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We're not responsible for these bills DEAR EDITOR: A few weeks ago The Forest-Blade ran an article about Emanuel Medical Center saying they were sorry about the late bills that were going out and any inconvenience this is causing. Well, I too received one of those bills. The bill is for services over a year ago. The paragraph on the bill states, "Your account has been placed with Healthcare Recovery Specialists because your insurance has denied or made payment and the balance is your responsibility. Please remit payment within 30 days. If you feel this amount is in error, please contact your insurance company prior to contacting our office. Make check payable to EMANUEL MD CTR ER/RAD PHY." So I did some of my own investigating, since I save all of my explanation of benefits and canceled checks. I called my insurance company and they told me that any service I received on the date in question was billed and paid. They even went as far as giving me the check dates and check numbers. Next, I tried to call the number on the bill I received and every time I called a voicemail comes on and says sorry for your wait, but all representatives are busy helping other callers. Then you hold for a long time and finally another voicemail comes on and says if you would please leave your name, telephone number, and account number someone will call you back within 24 hours. Well, I made the call on a Thursday and by Wednesday of the next week- you guessed it- still no call. So I had all of my documentation printed and headed to the business office at the hospital. After a while of pleading my case, I was told that the bills are being sent because the billing company they used before did not bill for the reading of x-rays and now that company has gone bankrupt and are no longer in business and my insurance was never billed for the readings. I told the lady that my insurance (State Health) told me that they have four months to bill for services and then if they don't neither I nor them are responsible for the bill. She printed my insurance information and the bill in question and said she would fax it to the Healthcare Recovery Specialist so they could be re-billed and denied for timely submission, then it should be written off. My 92-year-old grandfather also received a bill for $325 and he has Medicare. Can you imagine how upset he is? He is from the old school and pays all of his bills with cash and in full as soon as he gets them. I did not know for several days that he had gotten a bill too, until my husband told me how stressed he was about it. I just wonder how many poor people are trying to pay these bills and probably like me and my grandfather, were insured. This is so sad and just doesn't seem fair to the citizens of Emanuel County to have to pay for the mistakes of a billing company. B. CRAIG Swainsboro | |||||
