What Every Patient Should Know About Medical Billing

DENVER, June 2, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Navigating the complicated healthcare financial system can be a nightmare since a smallest misstep can cost you thousands. Andrew Graham, the CEO of Colorado's largest independent medical billing firm, Clinic Service Corporation, says that consumers can often avoid paying unnecessarily high fees if they know a few simple tips.

Tip #1 – Don't go to an urgent care facility with an injury or illness that could be too serious for the staff there to handle. If the physician at the urgent care decides you need to go to a hospital emergency department for care, he or she is required by his liability insurer to send you to the hospital ER in an ambulance. The ambulance ride will likely cost you thousands, plus you will be on the hook for charges from both the urgent care facility and the hospital.

Tip #2 - Doctors will work with you on your bill if you can't pay it. A payment plan is an option; sometimes your doctor will even knock down his or her fee if you're willing to settle the bill with a credit card that day.

Tip #3 - Newly insured patients often go to out-of-network doctors without knowing it, leaving them with scary bills to pay. Always check with a new doctor or other healthcare provider to see if they are in your insurance company's network. This applies to labs and imaging centers you may be referred to as well.

Tip #4 - If you're worried about what a procedure might cost, don't hesitate to ask your clinic's practice manager for the details. It might be easier to do this via phone, so that the practice manager can get back to you later when he/she has the details.

Tip #5 - Spending a little more money on your monthly insurance payment will save you in the end. Many newly insured patients who have coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA, also known as Obamacare) plans are opting for the less expensive coverage options, but then being stuck with large medical bills when their insurance provides minimal coverage. "We all like to think we'll be healthy in the coming year and not need the coverage, but life has a funny way of reminding us that illness and injury never take a holiday," Graham said.

About Clinic Service Corporation
For over 40 years Clinic Service Corporation has served the medical community. Clinic Service is a medical billing provider based in Denver, Colo. serving clients in Colorado and across the country. With a track record of 99.7 percent collectable revenue, Clinic Service knows what it takes for its clients to navigate the complicated medical billing arena. For more on Clinic Service go to clinicservice.com.

Contact:
Erich Kirshner
Evolution Communications Agency
303.921.6733 or [email protected] 

SOURCE Clinic Service Corporation

Related Links

http://clinicservice.com