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My old doctor only sent out bills quarterly. I know others only sent them out twice a year. It is strange since every where else you get the bill by weeks end it seems like. If you're worried about getting a massive bill at sometime I would call and ask. Otherwise don't worry about it.
If you were to get one big massive bill and couldn't pay it all at once I would then call and tell them that you didn't expect for months to go by with no bill. You understand you owe but can you be on a payment plan. Most will let you.
You do realize, if you have insurance, you should get an EOB? An explanation of benefits? It explains what the doctors office charged your insurance, what the insurance actually paid (and doctor's offices and insurance companies more often than not have contracts stating that they will pay a certain % of charges) what (if you had one) your co-pay and what your remaining amount is?
Also-you can almost always choose to pay the bill up front and then submit it yourself to the insurance company--though there are a few places that make you do this (mostly therapist, some alternatiive medicine--chiro is a grey area, depending on the insurance company.)
You can view those online, with most insurance companies--as well as your deductible, out of pockets (different things-some insurance companies apply deductibles to out of pocket costs, some do not.) Just as you can view your benefits. However, the doctor's office CANNOT balance bill you (for the difference in the discounted rate and what the actual charge was) as that is illegal.
Sometimes the "doctor" charges low enough that insurance pays all of it. I experienced this when we used CNP's instead of MD. The explanation I got was the insurance paid a lower rate and covered 100% of the bill.
Why not just pay cash up front and then submit to your insurance co afterwards?
I always pay cash for office visits. If I go to my attorney or my mechanic, they expect to be paid right then and there. Why should a doctor be any different?
Dr bills you $200 for a visit
Contract rate with the insurance is $50
Your copay is $25
Insurance pays the other $25
You now have to go back to the doctor and get your $175 back (difference between the original $200 you paid and the $25 you should have paid)
That's why the doctor is different and most know and understand that.
There is NO medical establishment in my town that accepts CASH. The staff is not to be trusted, and rightly so. It clearly states: Check, Credit card and /or- active insurance card.
Had a shyster Opthamologist insist that this "special" test would be covered under my regular medical. I clearly didnt SEE that coming when I got a bill for 200$ since my insurance denied it .
I do have a local dentist that is constantly surprised that I pay by check at the end of each visit. He has it on my file that if I pay at time of service , I get a 15% discount. How sweet is that! : )
My dental plan might as well be non existent...it takes 2000$ out of pocket and a 6 month wait to be covered for anything beyond the exam, cleaning and ex-ray. ....
Yes, I did receive an EOB, that was what I was referring to in my original post. It said what insurance covered and what was left - what the office would likely bill me for - and they haven't. If it was turned over to collections, surely I would have heard something. Appreciate the replies. I guess I just won't go back there.
Yes, I did receive an EOB, that was what I was referring to in my original post. It said what insurance covered and what was left - what the office would likely bill me for - and they haven't. If it was turned over to collections, surely I would have heard something. Appreciate the replies. I guess I just won't go back there.
In other words, stuff the doctor for "what was left - what the office would likely bill me for." If someone in the billing office made a mistake that does not mean you do not owe what you know you owe.
Thank you for your input. I am not paying anything without being billed for it. I told them up front what I could afford and how I would like them to file the insurance. So maybe they just aren't billing me.
Thank you for your input. I am not paying anything without being billed for it. I told them up front what I could afford and how I would like them to file the insurance. So maybe they just aren't billing me.
You can do that. I consider it dishonest.
I guess if you had overpaid it would be all right for the doctor to not refund that amount if you never asked for it back?
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