Healthcare Industry News >  Individuals with health insurance are paying larger portions of their own medical costs

Individuals with health insurance are paying larger portions of their own medical costs

Even individuals with health insurance are paying larger portions of their own medical costs and to make matters worse an increasing number of their medical bills are containing errors that charge them too much. One example was Marilyn Hess whose appendectomy caused a total of $45,000. After her insurance paid $35,000, she was left to pay the remaining balance but when she saw the itemized bill she knew there was a problem.

Hess hired an advocate, a professional who can help you identify and fight medical billing errors. These professionals charge between $25 and $75 per hour plus a percentage of whatever their clients end up saving. In the Hess case, the balance of the bill was written off by the hospital after 18 months of fighting.

According to Nora Johnson, one of the directors of Medical Billing Advocates of America which worked on the Hess case, nearly 80% of all medical bills include some type of error. Coding errors, for example, can stop health insurance companies from covering the procedures. Problems with applying group discounts, handling the deductibles, and determining whether a procedure was done in or out of the network are also common.

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