You think when your caregiving ends….well, your caregiving ends. But not so, intrepid caregivers. I’m now steeped in estate work and it, too has it’s unbelievable encounters. I have to call billing department after billing department to make certain that a bill is legitimate before I concede to pay. And each billing experience makes the last one look like child’s play.
Billing Experience Number One (really probably number 157)
“Hello? I have a billing question. Can you help me with that?”
“Sure.”
“What information do you need?”
” How about do you have a name and birthdate?”
“Why yes, yes I do.” And do I give her all the necessary information to retrieve the bill for my mother-in-law.
“My question is, this bill seems to have been processed by all her insurance carriers, and so there should be no balance due, and I know that she has also met her deductible.”
“Well, there is still a balance due after that.”
“No, I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure that according to the laws in Pennsylvania, if someone is on Medicare and they have a Medigap policy and both insurances have paid AND the patient has met their deductible that you must accept that as payment in full.”
“One moment, please.”
Oh boy, Muzak.
She returns pretty quickly, which in and of itself makes me happy.
“Well, ok, then. There is no balance due, but we didn’t have in our records that she was on Medicare.”
“Really? Because you just asked me to identify her by her birthdate, which is 1916, which makes her 97 years old AND you are showing on your bill that Medicare made a payment, just sayin’…”
“Well……”
And she hung up.
Billing Experience Number 2 (Actually not even 157, more like 210 by now)
“Hello. I have a billing question. Can you help me with that?”
” I will transfer you to billing.”
“Hello, I have a billing question. What information do you need?”
“Sorry ma’am this isn’t billing. Let me transfer you.”
“Hello, I have a billing question. What information do you need?”
“Can you hold a moment?”
Of course, I don’t get to answer that question. I just get more Motley Crue Muzak.
“How can I help you?”
“I need to know if this bill for Aunt J is final?”
“Well, let me see…..hmmmm…..no, it looks like there is another bill with an additional balance.”
“Well, I’m sorry to tell you that there are no funds to pay this bill or any future bills. There will be no estate and the patient was visiting from Australia.”
“What? Australia? I don’t understand.”
Really? I’m thinking…..what’s not to understand. That seems pretty clear to me, but OK, I’ll just lather, rinse and repeat.
“Well, I’m sorry to tell you that there are no funds to pay this bill or any future bills. There will be no estate and the patient was visiting from Australia.”
“Um…ok…so could you send us a letter to that effect with a death certificate?”
“Sure. I would be delighted to do that.”
So far I’ve had to send that letter and death certificate 11 times. Do you think they would send me anything for free?
You just have to Laugh……
Cathy Sikorski
Yes….and the bills keep coming…the SAME bills from the providers I have already contacted and sent everything they asked for. In one way, it does remind me of my dear loved ones, but so exasperating.
Hard enough to deal with the bills when they are with us, and then to have to go through this stupidity when they have passed is ridiculous.
Love it! I work for a lawyer who handles elder law and these conversations between our offices and billing departments happen all the time. They just don’t get it. Throw in that there is no estate and no money and they are just completely dumbfounded! 🙂 Makes me wonder if your billing department person knew where Australia is and that it is possible to travel to and from there for a visit.
Yes, Deb! Sometimes, I just want to tell them to ‘call Australia’ and see what they say!!! Am going to check your blog out now! Thanks for reading.
Hope I can continue to entertain you.
I wonder if the billing service providers are receiving a “kick back” from Staples or Office Depot for all of the copies that you’re making
Hmmmm. Will have to look into that, maybe I can make some kind of deal????