicaid will deny or require me to spend down my IRA, which isn't really very much but are well over the $2k asset limit. Since I'm not employed, Blue Cross said I'm not eligible for their ACA covered plans. I've never been sick until just last week. What is the marketplace? Where could I turn to if BC/BS refuses me?
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2021 15:30
|
|
|
das crikstar posted:I'm worried because I started getting sick and I don't have health insurance. I applied for a individual plan with blue cross. That isn't covered by ACA so they are researching my history and said they'd get back to me in 10 days. I also applied for medicaid, accidentally at first, because I make 0 income the application went through DHS. I had labs drawn yesterday that were concerning, but have refused follow up until I get the health insurance, as I don't want to be denied. I'm afraid Medicaid will deny or require me to spend down my IRA, which isn't really very much but are well over the $2k asset limit. Since I'm not employed, Blue Cross said I'm not eligible for their ACA covered plans. I've never been sick until just last week. What is the marketplace? Where could I turn to if BC/BS refuses me? What state are you in
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2021 15:55
|
|
|
das crikstar posted:I'm worried because I started getting sick and I don't have health insurance. I applied for a individual plan with blue cross. That isn't covered by ACA so they are researching my history and said they'd get back to me in 10 days. I also applied for medicaid, accidentally at first, because I make 0 income the application went through DHS. I had labs drawn yesterday that were concerning, but have refused follow up until I get the health insurance, as I don't want to be denied. I'm afraid Medicaid will deny or require me to spend down my IRA, which isn't really very much but are well over the $2k asset limit. Since I'm not employed, Blue Cross said I'm not eligible for their ACA covered plans. I've never been sick until just last week. What is the marketplace? Where could I turn to if BC/BS refuses me? IANAL, but retirement accounts are generally protected from stuff like that.
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2021 16:04
|
|
|
Grumpwagon posted:What state are you in ARK
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2021 16:38
|
|
|
Thanatosian posted:IANAL, but retirement accounts are generally protected from stuff like that. If I had a sum in my savings+checking accounts that I've been living off of while not employed, I'd take that to mean I'll be denied if it's >$2k, and will have to try to get in with Marketplace
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2021 16:47
|
|
|
Thanatosian posted:IANAL, but retirement accounts are generally protected from stuff like that. Nope! Not for Medicaid! "In most states, a Medicaid applicant’s pension, 401K, IRA, or other retirement account will either be considered as an asset or as income. If it is an asset, it will count against Medicaid’s asset limit for eligibility. If it is in payout status, and therefore generating income, it is considered as income and will be counted against Medicaid’s income limit for eligibility. Simply counting against Medicaid’s income or asset limits does not automatically mean the candidate will be ineligible. Unfortunately, most of the time this is the case because the income and asset limits for Medicaid eligibility are so low."
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2021 18:00
|
|
|
I mean, you don't *have* to spend it but if you don't spend it then you are over the limits of either income or assets for being eligible for Medicaid so... It's really a lovely situation to put someone in.
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2021 18:01
|
|
|
sheri posted:Nope! Not for Medicaid! I loving hate this country.
|
|
#
?
May 28, 2021 18:29
|
|
|
Thanatosian posted:I loving hate this country. I think each state does is different. My state expanded eligibility for Medicaid, I was told. I called the state office and she said they only go by what you make per month, not what's in your checking account, etc. Wow I'm actually proud of arkansas for once in my life.
|
|
#
?
May 29, 2021 00:46
|
|
|
so some background: in mid-july, i am moving all of my belongings from brooklyn to a storage facility in salt lake city. i will be doing this because i want to travel around the west coast for 6 to 8 months and find the next city i want to live. once i decide on that city, i'll likely rent a spot for the following year and then move my stuff from salt lake city to the new spot. and after that, i'll try to buy a home. now, i want to have insurance for all of this--the move, the storage facility, the new place, and the new home. meanwhile, i'm also going to have to buy a car for all of this traveling over the next 6-8mo. i have never had auto insurance because i've never owned a car. so i am trying to find the best way to manage all of this. ideally i would stick with one insurance provider who can help me handle all of this. furthermore, i've learned about independent insurance agents. it seems they would kind of scope all of this out for me and come back to me with the best deals they can find. that sounds lovely, and i'm happy to pay a fee or commission or whatever. however, i'm having trouble trying to find an independent insurance agent. simply put, i have no idea how to see if they're good or not. i also don't know if their location matters? like, do i want an insurance agent based out west since that's where i'll be moving? does that matter at all? so beyond all these basic things, anyone have any leads on a good independent insurance agent who could help me with all of this?
|
|
#
?
