Get help
Managing your hospital bills can turn into a full-time job, and if you're still recovering from an illness or surgery it can be especially exhausting. Thankfully, there are places to turn for guidance and people who can advocate on your behalf. Some may require a fee for their services, but it may be worth the investment. "If you elicit help from the outside you're likely to get a quicker resolution than doing it yourself, says Laura Weil, Interim Director of the Health Advocacy Program at Sarah Lawrence College.
- Ask a family member or friend to help you make calls and to follow up on inquiries. You may have the opportunity to do the same thing for them one day.
- Contact your State Attorney General's office, your state's Department of Health, or your state's ombudsman to ask for assistance with your billing problems. They may be able to guide you or refer you to local organizations that can help.
- Get help for Medicare problems from your state's Medicare office.
- Consult your company's human resources department. They may be able to advise you based on previous experience and/or to help intervene with the insurer on your behalf.
- Consider hiring an independent medical billing advocate or care manager to help you dispute or negotiate your bill.
If you're on Medicare, free assistance is available through your State Health Insurance Assistance Program and through your local Area Agency on Aging. The American Association of Retired Persons offers free money management for lower-income older or disabled people. The Medicare Rights Center is another helpful resource for Medicare patients.
You might also consider investing in the expertise of a medical billing advocate or care manager. For $30 to $90 per hour, they can help you with everything from answering tough billing questions to managing all your health expenses. But be sure to check their credentials-the Better Business Bureau (http://welcome.bbb.org) is good place to start, ask for references, and understand their fee schedule before you hire anyone says, Weil, "The last thing you need is another set of confusing bills to add to your medical bill problem."
Check with the Alliance of Claims Assistance Professionals, the American Association of Daily Money Managers, the Patient Advocate Foundation, or the National Association of Geriatric Care Managers, to find a medical billing advocate or care manager near you. If you have a complicated case, you may prefer someone who is expert in that area of dispute but doesn't necessarily work in your state.
