Keeing it Real: I'm Back!

As you have probably noticed we have been M.I.A the last few weeks. If you follow C&C on Instagram then you saw that Katie and Dr. B welcomed Baby McB to the world on July 21st. The Mini Fashionista is beyond excited about her baby cousin and can't stop saying "she's so cute". We are looking forward to meeting Baby McB in September when we all are in Sun Valley.

Isn't she cute?

As for me....I didn't have a baby, so I have no good reason for not blogging except for life just getting busy (and a few days spent at the Oregon Coast).

Anyway, as you know, I have been writing this blog for nearly 7 1/2 years, and it's a lot of work. For many years we blogged 5 days a week, but this past year the posts have been more sporadic. After this two week hiatus I seriously considered calling it quits, but after some serious thought, and thanks to some supportive comments on our Facebook page, I've decided to stick with it.

So for today's post I'd like to "keep it real" and talk about something serious that will likely impact every person reading this. I promise the rest of the week will be less serious.

As you may have read a few months ago, I had a health scare that included a number of biopsies (post here). I have a HSA (health care plan), which includes a whopping $5700 deductible, so when I received a nearly $8000 bill from the hospital, of which I was responsible for $3900, I wanted to be sure the bill was accurate. In order to verify it, I requested a coding review through the billing department.

Have you ever requested a coding review? I hadn't either, and after my recent experience, I will request an itemized bill EVERY TIME I have a procedure or service, and if there is any question about the accuracy of the bill, I will request a coding review.

Why? Because I was charged $452 in error....and there were a number of other mistakes on my bill that I won't go into...so many that I have written a letter to the director of Legacy and the head of the hospital where I had the procedures.

Anyway, back to my point....I've read that as many as 90% of hospital bills have errors (here). I've been to the hospital too many times to count, and I'm ashamed to say this was the first time I have EVER looked at my itemized bill, and I'm guessing most of you would say the same.

So, what do I want you to take away from today's post? Ask for an itemized bill every time you go to the doctor and make sure you understand what procedures/tests are being performed so that when you receive a bill you can verify their accuracy! And don't feel scared to question it.

No one in the hospital billing department is looking out for your best interest, so you MUST be your own advocate.