Jun 3, 2021 22:08
|
|
|
abelwingnut posted:so some background: Carrier side not agency so take all of this with a grain of salt... For the storage unit you'll want to look into a personal inland marine policy probably, a normal renter's policy is likely not going to be suited for something like this. The auto, IMHO, is going to be the bigger issue. Not just buying and titling one, but insuring one without an address (I'm assuming that during this journey you will not have a legal address, if you will then that partially solves your issue at least). You'll want an agent that's licensed in the state where you are insuring your belongings and titling your vehicle (assuming it's the same place); an agent may be licensed in more than one state or belong to an agency that can refer you to a licensed agent in another state (useful if you've got to insure the auto and IM in different places) so they don't have to physically be located in the state, just licensed within it. Personally with auto I'd want to talk to someone who lived in the state as well because mandatory minimums and conditions vary wildly from state to state and while theoretically someone licensed should know the requirements anywhere they're doing business...eh, I'd personally rather not gently caress around on it. "Independent insurance agent city state" into google will probably get you a bunch of options with reviews from multiple review sites as well as Google itself. If you're concerned someone is sketch you can always look them up on a state's department of insurance site and verify their licensing (eg UT's https://secure.utah.gov/agent-search/search.html).
|
|
#
?
Jun 4, 2021 05:28
|
|
|
thanks for the response. as for insuring the car without a mailing address, i think i will have an address. i'll just set things to send to my parents' place in nc, where i also have my driver's license from. so based on what you're saying, i would want an agent or agency that is located in north carolina, who is also licensed in or can transfer me to an agent who is licensed in utah, where my belongings will exist in storage for the next 6-8mo, and who is also licensed in or can transfer me to an agent who is licensed in whatever future state i choose to live in. do i have that correct? e: also, how about insurance for the move? will anything i get from an independent insurance agent cover the move, or do i need to get specifically moving insurance from the movers or some other entity? sorry if these questions are dumb. this is all kind of confusing and, it feels like, needlessly complicated. abelwingnut fucked around with this message at 20:33 on Jun 4, 2021 |
|
#
?
Jun 4, 2021 20:29
|
|
|
Another option would be to get a PO Box in Utah to use as a mailing address. It's not common, but I handle auto claims for the upper midwest and a lot of people in very rural areas use PO Box for their addresses as they don't get regular mail service. That would save you the hassle of having to go through multiple agents, and Utah is fairly cheap when it comes to premiums on average.
|
|
#
?
Jun 10, 2021 06:27
|
|
|
About 6 weeks ago, I was involved in a hit-and-run while out on my bicycle. I ended up pretty messed up, was knocked unconscious when the ambulance showed up, took an ambulance ride to the hospital and had several procedures done. The bills are slowly starting to trickle in. Unsurprisingly, the ambulance bill showed up first. Based on my explanation of benefits from my insurance, the ambulance company was out-of-network, billed my insurance about ~4000, my insurance explanation of benefits said that there was a "Plan discount" of about ~3400, they paid ~580, leaving me on the hook for about 65 bucks. Today I received an actual bill from the ambulance company. The ambulance bill does not factor in this 'plan discount' at all, and is billing me for the whole 3465 left unpaid by the insurance company. It seems like I am stuck in some sort of actuarial pissing contest between these two. Do I have any way to get the ambulance co to honor the 'plan discount' part of the bill as shown on my insurance company's EOB? I just saw the bill tonight, so I will give the insurance company a call in the morning, but was wondering if anyone had any advice for me to get this resolved quickly, and where to start. I do not have any experience navigating our nightmare labyrinthine medical system.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 04:28
|
|
|
Ansible Adams posted:About 6 weeks ago, I was involved in a hit-and-run while out on my bicycle. I ended up pretty messed up, was knocked unconscious when the ambulance showed up, took an ambulance ride to the hospital and had several procedures done. The bills are slowly starting to trickle in. It’s entirely possible that the ambulance company received the $580, applied it to the balance, and then sent out a new bill to you automatically. In my experience these companies prioritize billing and have it all automated, but it would likely require someone manually applying the discount to adjust the outstanding balance. I’d give the ambulance company a call first and ask them what the current balance is, and if any adjustment has been made. If it hasn’t, they may be able to do it for you if you can provide a copy of your insurance info that they can verify qualifies for the discount vs. trying to act as a go between and calling your insurance company and having them send it over again.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 12:16
