https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:30:25 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-it-possible-to-appeal-a-medical-bill#post-1930699 Wed, 05 Nov 2014 11:16:51 +0000 mrs. wagon 1930699@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would definitely ask for an itemized bill but ER visits are notoriously expensive. Even with our extensive coverage we still pay $150 for each visit no matter what happens. Both our ped office and our primary care doctor's office have urgent care hours after hours and we're so thankful for that! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-it-possible-to-appeal-a-medical-bill#post-1930505 Wed, 05 Nov 2014 09:50:41 +0000 MaryM 1930505@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You should get an itemized bill from the hospital (sometimes these take longer than the EOBs). When you have that, I'd call and ask about it with the hospital's billing department.</p> <p>I got a $500 bill from my ENT this year. It all checked out, I just didn't know ahead of time that I was being charged for some of the procedures (they were done in office). Usually they bill the max they can to see how much they can get from the insurance company. If you call and ask, sometimes they'll then lower what you're responsible for. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-it-possible-to-appeal-a-medical-bill#post-1930391 Wed, 05 Nov 2014 09:00:57 +0000 lisa1783 1930391@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You can definitely ask for an itemized bill but unfortunately I don't think you'll have much luck fighting it. I think procedure is that a doctor has to discharge you - a nurse can't do it. You'll get the doctor's charge even if you ask specifically not to have the doctor. Also, most insurance plans also have an automatic ER charge that doesn't go toward your deductible. :( It totally sucks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-it-possible-to-appeal-a-medical-bill#post-1930175 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 23:50:26 +0000 sunny 1930175@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Unfortunately that sounds about right for how much an ER visit costs. You can always try to negotiate the bill down with the hospital though. </p> <p>I went to the ER years ago and the visit was $2000. They did do some lab work but It is just crazy with how much it all costs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-it-possible-to-appeal-a-medical-bill#post-1930101 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 22:28:30 +0000 littlejoy 1930101@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@matador84: I have met my yearly OOP (birth and a later surgery), but baby hasn't reached OOP. It's just the two of us on a plan, so we don't technically have a family max OOP. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-it-possible-to-appeal-a-medical-bill#post-1930085 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 22:18:20 +0000 blackbird 1930085@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Question it for sure but you still received a benefit....someone still saw you. If you had just walked out, that would've been a different story. But you should at least know what the $300 is for!!! I would want to know exactly what I am being charged for </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-it-possible-to-appeal-a-medical-bill#post-1930081 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 22:16:17 +0000 matador84 1930081@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a lot of experience recently with appeals...I can't find the thread I started a couple months ago. I think you'll have a hard time fighting the bill (just based on my experience) but if you pay in full, ask if they give a discount. Or, have you already met your plan deductible? Not sure how old your baby is, but maybe with labor and delivery in your plan year you've already hit your max oop? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-it-possible-to-appeal-a-medical-bill#post-1930079 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 22:14:43 +0000 Mrs. Jump Rope 1930079@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes, I always question medical bills. I match my EOBs up to an itemized bill to make sure they correlate, and I usually look up my medical benefits to make sure everything is correct. </p> <p>I had an out of town ER visit while on vacation last spring. I was 19 weeks pregnant and my ER visit was pregnancy related. I was in one room the entire stay, though I was wheeled into another room for an ultrasound. I saw one doctor and had no labs drawn. </p> <p>I got a $4600 bill. </p> <p>There was a bill for the ultrasound, a bill for the ultrasound technician, a bill for the ultrasound to be read, a bill for the doctor, a bill for the hospital, a bill for the cultures, a bill for something else... Oh, the list went on and on.</p> <p>I got the bills before I got my EOB, and it turned out the hospital forgot to bill my insurance. </p> <p>Then I got a bill from the physician, which is apparently separate from the hospital/ER portion, and it turn out they didn't have my insurance information on file. How that's even possible is beyond me; the ER photocopied my insurance card upon admission &amp; I never left the department. If the ER had the info to bill (but forgot?!) then how did the physican not have the info at all...?!