(WSVN) - Have you ever had blood work done at a lab? Your insurance covered it, right? But what if they don’t? Are you responsible?
One man got a nearly $12,000 bill, and it’s why he called Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser.
John keeps an eye on his health to try to stay healthy.
John Normil: “All organic stuff.”
His friends suggested he get blood work done to find out what his body needed and didn’t need.
John Normil: “You get your total evaluation, and from the evaluation, then they would take steps to suggest what they would recommend for me.”
They recommended a lab in Palm Beach County, and he made an appointment.
John Normil: “They just asked me for my ID and my insurance card.”
When they came back and took John in for the blood work, he assumed his insurance would pay for it.
John Normil: “Because no one came back to me and told me, ‘The insurance did not accept the coverage.’ No one mentioned that to me.”
It was certainly a thorough report, 17 pages of tests checking everything he could imagine, and the results were good.
John Normil: “I’m happy as a bird.”
He was happy with his health.
A few months went by, and then he got this from this insurance.
John Normil: “There is a stipulation on there, said, ‘This is not a bill,’ but on certain part of the bill, it says ‘your responsibility.'”
And how much was John responsible for?
John Normil: “‘It’s $11,915.’ I pretty close came to falling off my chair.”
The lab work said he was healthy. Realizing he might have to pay nearly $12,000 for it made him sick.
John Normil: “It says that the lab that I use is out of network, and that’s the reason why they’re not paying for the work that was done.”
John’s reply? The lab never told him that.
So, Howard, if the insurance won’t pay, does John have to pay that nearly $12,000 bill?
Howard Finkelstein, 7News legal expert: “Yes, because it’s not the lab’s job to determine if the insurance will pay. It’s the patient’s job to make sure they are in network and covered by insurance. But if you get a bill like this, file an appeal with the insurance company and fight with the medical provider, because the bill is usually highly inflated and can be drastically lowered.”
We spoke to a rep from the lab in Palm Beach County. They could not have been more helpful.
They said they did check to see if John’s insurance would cover the work and were told it would.
A couple of days later, they had good news and told us to have John call them.
John Normil: “The final result is that there would be no bill charged to me. It would be zero balance.”
That $11,915 lab bill is zero.
John Normil: “I would have high praises to let you guys know that this is what people admire about a group like you. WSVN is the one, and that’s the one I called.”
Glad we could help, John.
You might notice I have a couple of bandages. I had skin cancer on my nose, and the doctor removed it, moved some skin to cover it, and I’m doing great.
I know I should have probably taken a couple of weeks off, but I didn’t want to. I love doing Help Me Howard, ee love helping you, and so I will coming to help you, even if I look like I was on the wrong end of a baseball bat.
A problem really needling you? Wanna have it removed? Contact us, and let us sew up a solution for you.
CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD:
Email: helpmehoward@wsvn.com
Reporter: Patrick Fraser at pfraser@wsvn.com
Miami-Dade: 305-953-WSVN
Broward: 954-761-WSVN
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