|
|
|
Ansible Adams posted:About 6 weeks ago, I was involved in a hit-and-run while out on my bicycle. I ended up pretty messed up, was knocked unconscious when the ambulance showed up, took an ambulance ride to the hospital and had several procedures done. The bills are slowly starting to trickle in. You're on the hook for the whole 3465. They'd have to honor the $580 price if they were in network, but they're not. That's what being in/out of network means. The "plan discount" would apply if they were in network but since they're not they have zero obligation to abide by it. It's called balance billing and even the states that have laws that limit it all (or nearly all) have carve outs that specifically exclude ambulance companies. The best you can do is call the ambulance company and plead poverty, beg, cry, etc and hope they at least reduce the bill somewhat, $4000 is on the high end even for predatory shitbag ambulance companies. And they're usually happy to put you on a payment plan so maybe you can just pay $50 a month for the next 5 years. Welcome to healthcare and insurance in America. e: what state are you in? That's all that matters in finding out if you're protected against balance billing. There might be a couple that extend it to ambulance services, but all the ones I've checked personally do not. bird with big dick fucked around with this message at 14:55 on Jun 15, 2021 |
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 14:27
|
|
|
Thanks for the responses. I'm in California, which as far as I can tell is fairly protective against balance billing but not for ground ambulances.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 15:10
|
|
|
Ansible Adams posted:Thanks for the responses. I'm in California, which as far as I can tell is fairly protective against balance billing but not for ground ambulances. Full stop. Do not pay them a cent over your deductible. Call your insurance and ask for help. Do not pay bills until your insurance has finished dealing with them and even then not over your co-pays / whatever on your eobs. Emergency's are covered like in network claims. Just be patient and on top of people. Edit: I can go into this more later but for today just tell your insurance company that the ambulance is balance billing you and what do. Take notes: name, date, reference number. If the ambulance company calls say the sole words: Only contact me via postal service. Do not call me. Then hang up. Or just hang up. H110Hawk fucked around with this message at 16:00 on Jun 15, 2021 |
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 15:42
|
|
|
H110Hawk posted:Full stop. Do not pay them a cent over your deductible. Call your insurance and ask for help. Sounds like they've finished dealing with it. They're not going to pay them more than their in network rate. quote:Emergency's are covered like in network claims. "Covered like in network claims" means they pay the in network rate, which they've already done. quote:Edit: I can go into this more later Please do. As OP has already found out, even California doesn't protect against balance billing by ground ambulance.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 16:15
|
|
|
Well, I called them this morning and the person I spoke with seemed unfazed by all of this. I confirmed it was for an emergency and that it was a bill from the ambulance company, and he said he'd submit it for reprocessing. Not sure where it will end up but I took notes and will keep on them. I should get an update in 5-7 days. My annual summary of benefits says I'll pay an out of network provider 10% if I need emergency medical transportation, seems meaningless if that 10% is calculated based on an imaginary discount that the ambulance company won't honor, though. post hole digger fucked around with this message at 16:36 on Jun 15, 2021 |
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 16:31
|
|
|
Good luck. I predict they reprocess it exactly the way they processed it the first time. This isn't a bug, it's a feature, it's the system working as intended.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 16:42
|
|
|
Ansible Adams posted:My annual summary of benefits says I'll pay an out of network provider 10% if I need emergency medical transportation, seems meaningless if that 10% is calculated based on an imaginary discount that the ambulance company won't honor, though. Exactly. Mine is 20% but it's 20% of the bullshit in network rate which is like $700. You can maybe try "an appeal through the state’s independent medical review process" which apparently worked for this lady: https://khn.org/news/michelle-andrews-on-ambulance-fees/ quote:Just ask Robin Spring. While undergoing chemotherapy for uterine cancer two years ago, she became short of breath and faint at her home in rural Corralitos, Calif. She called her oncologist, who told her to call 911. The ambulance took her to a hospital 20 miles away, where she was admitted with a bowel obstruction. She stayed for 10 days.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 16:46
|
|
|
