Insurance Woes

So it's been a while since my epic showdown with Comcast, and I guess the universe decided to spice up my life a little bit.  I was just floating along easily, filling my mornings before work with reading my many books rather than making daily, hourlong phone calls to Comcast.  So maybe my life was getting just a little bit too easy.

On Sunday afternoon, after a weekend away from my apartment, I came home to find an explanation of benefits from my current insurance provider for an x-ray that I got last July (Question #1: Why am I getting this nearly a year later?  Great question!  That has yet to be determined. Question #2: Why am I being charged for an x-ray when my insurance is supposed to cover all of it, especially since I had a written prescription from my doctor that I brought down to radiology with me?  Another great question!  Apparently, my insurance requires the doctor to submit a pre-certification form for all outpatient radiology services.  Thus, they now want me to pay because the doctor failed to submit that form, not only for that July x-ray, but also for one that I had in November, which I have not yet been billed for.  I am cursing myself for getting running injuries.)

Last night, I had a bill from the hospital waiting for me, which I assumed was related to the x-ray.  WRONG!  It was ACTUALLY related to the physical therapy that I received TWO YEARS AGO when I had a knee injury!  I paid the copays for this physical therapy (out-of-pocket and with itemized receipts, to be reimbursed later by insurance) at the time of service, and they were telling me that I owed $30.  Well, $30 is obviously not that much, but I called the hospital's billing services office to get more information about where this charge could have been coming from and why I was being hit with it now.  The customer service rep that I spoke to was the nicest person I have ever interacted with in the healthcare sector.  She said that, although I could certainly just pay the $30 and be done with it, she would recommend that I call my previous healthcare provider to hear their side of things and maybe get the charge removed. 

Well, I called them, and they told me that, not only am I responsible for that $30 charge, I also owe $150 for service in June.  WTF???????  I called the rep at the hospital back, sobbing over the phone, and she was so incredibly sweet.  She told me that she would look into it personally for me and see if we could come up with a solution together.  Thank God for this absolute saint, Theresa.

I guess it just really took the wind out of my sails to think that all of my debts to society are paid and then be told, in two separate incidents two days apart, that I owe over $300, all of those charges that I do not believe that I owe.  I was telling my coworker about it this morning, because she heard my sobs from my office as I talked to Theresa, and she said, "Wow, you make me not want to go to the doctor, ever."  Now that I know that I have a proclivity for tendonitis as a result of my running, I will not be going in for any more x-rays and wasting my time and money.  Okay, my rant is over.  Hopefully I will have a much happier post next time!

There are two bright spots to this otherwise crummy day: 1) this hilarious video that my coworker shared with me; and 2) the fact that I am getting my massage after work.  I couldn't have picked a better day for it in terms of needing to work out some tension!