Got a bill from a lab

amother

Sage

Wed, Feb 28 2024, 10:16 pm

amother Forsythia wrote:

It's not about ethics
Medical debt can screw up your credit score and come back to bite you

My credit is terrible. So is dhs. But what should I do? We need to eat and a bed with a dry roof over it. Our kids need to be in school....
One day, when we'll iyh be able to afford it we'll get it fixed. It'll cost us a pretty penny I'm sure. But then we'll have so much $$$ it wouldn't matter anymore. Lol.

amother

Hosta

Wed, Feb 28 2024, 10:36 pm

I dont know if it will go to collections or if it would effect your credit, technically they can report it if its over $500

The primary insured (your parents) are not the guarantors, so the only person responsible for the bill and any repurcussions of not paying, is you

I assume when you went to see this doctor, they had you sign new patient forms. Those forms typically include a form that states you are responsible for confirming any out of office testing (like a lab) is covered by your insurance. Since the dr was out of network, you really have no recourse. If they were in-network then they would be responsible for not sending to an in-network lab, but they arent and they didnt have to. You can request a copy of your visit records and any signed paperwork, to double check if there was any terminology like that in the forms but im sure there was, and even if it wasnt I doubt that makes a difference

In the future you can know that if you are using an out-of-network practice, you should ask for things to be sent to a specific lab that is covered

Also- I would double check with your insurance if the claim was in fact made and denied due to being out of network. It's possible they are covered but submitted the claim late, in which case you would not be responsible (only saying this as a slim possibility, especially since it took them a year to send you a bill)