bird with big dick posted:Good luck. I predict they reprocess it exactly the way they processed it the first time. This isn't a bug, it's a feature, it's the system working as intended. I'm not holding my breath for anything, but I figure this will be the necessary first step in proceeding through this mess. bird with big dick posted:Exactly. Mine is 20% but it's 20% of the bullshit in network rate which is like $700. Yeah, I came across California's Department of Managed Health Care compliant process last night. I will definitely go that route if I need to. Thanks for that link, though. It makes me feel a little optimistic knowing someone was able to win a similar claim.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 16:59
|
|
|
Here is how it worked for me, someone who took an ambulance ride in Los Angeles County, CA around 15 months ago. I have PPO insurance via UHC. I also have a SIL who has expertise on these things to advise me on the process on the side. Maybe my insurance is better than yours, but CA says you aren't allowed to balance bill medically necessary emergency services. By the way, don't take my word for it, ask the state: https://dmhc.ca.gov/Portals/0/HealthCareInCalifornia/FactSheets/fsab72.pdf You are the second condition in there. You owe exactly your in-network cost share (EOB shows this) and not a penny more. 1. Took a ride. 911, emergency, whole bit. It was pretty funny as I was completely conscious/lucid, just couldn't stand. Take care of your back kids. 2. Got an uncoded non-itemized statement with no due date from the private ambulance company. It basically had my name, a date they mailed it, and a number that said "account balance: $LOL." Probably owned by the same parent company as the one you took a ride with after getting attempted murdered on your bicycle. Glad to see you were wearing a helmet, given you got to ride in the ambulance and not a helicopter or bag.  3. Insurance did their dance, said that the $LOL bill from the insurance company should have been $less and paid them like $8 or whatever and gave me an EOB like the one you got, with a discount, threats about using an out of network provider, etc. It said I owed my deductible of $500 plus like $4 in coinsurance. It's all a dumb game. Remember you were unconscious. Remind anyone on the phone of that fact who says anything about "out of network." I'm making these numbers up obviously, but you get the idea. 4. Requested an itemized bill from the ambulance company - this is the first time I ever admitted to them I received the first statement. This never arrived. I also got a phone call and I didn't admit to being anyone on the phone and told them never to call that number again. 5. Got another statement from them for the same amount. Slightly more ominous tones. No itemization, no due date, no evidence the insurance company had done anything. 6. A ~month later the insurance company opened a "dispute" or grievance (I forget the exact term) on my behalf and I was assigned a named case worker. They sent me a letter telling me what had transpired, and said I shouldn't have to pay anything, and specifically in bold letters said that if I receive any further bills do not pay and contact <person>. I did, we chatted, laughed, had a grand old time. Seriously, she was a nice person. Got a reference number. 7. The insurance did some more dancing, I had to login to some stupid portal called "dataisight" that tells me the same stupid information about what it "should" have cost. UHC sent this to the ambulance company as "proof" of what it should cost. I'm sure they had a good laugh, denied it knowing in CA the insurance has to pay, and UHC coughed up the rest along with a cease and desist notice. 8. Later I received a letter from a collection agency still not admitting to being paid any amount. Called my UHC named rep and found they had indeed cashed the checks UHC sent them prior to the date of sending it to collections so this wasn't a misunderstanding, it was fraud. At this point I knew the exact amount I actually owed from the EOB, and that they had been paid the balance so I was clear to figure this out with them. Once you pay them you lose any leverage. This is where stuff got even dumber for me, and you have to be on your toes. If live-fire with a debt collector isn't for you consider a FDCPA letter. I might have sent them one as well, I honestly forget. FDCPA has a mandatory $1000 fine and I think reasonable attorneys fees for violations. 9. Setup call recording. For this I used a second phone, a "voice memo app", and speakerphone. California is 2-party consent state, make sure you clearly get permission to record the call. If they balk rescind your permission to record the call. This might wind up with the representative having to talk to someone in legal. (This person granted me permission immediately, a previous medical bill I flat forgot to pay and was legitimately in collections had to check with someone.  ) Verified my ID and all that. They started rambling on about god knows what. I could review the recording (I still have it! 7 stupid years!) but oh god please don't make me. I interupted them and said something along the lines of "I am ready to pay $XXX (from your final EOB on this) if you will confirm that this will pay my balance in full, you have not already and will not place anything on my credit report about this, and that you will never contact me again about this bill." You're going to need to be insistent here. This person tried every trick in the book to not confirm these things. "Why would we place derogatory remarks on your credit if you're paying sir?" "I don't know which is why I need you to confirm clearly for the recording that you have not and will not place anything on my credit report regarding this." Broken record this part. Write it out so you can read from it every time they they don't just say "yes" or "no." If they say no say "I'm sorry we could not come to an agreement" and hang up. Once they agree, say thank you and offer to pay BY CREDIT CARD ONLY. If they attempt to charge you a fee for this ask them to zero it out. If you insist on giving them a checking account number open a new account, disable overdraft protection, fund it with the exact amount to be paid +$1, and close it once their bill clears. If the site asks you to confirm anything other than what you've spoken about reconfirm with them on the phone your agreement and that you don't agree to the website terms but will pay if they re-confirm. This might be all overkill on the step 9 part, but it makes me sleep better. gently caress those people, gently caress their whole industry, spite is my motivator. Had UHC and the ambulance company worked together in earnest to come to an agreement about this stuff in advance, and then had the ambulance company worked in good faith AT ANY POINT, they would have been paid more. I'm sure plenty of people get the same advice above, and in many (most?) states it's true. It's not true in California. UHC was actually a dream the whole time. H110Hawk fucked around with this message at 18:03 on Jun 15, 2021 |
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 17:59
|
|
|
H110Hawk posted:Here is how it worked for me, someone who took an ambulance ride in Los Angeles County, CA around 15 months ago. I have PPO insurance via UHC. I also have a SIL who has expertise on these things to advise me on the process on the side. Maybe my insurance is better than yours, but CA says you aren't allowed to balance bill medically necessary emergency services. drat this both rocks and is incredibly depressing. thank you for taking the time to write this. What I got barely even qualifies as a formal bill, just a notice. 'Your insurance didn't pay this, so now you have to.' also with no due date, codes, itemization. from the tone youd never know they are the subsidiary of an investment bank 
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 18:39
|
|
|
Ansible Adams posted:drat this both rocks and is incredibly depressing. thank you for taking the time to write this. What I got barely even qualifies as a formal bill, just a notice. 'Your insurance didn't pay this, so now you have to.' also with no due date, codes, itemization. from the tone youd never know they are the subsidiary of an investment bank But let me tell you what I really think. Yeah that's similar to what I got, and a LOT of people just cry and pay it. gently caress those companies for preying on the uninformed. Doubly so people who have to make choices due to the payment plan they were fraudulently signed up for. gently caress the insurance companies for pretending like they don't have to indemnify you / make you whole as though it were an in-network claim. (More preying on the uninformed.) Take a breath. It's really frustrating, and you get more flies with honey and all that. You might see if you get further with saying "Hey I saw on the california department of managed health that surprise medical bills for this aren't allowed, this is called out as a specific example on this. Can you please make sure that is noted in the file for reprocessing?" Start a journal. Dates, times, names, reference numbers, and what you talked about in short expository sentences. If you forget, call back. If you have help through your employer, use it. This is what they are there to help you with. You are unfortunately going to have to watch these bills like a hawk as they come in, and potentially do this whole song and dance for each one. For emergency services (stuff up until you were discharged from the hospital) make sure you never pay a penny more than your EOB says. The insurance companies have literal teams of lawyers who deal with this stuff on the backend if your claims add up enough and the out of network service providers don't play ball.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 19:17
|
|
|
You need to go over every line item in your medical bills with a fine-toothed comb, too. They don't have a loving clue what they're doing, make sure you keep track of every payment you make and that it is noted on your statements. Request comprehensive billing statements as needed, because they'll try to hide poo poo on the individual bills. Medical billing is so far beyond hosed in this country. I used to work for support for a medical billing software company, and I have a bitch of a time navigating it. Ham Equity fucked around with this message at 20:15 on Jun 15, 2021 |
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 20:13
|
|
|
