Public Service Announcement

I just wanted to share some information I learned about medical bills today. Jonathan had his last surgery on December 9th and we have been battling with the medical bills from that surgery ever since (almost five months). I won't get into details because it's a long story, but I do want to share what I learned because I think it's kind of a scam.

First, every hospital has a Guest Services Department which has Client Advocates who help you find answers to your problems. God Bless Joe at Memorial Hermann, he was the one who was finally able to get us in touch with someone who could help us. Next there is a RAP rule when you use a hospital that is in-network with your insurance. This means you cannot be charged out-of-network for Radiology, Anesthesiology and Pathology. The doctor has to accept the insurance payment and cannot balance bill you for those services even if they are out-of-network with your insurance. Finally, you cannot be charged for a Resident or a Fellow if they work on you. I know it doesn't sound like ground breaking information, but it saved us from paying a lot of money and took countless phone calls to get these answers.I felt like I should share what I've learned so this doesn't happen to anyone else!!