Texas woman went to get a drive-thru COVID-19 test that was covered by insurance. She did not know that they charged her insurance $3,165 until two months later. The drive-thru center charged $150 for those who paid cash rather than insurance.
Click here to read the article
Fraudulent bills like this cause our insurance rates to skyrocket. Insurance often will only cover a portion of the test. The remainder of the unpaid balance will often be mailed to patients, many of whom end up paying because they don’t realize that this is a type of fraud. It is important to ask about costs of procedures up front and make sure this doesn’t happen to you.
Unfortunately, stories like the one you just read are increasingly common. While it is not commonplace to think of asking about your medical costs before you receive care, it is completely acceptable and will likely become the norm in the future, with upcoming changes in the laws requiring pricing transparency. If you are curious about how much something should cost, you can go to the FAIR Health website and find out. Here is the link:
It will be helpful to know the CPT codes. Common Procedural Technology (CPT codes) are numbers assigned to every task and service a medical practitioner may provide, including medical, surgical, and diagnostic services. You doctor’s office can give you the CPT codes for your visit, or you can look them up online by searching CPT codes or go to:
Take a look at our Covid-Page for a volume of fact-checked authoritative information about Covid-19.
Have a peak at our ultra-thin, water-resistant, and durable Wallet-Medication-Cards.
Read about our work helping patients Negotiate Medical Bills and other components of our Patient Advocacy.
Jenn Landers | Patient Advocate Alliance, LLC Edited by Dr. Justin Groode
