An overcharge is rarely a random high number; it is usually a specific, disputable data entry or coding error. The five most common errors are duplicate charges, upcoding, unbundling, billing for services not rendered, and patient information mix-ups. You cannot spot these mistakes on a summary statement. You must request a fully itemized bill and … Read more
A patient came to my desk having already paid $8,600 toward a $34,000 post-surgical hospital bill she assumed was mathematically correct. By reviewing her itemized statement, we found a No Surprises Act violation, duplicate charges, upcoded surgical fees, and a stalled charity care application. Her actual legitimate balance was $0, and the hospital owed her … Read more
More than half of adults with health care debt report receiving a medical bill that contained an error, but most struggle to get these mistakes corrected. A major survey found that 51 percent of patients who received an erroneous bill either could not successfully fix it or simply did not try at all. Alarmingly, 32 … Read more
A 2024 JAMA Health Forum study reveals that 74% of patients who disputed a medical billing error had the mistake corrected. Despite this high success rate, 38.5% of patients with a problematic bill never contacted the billing office at all. Of those who stayed silent, 86% assumed calling would not make a difference. From inside … Read more