Page 2 - Wig & Associates Lakewood Edge Newsletter ~ March 2020 Issue

insurance and financial
YOUR MONEY

KIDS AND MONEY:

ASK DETAILED QUESTIONS TO VERIFY

HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE

by Steve Rosen cancelled my exam and found another
LAKEWOOD practice that did take my insurance.
That’s when I asked to be bumped
REAL ESTATE EDGE ne thing I’ve learned over the “Don’t hesitate to dispute a up to a manager, who was somewhat
years is that understanding
Publisher O health insurance coverage bill, and if you encounter a more sympathetic. She at least agreed
Allison Van Wig requires constant attention to detail. to charge me the same amount for
CA DRE #00985700 I thought I had done a pretty good what I paid in 2018 when my plan
job managing my coverage, that is situation like mine where your was part of my network. I thought
until a hand grenade was lobbed my that would be fair, given the surprise
way when I visited my doctor’s office
in December for lab work and my provider is no longer in your in my coverage.
annual physical. It helped that I had a copy of
When the dust settled, I ended network, consider shopping the year-earlier bill in front of me to
4435 E Village Rd cite my out-of-pocket from the last
Long Beach, CA 90808 up paying several hundred dollars
more than expected on health-care physical. That challenge saved me
562-882-1581 expenses. But it could have been for another doctor who is.” several hundred dollars.
Allison@superbroker.com much more if I hadn’t disputed some Lessons learned to share with your
www.SuperBroker.com of the charges with the billing office. young adult child? Before scheduling
The recent experiences reinforced a doctor’s appointment or medical
the importance of asking more detailed away from making those decisions on insurer was in my doctor’s network. procedure, check to see whether
questions and doing more research their own. It’s also an election year, Two months later it was dropped. everyone involved is still in your
about costs and services before visiting which leaves plenty of opportunity No notification from the insurance insurance network.
the doctor’s office for a check-up or for kitchen table discussions about company, which didn’t surprise me. In addition, to check on costs
scheduling a procedure, including lab how the candidates plan to “fix” the But not hearing from my doctor’s for a specific procedure, go to
fees, facility charges and whether the system. office really irked me, because a form HealthcareBlueBook.com. Your
hospital or urgent care center is in I’ve had an individual health letter to all their patients in a similar insurer should also have online tools
your health plan’s network. insurance policy since I became situation would have been easy. The
6425 Busch Blvd., Just like health insurance costs, self-employed two years ago. Given office had the information. to help you compare costs.
Columbus, OH 43229 the system is also shifting a larger my experience as a personal finance Although I chose to proceed with Don’t hesitate to dispute a bill,
877.872.3080 journalist, I thought I had things my physical rather than walk out of and if you encounter a situation like
www.DiscoverPubs.com share of the responsibility to patients mine where your provider is no longer
to understand costs and coverage. pretty well under control. the office, I called a couple weeks later
Sudoku, Scrabble, Crossword Those are some of the key Imagine my surprise when I to dispute my charges after the bills in your network, consider shopping
and articles distributed by
Tribune News Services and takeaway about the health-care system showed up for lab work before my arrived for the lab work and the exam. for another doctor who is. That’s
Brandpoint where noted. that you should share with your kids, physical and learned that my doctor’s After explaining my unhappiness, what I’m doing. n
© Copyright 2020 by whether they are new to dealing with office no longer accepted my health- the billing representative said there
Discover Publications, Inc.
All rights reserved. health insurance and its myriad quirks care plan. When I signed up for my wasn’t anything she could do to ©2020 Distributed by Tribune
and complications or are a few years 2019 coverage in the fall of 2018, my satisfy me and even said I should have Content Agency, LLC.
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