We all know a penny saved is a penny earned, right? So, with that in mind, I just earned $140 with one phone call to my insurance company! That's a lot of money you know, money that the insurance company would have been happy to collect if I hadn't called to question the charge. Although I don't blame the insurance company completely, it does seem they make a lot more mistakes than they should.

The charge was for my son's visit to the hospital emergency room, actually, that was for over $300, and the $140 was an additional bill that came in for the ER physician. I knew we had already reached our deductible for this child, but for some reason they increased the deductible and charged the $140 to us at 100% patient s responsibility. I let the bill sit on my desk for a few weeks, being too irritated to even look at it.

Later on, I pulled out our benefits package and checked on that deductible. The amount we had already met was for approved in-network providersand the brochure said a higher deductible would be charged for out of network providers, which the ER was (out-of-network) because we were out of town when the accident happened. Next, I looked up benefits for emergency room visits and found that they are treated as in-network charges EVEN if you are out of town and have to go to an out-of-network provider. (Please note that not all insurance companies have this policy, it s actually the first time we've had one that does.)

I figured the insurance company must have rushed this claim out, stamping it with an out-of-network charge, not even looking to see that it was for an emergency. So, I called and brought it to the claim representative s attention and they agreed that it had been processed in error and they would send it through again. Instead of getting another bill for the $140 today, I just received notice from the insurance company that it has been paid. If you only knew how close I came to paying this bill before checking on it!

You have to check every single charge that comes in on your medical bills and insurance statements; as well as your credit cards and phone bills, to verify every single charge. If you find a mistake or something that just doesn't look right, make the call. Over the last two months I have saved almost $200 in duplicate or wrong charges on our medical bills, it adds up to quite a bit of money that could have been lost.

Michelle Jones (editor@blessingsforlife.com) is a publishing editor, web site designer, and freelance writer. Copyright by Michelle Jones

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