Guest guest Posted January 10, 2004 Report Share Posted January 10, 2004 Hi Rita, I would think it is the responsibility of whoever directed you to go there, but I am not an insurance expert at all. In a message dated 1/10/2004 6:47:35 AM Pacific Standard Time, ritanuch1014@... writes: > My doctor's office blames the hospital and the hospital blames the doctor > and I'm stuck with a $1,000.00 bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 10, 2004 Report Share Posted January 10, 2004 I don't know. I remember my biopsy samples were sent out to somewhere in the U.S. Never had to pay though. We don't have to pay for anything in Canada anyway, though. Is your insurance an HMO? If so, do they actually have a renal pathology lab " in their network " ? If not, I think you might have a case. In all the years I've been on the internet in the context of kidney disease, this is the first time I've ever heard of someone having to pay for their biopsy. Pierre Caught in the middle > I was wondering if anyone had a suggestion for my situation. When I had my biopsy done in october, the actual biopsy was sent out to the University of Washington. My insurance company denied payment of the biopsy because they said it was " out of their network " . My doctor wrote the insurance company a letter, but they still denied payment. My doctor's office blames the hospital and the hospital blames the doctor and I'm stuck with a $1,000.00 bill. Of course I'm going to appeal it, but I doubt I can win this. I was never informed that my biopsy was going to be sent somewhere else....whose resposability is it? Please don't tell me the patient.... Any suggestions? Thanks Rita > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 10, 2004 Report Share Posted January 10, 2004 I don't know. I remember my biopsy samples were sent out to somewhere in the U.S. Never had to pay though. We don't have to pay for anything in Canada anyway, though. Is your insurance an HMO? If so, do they actually have a renal pathology lab " in their network " ? If not, I think you might have a case. In all the years I've been on the internet in the context of kidney disease, this is the first time I've ever heard of someone having to pay for their biopsy. Pierre Caught in the middle > I was wondering if anyone had a suggestion for my situation. When I had my biopsy done in october, the actual biopsy was sent out to the University of Washington. My insurance company denied payment of the biopsy because they said it was " out of their network " . My doctor wrote the insurance company a letter, but they still denied payment. My doctor's office blames the hospital and the hospital blames the doctor and I'm stuck with a $1,000.00 bill. Of course I'm going to appeal it, but I doubt I can win this. I was never informed that my biopsy was going to be sent somewhere else....whose resposability is it? Please don't tell me the patient.... Any suggestions? Thanks Rita > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 10, 2004 Report Share Posted January 10, 2004 Hi, Rita. I am with you in mutual commiseration. My insurance company has done the same thing. My biopsy was in June 2001 at Mather Hospital in NY. Over TWO years later, (Nov. 2003) I get a bill from the pathology department of Columbia Presyterian where it was sent. My bill is about 1200 dollars. Basically, I am fighting this and refuse to pay. Before the procedure, I called my insurance company to get pre-approval and they said OK. No one asked about where the pathology would be sent. I have yet to hear back from the insurance company.Communication is further compounded by the fact that I now live in Australia. (Since I have fled the country, they will have an even harder time getting the money out of me!) I think my neph will support me, since he told me afterwards that he sent me to that hospital knowing that the specimen would go there (a center for the Cellcept study). In addition, the insurance company is also not paying him, saying that he is " out of network. " The whole practice participates in this insurance scheme, but since he was new,he was not on their list. It is a frustrating and frightening mess, but I am going to remain calm, firm and adamant. Let me know what you find out and I will do the same. (an American in Oz) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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