H110Hawk posted:Here is how it worked for me, someone who took an ambulance ride in Los Angeles County, CA around 15 months ago. I have PPO insurance via UHC. I also have a SIL who has expertise on these things to advise me on the process on the side. Maybe my insurance is better than yours, but CA says you aren't allowed to balance bill medically necessary emergency services. Note that the second condition specifically says doctors and hospitals and an ambulance provider is neither. That document practically goes out of its way to NOT use the word ambulance anywhere. All three of their examples are non ambulance related, which is a little conspicuously odd if it also applied to ambulances, considering something like 70-80% of ambulance rides are out of network and the majority end up balance billing. Why would they not specifically mentioned what is literally the most common thing to be balance billed for? https://calpirg.org/blogs/blog/cap/how-protect-yourself-surprise-medical-bills quote:Exceptions to surprise billing protections quote:I'm sure plenty of people get the same advice above, and in many (most?) states it's true. It's not true in California. It is true in California. Either you lucked out and your insurance has some sort of non-standard coverage that covered you, or someone in the chain between insurer and ambulance company and collections agency decided it wasn't worth going after you for the debt and wrote it off (which absolutely happens, the squeaky wheel gets the grease and all, I've seen plenty of accounts of people that got medical bills reduced or eliminated by being a pain in the rear end and making a lot of noise).
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 20:49
|
|
|
Ansible Adams posted:drat this both rocks and is incredibly depressing. thank you for taking the time to write this. What I got barely even qualifies as a formal bill, just a notice. 'Your insurance didn't pay this, so now you have to.' also with no due date, codes, itemization. from the tone youd never know they are the subsidiary of an investment bank Yeah, I wouldn't really call that a bill either, but there's probably one coming.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 21:08
|
|
|
bird with big dick posted:(which absolutely happens, the squeaky wheel gets the grease and all, I've seen plenty of accounts of people that got medical bills reduced or eliminated by being a pain in the rear end and making a lot of noise). Actually, now that I think of it, that happened to me but it was only $49.95 for a walker from when I was discharged from the hospital. They kept billing me and I kept telling them to submit it to my insurance company and they kept saying they would but never did and finally I told them if they kept contacted me I was going to file a complaint against them for attempted insurance fraud and I've never gotten another bill from them. I later found out they were out of network and therefore weren't actually required to submit it to my insurance company. But they never told me this, so that's kinda on them. The two other issues I had were both bills that didn't match the EOB. The first one they kept saying they were right and BCBS kept saying they weren't and after about 7 unproductive phone calls I had to snail mail them a copy of the EOB and then I never heard from them again. The other EOB that didn't match actually ended up being correct but it was because the bill had a ton of poo poo that wasn't itemized and was lumped together. Once they sent me the itemized bill you could see that if you took like 14 different EOBs and combined them in varying ways it ended up matching the 3 different line items that had been on the nonitemized bill. This also took about 7 phone calls until I eventually talked to a hospital billing employee that didn't have their head up their rear end and offered this as a possible explanation and sent me the fully itemized bill. The main thing to keep in mind is that phone customer service reps for insurance companies and hospital billing aren't inherently more competent or well trained than the CS reps you have to deal with for any other company which means you're likely to get both incorrect information and/or people that just don't know how to identify/fix your problem and just throw some unhelpful poo poo at the wall in order to get you off the phone.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 21:19
|
|
|
One other thing that I've heard of only through reading about this poo poo online for months is that some ambulance companies will threaten to send you to collections but have a policy that they will never actually do it. They'll just let you owe them thousands of dollars for the rest of your life (I assume they eventually stop billing you at some point though because of the expense). Probably mostly the municipal run type ambulance companies because the city of South Buttplug Oregon probably doesn't want the bad press of sending little old ladies that got in car accidents to collections. These companies, obviously, will never admit that this is their policy if you ask them so you either need to find someone online that experienced it and says that's how it worked for them or you need to play a little bit of a game of chicken with your credit report.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 21:34
|
|
|
Welp. I hate everything. And of course there is a carve out for self-funded ERISA plans. It's odd because my SIL (who does this for a living for insurance companies) seemed to think it was covered, and she hadn't looked at my plan. Take my screed above as a template in being the squeaky wheel. "How was I supposed to find an in-network ambulance while unconscious?" File a grievance against your insurance if they fail to pay. FDCPA the ambulance company, pray they gently caress up. UHC_Plan posted:Your cost if you use Out-of-Network benefits Of course that doesn't get into all of the asterisks I'm sure exist. Guess my health insurance is just that good?
