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If
you have a medical bill that is causing financial hardship, let my
office help. Reportedly, medical debt has now exceeded foreclosures as
being the #1 reason for people to file bankruptcy. It is reported that
1.85 million Americans are impacted by medical related bankruptcies.
Don’t let medical bills ruin your good credit. The Law Office of
Robert Gibson will work to lower your medical bills as close to zero as
possible. However, you must act quickly. Listed below are answers to
some frequently asked questions.
Frequently
Asked Questions and Answers About Your Medical Bills:
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Q.
Why is healthcare so
expensive?
A.
The cost of healthcare has been increasing at an alarming rate. By
the year 2015, the government estimates that one in every five
dollars spent in the U.S. will go towards medical expenses. Hospital
charges at one time used to be related in some fashion to hospital
costs. At present, there is no relationship between their costs and
the cost they charge the consumer. We see that non-profit hospitals
are often the most egregious in their cost to charge ratio; despite
the fact that they are often being subsided by private and
government agencies. Insurance companies and HMO’s bargain with
hospitals to reduce the rates they pay the hospital, yet the
premiums, co-pays and deductibles paid by the consumer continue to
rise. The uninsured, bare the heaviest financial burden by being
charged the highest price rate.
Q. What
are the odds that my medical bill contains errors?
A.
National studies show that over 90% of medical bills contain errors.
These errors and overcharges add up to over $10 billion annually.
One keystroke error, can add thousands to your bill.
Q.
I am uninsured. What are the
chances I have been over-charged?
A.
It is very likely that you
have been charged 3, or 4 times what others paid for the same
service. We can help you with this.
Q.
Why are medical bills so
confusing to understand?
A.
Medical bills are designed to use codes, abbreviations, and medical
language that would confuse anyone not extensively trained to
decipher their true meaning. One theory is that you will be so
confused and overwhelmed that you will simply give up and pay
whatever bill they send you. The other, is that you trust your
healthcare provider, and trust that the bill is also correct. Our
medical bill review focuses on each and every line item on your
itemized bill, to see that you are not charged for items that
shouldn’t be charged to you. We know the processes and codes that
are used by medical providers.
Q.
Do you review only Hospital Charges?
A.
No, we will review all the charges associated with your illness,
whether it involves hospitals, laboratories, or doctors offices,
although hospital charges are generally the most expensive, and
create the most hardship.
Q.
What is a reasonable charge
for the services I received?
A.
A reasonable charge depends on the actual procedure performed, your
diagnosis, as well as any complications that may have occurred. You
can’t compare your charges for a gallbladder surgery with that of
your neighbors.
Most insurance company contracts say that
they will pay medically necessary and reasonable charges. Insurance
companies usually pay 5% - 12% more than Medicare. However, the
uninsured is often billed 3, 4 or even 5 times more than the insured
patient. We do not believe this to be reasonable and can help you find
out what a reasonable cost for the service should be.
Q.
What must I do first to get started?
A.
First, if all you have is a summary
bill, request that the provider send you an itemized bill. If this
is a hospital bill, also request that they send along with the
itemized bill a UB04 form. This will give us a lot of information to
work with. Once you have your bills together. Call our office and we
will collect the other information we need to get started on
reviewing and lowering your bills.
Q.
Can I use my credit card to
pay for your service?
A.
Yes, we accept Visa, Master Card, Discover and American Express.
In many instances, time is of the
essence, so paying by credit card allows us to get started on your
file right away without waiting to have your check clear.
1-800-4LAWDOC
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