CPT Codes Can Save You Money on Medical Bills

I've posted three different times on how to save money by correcting incorrect medical bills. The posts:

• How to Get an Incorrect Medical Bill Corrected

• Another Way to Get an Incorrect Medical Bill Corrected

• A Third Way to Get an Incorrect Medical Bill Corrected

On the first post, a reader offered some information that could help those of you trying to get your medical bill coded correctly. The suggestion:

This website will let you search for the CPT codes that doctors offices and insurance companies use. This is an important resource to have at your fingertips. If you know what procedure you are going to undergo you can find the CPT code for it, then call your insurance company to find out what they consider to be the reasonable and acceptable charge for this procedure. Then go back to the doctor and make sure his charge is in the same range. You could use this as a negotiating tool as well.

Good info -- I thought it was worth passing it along to everyone.

Comments

[thayerbear0]

I have been in a medical office billing insurance and many people are not aware that some insurance companies prefer to pay little or nothing for services/supplies that are supposed to be covered. When we have called them to check on benefits for patients, they tell us they will only pay what they call the "usual and customary" for services/supplies, but will not say exactly what that is. I have requested the patients to get this information from their insurance companies, and they are told the same thing. If you have any one of the insurance companies we have to deal with, good luck with getting any breaks.