</p> <p>Damn the man. I question everything. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-it-possible-to-appeal-a-medical-bill#post-1930062 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 22:00:51 +0000 Arden 1930062@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I doubt it, it's ridiculous how the system works. </p> <p>My little sister broke her leg. It was extremely obviously broken. After the x-ray (which showed an obvious break), the ER doctor called in another doctor "to confirm his diagnosis". I kid you not, the doctor walked in, looked at the film, and said "Yep, looks pretty broken!" and walked out. Not kidding.</p> <p>When she got the bill there was a $500 charge from the "consulting doctor". </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-it-possible-to-appeal-a-medical-bill#post-1930050 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 21:54:49 +0000 Raindrop 1930050@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Wow that totally terrible! I'm sorry you are going through this.</p> <p>If you can't get any of the items off at all ... you can probably get the bill reduced by talking to the hospital at the very least. I believe there is sometimes a cash discount. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-it-possible-to-appeal-a-medical-bill#post-1930048 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 21:53:23 +0000 Mrs. Tiger 1930048@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't know.. the doctor did see you. I know it's ridiculous they charge that much, but you had a room and were attended to by a nurse and a doctor. </p> <p>When I was hospitalized and got a NICU doctor to come and chat with me, I later saw it on the bill as an almost $400 line item (also no exam, treatment, or diagnosis). </p> <p>That said, I've found medical bills are always negotiable. You can try calling and bringing it down some! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-it-possible-to-appeal-a-medical-bill#post-1930046 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 21:51:11 +0000 marionberry 1930046@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You can and should ask for an itemized bill. If nothing else there may be some items you could fight. First I would call the hospital and ask to speak to someone in patient relations or service recovery. Those are the staff who help patients with issues related to their stay. If they can't help you speak to someone in the billing department. I can't guarantee your bill will go down (you did go to the ER and see the provider and ER visits are very expensive) but there's certainly a chance! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/is-it-possible-to-appeal-a-medical-bill#post-1930034 Tue, 04 Nov 2014 21:44:04 +0000 littlejoy 1930034@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is so, so long. Sorry!</p> <p>A few months ago, we took our baby to the ER, because my DH found blood in her diaper. It was a cloth diaper, and since he had changed her in a dimly lit room (middle of the night), he didn't notice it until he had taken the diaper apart. Because of this, we couldn't tell where the blood was coming from. We examined her diaper area with the light on our phone (somehow she was still sleeping), and we didn't see anything. We paged her doctor, and she suggested going to the ER with fear that it was a UTI. </p> <p>We rush there, get into a room right away. The nurse weighs her and takes her temp. Then, she leaves the room. </p> <p>We were told they would likely have to a catheter to test for UTI. We had to change her, because she peed through her diaper, and when we opened her diaper, we could see exactly where the blood was coming from. She had a bit of diaper rash that was seeping a bit. It was a teething rash, so it was a little intense, but looked really superficial. Of course, we didn't see it when we were looking with the flashlight.</p> <p>I went out of the room to get the nurse, and to tell her we'd be going home. I apologized for wasting their time, and she assured me people come in for much less. As we were getting baby redressed, she said we couldn't leave until the doctor came in to make sure everything was ok. I assured her we knew how to handle diaper rash, but she said he was already on his way. </p> <p>Doctor came in. Looked at the rash. Agreed it didn't look bad at all, and sent us home with a dump print out about diaper rash. I was so embarrassed.</p> <p>Fast forward to this week. I receive a $500 bill. Our responsibility is $300 and some change. All of the insurance percentages check out, but that's not my issue.</p> <p>We specifically said we didn't want to see the doctor, and the only diagnostic testing that was done was temp and weight.</p> <p>Is there a way to fight this? Or even to ask for an itemized bill? All I can see on my EOB and the bill is the total and insurance breakdown. I just cannot fathom that a 10 minute ER visit, with no diagnosis or treatment can be $500. </p> <p>Any advice would be really appreciated. And, if I'm just plain wrong, please let me know. </p> <p>*I'm in the U.S. if that matters. </p>