Did you know that the simple step of negotiating your large medical bills could potentially save you thousands of dollars? Ever wonder how to negotiate these large medical bills that seem complex and hard to understand? Read on to learn how…
When you open a medical bill, your eyes likely immediately fall on the total due. For many consumers, that’s the full extent of their medical bill reading — eyeing what they owe and resigning themselves to the budgeting necessary to get it paid.
But with one in five Americans struggling with medical bills and as many as 80% of medical bills containing errors, it’s smart to know what you’re looking at and how to negotiate large medical bills when possible.
How to decipher your complex medical bills
The details contained within your medical bill depend on your medical provider. Generally, they include the date of service, a description of services and the charge for each service. Some will also include medical codes, referred to as CPT codes. These codes identify the procedures and tell the provider how much to charge. If any payments have been made, either by you or your insurance provider, those will be included as well.
How to spot billing errors on large medical bills
Identifying medical bill errors could save you a significant amount of money. Start by looking for these common but costly errors.
- Check your dates of service.
- Look for duplicate charges.
- Make sure you aren’t charged for canceled appointments and procedures.
- Ensure your insurance information is accurate.
- If any charges seem far too high, investigate further.
Other medical billing errors are difficult to spot. Practices like upcoding, where a patient is charged for a more serious (and expensive) procedure or diagnosis, or unbundling, where procedures that should have been billed together under a single code are billed separately leading to higher charges, may not be immediately apparent to the untrained eye but could be detected by a medical bill advocate.
How to spot medical billing errors
Identifying medical bill errors could save you a significant amount of money. Start by looking for these common but costly errors.
- Check your dates of service.
- Look for duplicate charges.
- Make sure you aren’t charged for canceled appointments and procedures.
- Ensure your insurance information is accurate.
- If any charges seem far too high, investigate further.
Other medical billing errors are difficult to spot. Practices like upcoding, where a patient is charged for a more serious (and expensive) procedure or diagnosis, or unbundling, where procedures that should have been billed together under a single code are billed separately leading to higher charges, may not be immediately apparent to the untrained eye but could be detected by a medical bill advocate.
Get Help to Negotiate Large Medical Bills
Sometimes it’s worthwhile to have someone on your side when you are deciphering medical bills, negotiating with medical providers, navigating the insurance system, or figuring out what you can contribute to a payment plan each month. Here are some places to turn for help. If this sounds like you, consider reaching out to our team at AllyHealth. All AllyHealth members receive free advocacy support to negotiate their large medical bills. Our members have saved thousands thanks to our billing specialists who understand the complexity of your medical bills. They know how to spot errors, how to challenge any “grey” area that may be involved in your case, and how to roll up the sleeves and negotiate on your behalf. Get started here to join AllyHealth and speak to our advocacy team.
