I am so mad right now!

My father in law passed on in March of 2007. The night he passed, he was taken by ambulance to the hospital. Technically, e was gone before they even put him in the ambulance. (He was still breathing, but had no detectable pulse.)

Five MONTHS after he passed, we got a bill from the ambulance company for nearly $1300. WTH?? He had insurance, and Medicare. Well, these twits had not billed either of them, despite the fact that they are a Medicare contracted provider!

So I get on the phone with them, give them the Medicare and insurance information, and they say they will bill them.

Then about 3 months after that, they send another notice saying Medicare denied the claim because he had other insurance. So I asked why they didn't bill the other insurance. Their excuse? They didn't have the insurance information. Hello? I gave them that information. So I give it to them AGAIN.

Then in April of this year, they contact us AGAIN!! And the bill was still for the $1300!! So once again, I give them all the damn information!

Finally, in October, we get an Explaination of Benefts from the insurance provider. They paid them $346.. and our responsibility is $87. No biggie.

BUT less than two weeks after that, we get a notice from the ambulance company that we owe them $746.

So I'm back on the phone... insurance company tells me they paid exactly what Medicare allows them to pay. Ambulance company tells me they are not contracted to this insurance company. Medicare tells me they are obligated to accept what this company pays because it is a Medicare contracted insurance company. Ambulance company says they are not, and that they will take us to court.

All this to drive a dying man 2 miles... what a crock! I'm visiting a Medicare attorney on Thursday.

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That sounds like one big headache! As if it's not hard enough having lost a family member, then you get to spend a whole bunch of time dealing with things like that.

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Dynamite comes in small packages, Nitro comes in smaller ones, take your pick!

Bonnie it is neverending...Sorry you are having this problem...

We had the same type of thing happen to us when my Father passed.

Got this big bill like a year after.......sigh

What a mess.

I SO understand what you are going thru! I had the same things happen when my dad was ill hospitals, doctors ambulance rehab its CRAZY!!!

Anymore with all the clauses/loopholes etc you almost need a full time insurance specialist in the HOUSE to keep it all straight!!!!!

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LuvMyHubby

I've actually just given up. I'm taking it to the county insurance advocate at the District Attorney's office. I'm tired of this stupidity! To me it seems like they very deliberately "lost" the insurance information, and tried to avoid billing them, so they would not have honor their contractual agreements and get more money out of us... to me it seems like some dirty dealing.

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