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Just an FYI for those of you that may be having a procedure done or got a medical bill that you didn't think was right: Call and raise hell.
I got a bill for an office visit that I considered excessive for the treatment I got. Here's how the office visit went:
I wait in the exam room for about 20+ minutes, Dr comes in, asks me a bunch of questions, and then suggests I come in that Friday for an expensive, invasive procedure that's essentially out-of-pocket (due to my crappy high deductible insurance). No physical exam, no tests, nothing.
So, when I got the bill, I called his office, spoke to the woman in billing, told her my complaint, said I wasn't going to be able to use this Dr anymore, etc, etc, etc.
Low and behold, they agree to 'recode' the visit so that it goes under a different cost structure. It'll probably well worth my time and will save me about $200.
As they say, EVERYTHING in life is negotiable. You just have to have the guts and persistence to ask, stand your ground, demand, etc.
You gotta kind of be a jerk about it but hey, money is money and doctors make enough as it is.
Since you posted this in more than one Forum, I'll copy my response from the Personal Finance Forum:
People can definitely negotiate with medical providers. As with all businesses, some will be more accommodating than others. However, I would caution against "raising hell."
As a business manager of a medical group, I will always consider legitimate requests for adjustments. But if someone is hostile, accuses the doctor of fraud/incompetence, or starts making demands, I will not authorize any adjustments to their account.
I broke my ankle 4 years ago and I had to wear a boot for several months. The insurance company would not pay for the boot because it was considered reusable medical equipment. (Though I would love to see someone try to reuse a non-washable boot worn during the summer months in Arizona!) The bill from the doctor's office was almost $800. I found the exact boot online for less than $40. I printed out the information and went to the doctor's office armed with proof that their charge was absurd. They eventually agreed to reduce the charge to $200.
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