Bill Due

I’ve just gotten off the phone with a doctor’s office and my health insurance, and I’m exhausted.

I went to the doctor in January. I paid out of pocket, under the assumption that my health insurance would eventually cover it.

In mid February, my health insurance mailed me an EOB stating my claims were approved. The payment date was listed as almost immediately after service, so I called for a refund. They stated that the payment had not yet cleared. Understandably, money and bureacry can be slow.

In late February, I called again. They stated that the payment had still not cleared, but they would investigate further. I called my insurance’s customer service line. They said they’d paid out.

Finally, its mid March, time for round three. I called my doctor’s office yet again. They said the insurance reimbursement was still pending. I called my insurance once more. They conferenced in the Doctor’s front desk. The insurance revealed that the payment had only cleared a few days ago (in early March). Nevertheless, I could see in the Doctor’s patient portal that the reimbursement had been credited to my account. I understood that the reimbursement might not have been fully processed yet, but I was feeling snubbed by the month and half delay. The doctor’s office said they’d mail my refund immediately.

While it was a substantial sum, and a considerable delay, I still have a lingering concern about the semantics. Technically, I’d fronted the Doctor’s office (although that being true was contingent on my insurance eventually paying out). Now that insurance said they would pay (regardless of whether they had yet), I wanted the Doctor’s office to front me the money back.

The doctor’s office tried to explain their internal billing processes and policies, but I didn’t care.

I don’t know what I feel worse about, that medicine is becoming more consumerist, or that these types of consumer disputes seem to be lost on the people involved.