Insurance Company

[Trellis]

I had a surgery a while back and before having the surgery, I made sure that the hospital where I had the surgery accepted my insurance provider-Mail Handlers. My insurance company said that they were going to pay for the surgery and the hospital said that they accepted my insurance. A few months after I had the surgery I started receiving bills for all kinds of charges so I called the hospital and they told me that my insurance company only paid some of the hospital charges and that I was responsible for paying the rest and these charges added up to over $700. I was upset that I was not notified before having the surgery that I would have to pay such a high amount. The insurance company didn't tell me that I would be responsible for paying anything and now the hospital wants me to start paying on these hospiatl charges but I refuse to pay and now I think they are going to take legal action. Am I entitled to any rights? I think that this is not my fault at all.

 

[ALawyer]

Having "insurance" does not necessarily mean having your bills paid in full by the insurance. The insurance only pays what it has agreed to pay in the policy. And it is up to YOU to know what the insurance covers and what it does not.

Examine the bills very carefully and find out what has not been paid. Ask the hospital why there were the extras -- very often they are not appropriate or correct. If not, have them take them off.

Then ask the insurance company why it did not pay the extras that were proper. If you think the policy covers it expalian why you think that. They may pay.

If the charges are "proper" and the insurance company has not welshed on its obligations, then the issue ios price. Try to negotiate with the hospital to pay a lesser amount. But if the hospital send the bill out for collection it will cost them about 1/3rd and mess up your credit. So offer them 50 to 70 cents on the dollar.