It is my hope that The Medical Bill Survival Guide forum will serve as a repository of knowledge for those that have overcome medical bill problems to share their stories and advise those needing help with medical bills.

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Tue Jan 18, 2011 8:59 pm

Medical Bill Survival Guide

The Medical Bill Survival Guide in the media.

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Thu Sep 30, 2010 6:10 pm

Medical Bill Survival Guide

A "mini" Medical Bill Survival Guide with "6 Things You Must Do Immediately" When You are Going to Have Surgery.

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Tue Feb 08, 2011 8:14 am

tamar

A "mini" Medical Bill Survival Guide describing "6 Things You Must Do Immediately" When You are Discharged from the Hospital.

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Fri Jan 28, 2011 7:38 pm

hike2smile

A "mini" Medical Bill Survival Guide describing “6 Things Your Must Do Immediately” When You Get Your First Hospital Statement.

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Tue Sep 21, 2010 4:12 pm

Medical Bill Survival Guide

A "mini" Medical Bill Survival Guide describing "Things You Must Do" If You Are Having a Baby Without Insurance.

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Mon Oct 11, 2010 10:49 am

Medical Bill Survival Guide

A "mini" Medical Bill Survival Guide describing "6 Things You Must Do Immediately" If You Lose Health Insurance.

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Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:26 pm

Largecosts11

If more Medicare physician payment cuts occur, your physician may quit seeing Medicare patients. Here is what you can do.

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Tue Nov 09, 2010 5:22 pm

Medical Bill Survival Guide

A "mini" Medical Bill Survival Guide describing "6 Things You Must Do Immediately" when you accidentally see an out-of-network provider.

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You may get pushback when apply for medical bill assistance if your treatment was considered an “elective” service. Elective is a way of saying that you could have planned ahead to have the treatment done or that it was not done in an emergency situation.

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Thu Feb 25, 2010 1:46 am

Medical Bill Survival Guide

A "mini" Medical Bill Survival Guide with 5 strategies for minimizing colonoscopy costs when you have a high-deductible insurance plan.

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Wed Feb 22, 2012 2:54 pm

Medical Bill Survival Guide

Minimize cataract surgery costs by selecting cost effective lenses and providers.

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Wed Dec 15, 2010 2:12 pm

Medical Bill Survival Guide

5 Financial Strategies for Minimizing Arthroscopic Knee Surgery Costs

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Mon Nov 22, 2010 12:21 pm

Medical Bill Survival Guide

Minimize spinal nerve block costs and epidural steroid injection costs by being pro-active consumers

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Mon Jan 03, 2011 6:35 pm

Medical Bill Survival Guide

Six Strategies for Minimizing Ear Tube Surgery Costs (a.k.a. Tympanostomy or Myringotomy Costs)

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Tue Jan 11, 2011 3:38 pm

Medical Bill Survival Guide

Minimizing Carpal Tunnel Surgery Costs With For Deductible and Self Pay Patients

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Wed Jan 19, 2011 6:46 pm

Medical Bill Survival Guide

A good video from Humana's STAY SMART|STAY HEALTHY project.

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Wed Oct 27, 2010 2:42 pm

Asst Moderator

Discussions on patient cost sharing and high-dedutible health plans. As high-deductibles have become more common, more patients are seeking medical bill assistance for patient portions. See "Charity care & financial aid" if you have trouble paying your patient portions.

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Wed Oct 27, 2010 2:34 pm

Asst Moderator

If your benefit plan includes an out-of-network benefit, you’re allowed to see a provider that is not in the health plan your employer chose. However, the insurance company and your employer may establish higher patient responsibilities for out-of-network doctors and hospitals.

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Tue Feb 23, 2010 4:00 pm

Medical Bill Survival Guide

I once had the privilege of meeting the medical director of a major health insurance company. He spent several hours talking to me and several of my colleagues about why insurance companies sometimes do not pay and what can be done about it.

Subforums: Incorrect policy number, enrollee number, or patient birth date, Service not provided during enrollment period, Service not a benefit in the enrollee’s benefit plan, Pre-existing medical conditions, Not medically necessary, Experimental treatment, Other

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Sat Apr 16, 2011 5:29 pm

DebrahKariei

I’m sorry to say that there are doctors and other healthcare providers who engage in a sort of scam called “balance billing.” Many states have enacted statutes that prohibit this practice. Other organizations will go to bat for you if this happens too, including your insurance company, the state insurance commisioner, the state attorney general, and the USPS fraud unit.

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Tue Feb 23, 2010 8:49 pm

Medical Bill Survival Guide

Medicare is a federal health insurance programs for those who are elderly, permanently disabled, and or have end-stage renal disease (kidney failure).

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Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:30 pm

Daybreakventure

Medicaid is a state-specific health insurance programs for families that live in poverty. If you are uninsured or have recently lost your job, you need to get your children enrolled in Medicaid or SCHIP. This will help with medical bills significantly.

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Tue Feb 23, 2010 11:34 pm

Medical Bill Survival Guide

The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) expands the eligibility criteria of Medicaid to families with higher incomes. You may also be able to "buy-in" to SCHIP for very low premiums. If you are uninsured or have recently lost your job, you need to get your children enrolled in Medicaid or SCHIP. This will help with medical bills significantly.

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Tue Feb 23, 2010 11:45 pm

Medical Bill Survival Guide

The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) requires health plans to continue to offer insurance coverage to employees who have been terminated or “laid off.” This can be expensive, but you will probably get the best coverage under an employer-based plan.

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Tue Feb 23, 2010 11:51 pm

Medical Bill Survival Guide

These five "Medical Bill Survival Guide" strategies explain how medical bill charity care works at hospitals and other providers. Depending on your situation, you may qualify for more than one type of financial aid.

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Sat Feb 18, 2012 12:39 pm

Medical Bill Survival Guide

The complex relationship between hospitals, patients, physicians, and insurance organizations can make understanding medical bills difficult.

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Thu Feb 25, 2010 12:41 am

Medical Bill Survival Guide

Before talking to billers, you want you to be very familiar with your financial situation and feel totally confident in what you are talking about. There are several things I advise to help with keeping track of medical bills.

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Wed Feb 24, 2010 12:57 am

Medical Bill Survival Guide

Health insurance companies send you an "explanation of benefits" (EOB) to help you understand you medical benefits. These are excellent tools for helping you understand your medical bills.

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Wed Feb 24, 2010 12:42 am

Medical Bill Survival Guide

Your insurance company provides you with excellent resources including online access to claims, EOBs, your benefit plan, their in-network provider list, and cost estimator tools. These are very helpful for understanding your medical bills.

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Thu Feb 25, 2010 12:52 am

Medical Bill Survival Guide

It is important that you’re prepared to talk to a medical bill collector when he or she calls. We want to understand the medical biller and how he or she thinks.

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Thu Feb 25, 2010 1:40 am

Medical Bill Survival Guide

If you are genuinely experiencing hardship, these five "Medical Bill Survival Guide" strategies will help you access provider-based medical bill assistance. Depending on your situation, you may qualify for more than one type of medical bill assistance. I do not condone lying or providing false information to try to get a break.

Only “escalate” issues to a higher authority if you absolutely have no alternative. When you “go over someone’s head,” you run a high risk of damaging your relationship with that person.

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Thu Feb 25, 2010 2:02 am

Medical Bill Survival Guide

Several organizations offer medical bill advocacy services.

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Fri May 14, 2010 3:43 pm

Medical Bill Survival Guide