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 21:36
|
|
|
bird with big dick posted:One other thing that I've heard of only through reading about this poo poo online for months is that some ambulance companies will threaten to send you to collections but have a policy that they will never actually do it. They'll just let you owe them thousands of dollars for the rest of your life (I assume they eventually stop billing you at some point though because of the expense). Mine wound up in collections, but it's a Major Multinational Ambulance Company (a Falck subsidiary), so basically AMR by a different name.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 21:38
|
|
|
H110Hawk posted:Welp. I hate everything. And of course there is a carve out for self-funded ERISA plans. It's odd because my SIL (who does this for a living for insurance companies) seemed to think it was covered, and she hadn't looked at my plan. Honestly that's what I would do if I were this guy is just keep operating under the assumption that this billing isn't allowed and just keep complaining and disputing to anyone and everyone. This kind of balance billing is definitely immoral, it just so happens to also be legal (in most places). quote:Of course that doesn't get into all of the asterisks I'm sure exist. Guess my health insurance is just that good? thats what I would guess tbh but like you said, asterisks. bird with big dick fucked around with this message at 21:53 on Jun 15, 2021 |
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 21:46
|
|
|
H110Hawk posted:Mine wound up in collections, but it's a Major Multinational Ambulance Company (a Falck subsidiary), so basically AMR by a different name. I had three. Two of them were about $1600 each (insurance paid $800 each), the other was $2300 (insurance paid $500). The latter is actually from a municipal ambulance company and I'm currently playing the aforementioned game of chicken with them about whether they'll actually send me to collections. I'm technically on a payment plan but I think I've only made one $50 payment in the last 6 months. I haven't been sent to collections yet and it seems like they've quit sending me bills but I also don't really pay that much attention to my mail so it's possible I just missed some.
|
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2021 21:52
|
|
|
This podcast has a bunch of episodes about dealing with some of this billing bullshit: https://armandalegshow.com/
|
|
#
?
Jun 21, 2021 18:03
|
|
|
Here's a small sampling of the medical bills from my car accident last year. The top one is the surgery. The "you may owe 34 grand" was never real but I didn't know that until I called BCBS and actually got someone that knew their rear end from a hole in the ground and they explained to me that the hospital had just coded something wrong and that there's no way I'd be responsible for the charge. Prior to talking to that person I had a two or three BCBS morons say "Who knows, maybe you owe it, lets wait and see if they actually try and bill you." The next two were life flights that my employer flat out told me wouldn't be covered. They, luckily, were wrong and I don't have to pay a cent. But I got to spend 5 months or so staring down the barrel of 130,000 dollars of air ambulance bills which is real nice for your psyche while you're trying to recover. Three out of the last four are the balance billed ground ambulances.  And I make a good living and have good insurance. I think it pretty much goes without saying, but our health insurance system is broken and stupid.
|
|
#
?
Jun 21, 2021 18:22
|
|
|
bird with big dick posted:Here's a small sampling of the medical bills from my car accident last year. For the record, I hate everything about this. It's stuff like this that makes me sweat about "FIRE" folks. I like being able to choose my providers (in a non-emergency scenario obviously.) I don't see how that works when you're on super cheap insurance, hopefully subsidized by the ACA. 
|
|
#
?
Jun 21, 2021 18:27
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 27, 2024 14:08 |
|
|
Ansible Adams posted:About 6 weeks ago, I was involved in a hit-and-run while out on my bicycle. I ended up pretty messed up, was knocked unconscious when the ambulance showed up, took an ambulance ride to the hospital and had several procedures done. The bills are slowly starting to trickle in. Another question: do you have an auto policy? If you do and have Medpay coverage, they may be able to cover those bills for you.
|
|
#
?
Jun 21, 2021 22:44
|
|