Medical billing errors can happen to anyone.
Still, despite the greater likelihood of errors as you age, there are ways to fight back.
Lets take a look.
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When Insurance Falls Short…
Unfortunately, insurance doesnt covereverything.These resourcescan help you manage those unexpected expenses.
Here are the big four to consider.
You go to the doctor more often as you age.
Were all mortal and likely to face more health issues as we age.
(Which its not well get to that in a minute.)
(The real number is much higher, but this is just an illustration.)
If you only visit twice per year, you might get away with not encountering a billing error.
Your billing codes are more likely to get flagged.
Youre more likely to have multiple insurance policies past age 65.
Youd think more insurance coverage would be good, right?
That is, afterall, the purported intent of programs like Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, etc.
But as it turns out, more insurance just means more opportunities for insurance companies to get it wrong.
All of this leads to no one picking up the tab even when they should have.
And guess whos left holding the bill?
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Youre more likely to be dealing with executive function issues.
Its a system that produces errors up to a whopping 80% of the time.
It cant even navigate itself.
Its not reasonable to expect everyday people to know how to navigate it as they attempt to self-advocate.
Yet thats exactly what happens.
Poverty is a massive cause of stress.
Any human performs suboptimally when theyre under a lot of stress.
While its very difficult to get medical billing errors resolved, its not impossible.
There is a path forward.
Research your rights.
Not all insurance companies bill legally.
But I did catch it.
I appealed again, this time quoting federal regulatory agencies.
After calling out the illegality in writing, my claim got covered at lightning speed.
Its a lot to research health law.
But thanks to the internet, its infinitely easier than it was 20 years ago.
Enlist help.
Getting some help from an expert can be key.
Luckily, it’s possible for you to secure that help for free through organizations like Dollar For.
Not all states have a CAP.
All states do have a Protection and Advocacy organization, though.
While this agencys purpose is broader, it can still be a great resource especially when CAP isnt available.
If youre living on a fixed income, youre almost guaranteed to qualify.
Need a Hand With Bills?
Listen, we know its tough out there.
But theres no shame in asking for help.
These companiesmake it easy to help yourself and your bank account.
She is a regular contributor to The Penny Hoarder.
The Penny Hoarder staff also contributed to this post.