How to catch medical billing errors

Medical Billing Advocates of America, a Salem, Va., group that checks bills for consumers, says eight out of every 10 hospital bills it scrutinizes contain multiple medical billing errors. You can cut your out-of-pocket costs by calling your providers to correct mistakes. Even if your insurer covers overcharges, they will count toward your lifetime spending cap; eliminating them helps you avoid hitting that limit. Here's what to look for in the fine print:

Incorrect basic data

If information such as your name or your insurer's group number is wrong, the amount the plan covered is likely to be off, too.

Duplicate orders for medications, lab work, or room fees

For example, a hospital might bill a patient for a procedure even though a doctor canceled it, or you might get a bill for 11 cholesterol tests instead of one.

Unbundled fees

If you were charged for several lab tests in one day, call your insurer to see whether the charges should have been bundled under one fee. And look for the words kit, tray, and room fees. Each of those charges should cover many items; operating room fees, for example, should include sheets, gowns, and gloves. Call your insurer to see what's included so you can be sure you didn't receive any duplicate charges.

Operating-room times

If you had surgery, your anesthesia record will state when your surgery began and ended. That gives you a way to check for appropriate costs. Operating-room use is generally billed at rates that vary from $69 to $270 per minute. You might find, for example, that you were billed 240 minutes for a procedure that took only 180 minutes.

Up-selling

It occurs when you have a stay in the hospital and your doctor orders a generic drug, but the hospital provides you with a more costly brand-name version. Because you are not an expert at determining whether a drug is generic, you are not responsible for the increased charge.