Old medical bill questions from 2 1/2 years ago

[DGO1223]

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? GA

I just received a bill from a Dr. I first saw in April 2002, and last saw July 2002. I paid $200 up front, and they said they billed my ins. BC/BS for it and the 2 procedures I had there.

I never received a bill from them nor a EOB from BC/BS. I forgot about it, because I never heard from either one of them, and figured the ins. had covered the balance.

The bill I just received did not show the $200 I paid, and had a breakdown of visits, procedures, costs, etc. Showed what BC/BS reimbursed to them. I NEVER got anything from BC/BS in regards to the whole thing. In other words, I got nothing from anyone until now. The Dr. wants $360.

I don't get cancelled checks on my checking account, they keep electronic records, so if I need proof of my payment, I'll have to get bank to pull it, and I will have to pay them to do it.

I guess I need to call BC/BS and see if they have a record of any of this, if they can easily go back that far, or if they need to do an archived search or something.

If I have to go through that, will they be responsible for that bank charge? After all this time, am I going to have to pay any of this? Depending on what I found out, should I send a letter to them, or try to work it out on the phone?

Gayla

 

[Beth3]

If I have to go through that, will they be responsible for that bank charge? No.

After all this time, am I going to have to pay any of this? It's possible.

Depending on what I found out, should I send a letter to them, or try to work it out on the phone? I'd start by talking to them over the phone and see what the two of you can work out. The problem you have is that BC/BS probably doesn't have records of payments that made that long ago although you certainly should contact them and see.

It sounds whoever was handling the doctor's accounts receivable bungled some of the accounting and didn't post your payment. (Nor do you know if they properly posted BC/BS's payment either.) Now they're doing an audit and discovered they're owed some money. You most certainly should contact your bank to get a copy of that $200 check and then have a discussion with the doctor's office and contact your insurance carrier just in case they haven't purged those payment records.