Hospital bill year later

[SteveSW]

I put this here in the hopes of getting some good input. Got my implant 2/28/21 and love it. However, I just got a $1,500 hospital bill. A year later for f*cks sake! I have Medicare and the best supplemental plan I could lay my hands on. Anybody have any words of wisdom? This pisses me off.

[gjmjoe017]

Steve mine was done outpatient and I was $250 out of pocket.Check with your supplement company and see why!Also give the hospital a call and ask why it wasn’t covered.Good luck!

[Gt1956]

Some "frugal" insurance companies will sit on random bills until the insured calls & bitches. I've ran into this a couple of times. Usually I get the "it was marked to be paid, don't know why the system didn't send it out" line of bs.

[Lost Sheep]

You might have a complaint about the timing. Invoices which are not submitted in a timely manner are often rendered null and void. Knowing this, it may be that the hospital was not timely in submitting the bill to the insurance company, which (rightly) denied it. Then the hospital scrambled to find someone they could press into paying...you.

Was the bill previously submitted to your insurance company? If so, there certainly will be a document explaining why they did not pay it. (Explanation of Review -EoR sometimes also known as Explanation of Benefits - EoB)

Take down the name of everyone you talk to and thank them by name at the end of every call. People feel more kindly and more inclined to help people who remember their names. Keep notes of every promise made (by you or them).

Blindsiding you with a stale bill is just rude.

[oldbeek]

You might have a complaint about the timing. Invoices which are not submitted in a timely manner are often rendered null and void. Knowing this, it may be that the hospital was not timely in submitting the bill to the insurance company, which (rightly) denied it. Then the hospital scrambled to find someone they could press into paying...you.

Was the bill previously submitted to your insurance company? If so, there certainly will be a document explaining why they did not pay it. (Explanation of Review -EoR sometimes also known as Explanation of Benefits - EoB)

Take down the name of everyone you talk to and thank them by name at the end of every call. People feel more kindly and more inclined to help people who remember their names. Keep notes of every promise made (by you or them).

Blindsiding you with a stale bill is just rude.

I agree 100% with LS. Someone at the hospital screwed up and did not submit the bill within 6 months of the service date. If not billed within 6 months the bill is null and void. 2 different occasions I have refused to pay in this situation. I send a registered letter with proof of delivery to the billing agency telling them they did not send the bill in a timely manner. Never heard from them again. These mistakes are usually found during a year end audit.
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