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It wouldn't matter if there is a placard on the front desk that states that, or even if the patient signed a paper agreeing to be responsible for the bill ... if the patient provides solid proof of insurance, at the time of service, and the medical provider accepts that insurance but fails to submit a proper and timely claim then the law trumps any placard or signed agreement and the medical provider legally forfeits the rights to be paid for the amount the insurance company would have paid on the claim(s).
I had previously commented in this forum that I do agree that people need to make it their job to keep on top of medical providers and make sure that claims are filed correctly and timely. It shouldn't have to be that way but sadly it is.
Unfortunately.....this is correct. You can not trust that any provider has your best interest in insurance related matters. It is very time consuming and frustrating but it is in your best interest to pursue and stay on top of any medical billing you have incurred. If you have not had any problems, consider yourself lucky, your time will come.
Last month I called the dentist to tell them mistakes where made on my daughters account that with insurance should have been in our favor. They told me very adamantly that I was in error and that was final. I then told them very politely that they would now have to deal with my wife........after several hours on the phone with the dentist, Blue Cross and our Dental insurance we received about $150 back in a few weeks.....only after very proactive research by my wife.
To the op....ask for a reduced payment plan. 90% of the time they will accept that than hand you off to a collections agency.
Wow, completely forgot about this thread. An update:
So as luck would have it, my braces didn't get removed until May and July (uppers in May, lowers in July). That wasn't due to non-payment, but rather due to uncooperative teeth. :P
I made my last payment to the orthodontist in mid-May. Basically, I paid them between $400-$800 per month from February til May. I let them know that I was going to pay them in full, that I was sorry about falling behind and that I appreciated their patience. By paying them every 1-2 weeks consistently, I showed them that I was committed to paying things back. In exchange, they waived about $200 in late fees to allow me to pay the account off a little faster. I was and still am quite grateful for this.
Paying them that much per month sucked, but it helped that my freelance work took off right about then. It was a weight off my shoulders to make that last payment.
For anyone who's reading this and is in my former shoes, all I can say is that it's best to talk to whoever you owe. In most cases they're willing to work things out with you. In my case, they were very nice about things.
It's improper English and grammar to begin a sentence with the word "So." It makes you look ignorant and effeminate -- since girls often begin sentences that way.
It's improper English and grammar to begin a sentence with the word "So." It makes you look ignorant and effeminate -- since girls often begin sentences that way.
And you brought up a 4 year old post to be the grammar nazi? Nice troll.
And it's not even grammatically incorrect to begin a sentence with a conjunction anyway. It's stylistic preference. So you wouldn't want to just write a bunch of sentences starting with a conjunction. But if you really wanted to, it wouldn't be grammatically incorrect. But that doesn't mean it's not, in general, a good piece of style advice. As clearly if you start too many sentences with a coordinating conjunction instead of, you know, using a coordinating conjunction it looks bad. And... =D
For effect, it's quite useful.
You brought up a four-year-old post to be a grammar Nazi.
And you brought up a four-year-old post to be a grammar Nazi.
I owe $3,000 they wont see me until i pay the full amount and i cant because i help out my dad with rent and our rent is $2,450 a month plust that does not include the water caple internet and pg&e plus garbage and etc. they asked me why i failed to make payment so i told them the truth that i was oneless for a whole year and i had to help out with food or whatever just to get by. but they said they understand which they really dont understand. i can pay monthly to pay off the $3,000 i owe but i still cant get seen so its useless to try to pay off the $3k i owe if they wont even see me.
this is not a personal judgment about you. as a service provider conducting business, i wouldnt want to be responsible to make individual judgments on who seems like an honorable person or not. im going to assume people will screw me if i make it easy enough for them. so id be very worried if ive completed providing my service and im not paid in full. i wouldnt want to be in that position without some kind of leverage (which he loses when he removes your braces).
OP stated after they take the bands off she will be getting a retainer and have follow up appointments. In the medical field, they have to work partly on the trust angle. If you need an emergency appendectomy, are they going to wait until you pay for it in full?
It's improper English and grammar to begin a sentence with the word "So." It makes you look ignorant and effeminate -- since girls often begin sentences that way.
Is it bad to act effeminate if you are a girl? Asking for a friend.
I owe $3,000 they wont see me until i pay the full amount and i cant because i help out my dad with rent and our rent is $2,450 a month plust that does not include the water caple internet and pg&e plus garbage and etc. they asked me why i failed to make payment so i told them the truth that i was oneless for a whole year and i had to help out with food or whatever just to get by. but they said they understand which they really dont understand. i can pay monthly to pay off the $3,000 i owe but i still cant get seen so its useless to try to pay off the $3k i owe if they wont even see me.
What does an office appointment have to do with paying what you owe? Just keep paying what you can for now. You made the commitment to buy the braces and their services, you have to pay for them.
I owe $3,000 they wont see me until i pay the full amount and i cant because i help out my dad with rent and our rent is $2,450 a month plust that does not include the water caple internet and pg&e plus garbage and etc. they asked me why i failed to make payment so i told them the truth that i was oneless for a whole year and i had to help out with food or whatever just to get by. but they said they understand which they really dont understand. i can pay monthly to pay off the $3,000 i owe but i still cant get seen so its useless to try to pay off the $3k i owe if they wont even see me.
its a risk to continue seeing you when you are far behind. that is a fair decision on their part.
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