My question involves a consumer law issue in the State of: Florida
Back in October I went to see my Neurologist to get a prescription re-filled for my cluster headaches. During the past few years I lost my father and brother to stroke and heart disease. I am 39 years old and my doctor wanted me to start taking an 81mg Aspirin prophylactically. I was perfectly OK with that, and then he recommended coming back in within 7-10 days to have an "Aspirin Works" panel run to make sure that 81 mg was the right dose for me. I agreed. At first his nurse went ahead and scheduled me for a day I could not do, so I rescheduled at the window before I left. When I came back in on the defined date, they did not know why I was there. I told them and was asked to wait. I waited for just a few minutes and was taken back to have some blood drawn. While I was chatting with the nice lady doing this, I mentioned off-handedly why I was there, to which she stated "Oh, that is a urine test, let me get you a cup."
I did not question what they would do with the blood or anything (my fault). Also, in the following months, I did not receive any result information from the provider. I hate to say it, but I assumed no news was good news. Unfortunately, just a few days ago I get an EOB from my insurance indicating that a total of $3,227.52 was submitted to them for the day I went for the "Aspirin Works Panel" and that they have already paid $1409.20 and I owe the remaining $1818.32. On this document, it does not name the lab tests, but it DOES show they submitted charges for 28 different tests.
I immediately called the MD office and was routed around and forced to leave VM. I did this 3 times and in the third said they should call me back or I would come down in person. They called me. When I spoke with the nurse, she kept focusing on the fact that I should have gotten my results, that in fact they had not received them and she would have to log into the lab companies portal and download the results and would call me back.
I continually tried to redirect to the topic at hand: I came in for ONE urine test and they ran 28 blood tests that I did not know about. I did not call for results on those tests in November because I did not KNOW about the tests. I was NOT going to pay 1818.32 for them. She shared with me that "the lab company does not work with a collection agency, so you don't need to pay them. That is why we work with them. Legally they [I]have[I] to send you a bill for any amount not covered by your insurance, but you can ignore it. They WILL send you 3 bills, just throw them away."
When I said I was not comfortable with that, she indicated she would need to speak with someone and then call me back. She called me a short time later and told me she got the results, showed them to the MD and that they were the BEST results they had ever seen and I am super healthy. One note, though, they did not actually run the Aspirin Works Panel on me. They collected the urine, but they are not sure what happened. I should not worry, though, because the MD doesn't think I really need that.
Needless to say I was flabbergasted! When I again broached the "I did not OK these tests and the ONE test I did, you didn't even run!?" She reassured me that I did not need to worry about the bill (which I have not gotten yet, only the EOB from my insurance). She indicated she, one of the other docs and a lot of the staff have used this service themselves and that NONE of them have paid the bill, because the "Pharmaceutical rep" told them they didn't need to (what does a pharmaceutical rep have to do with lab tests?). That's why they use this lab company. She agreed to send me a document stating that fact and that all was OK. She also agreed when I said I didn't feel comfortable with this that "It does feel wrong, doesn't it? It's not how I was raised!" (laughing).
I know that was a LONG story, but I am at a loss. I feel like something not right has occurred, but am not sure where to turn next? I hope to get something in writing from them this weekend, but if I don't, I will go there on Monday. I would suspect I am not the only person that this has happened to (the message of "don't worry about the bill, just throw it away" was given way too fast). It makes me feel like they charge insurances for as much as they can get and don't press the patient for the rest.
Any guidance or further thoughts would be great.
Thank you,
Back in October I went to see my Neurologist to get a prescription re-filled for my cluster headaches. During the past few years I lost my father and brother to stroke and heart disease. I am 39 years old and my doctor wanted me to start taking an 81mg Aspirin prophylactically. I was perfectly OK with that, and then he recommended coming back in within 7-10 days to have an "Aspirin Works" panel run to make sure that 81 mg was the right dose for me. I agreed. At first his nurse went ahead and scheduled me for a day I could not do, so I rescheduled at the window before I left. When I came back in on the defined date, they did not know why I was there. I told them and was asked to wait. I waited for just a few minutes and was taken back to have some blood drawn. While I was chatting with the nice lady doing this, I mentioned off-handedly why I was there, to which she stated "Oh, that is a urine test, let me get you a cup."
I did not question what they would do with the blood or anything (my fault). Also, in the following months, I did not receive any result information from the provider. I hate to say it, but I assumed no news was good news. Unfortunately, just a few days ago I get an EOB from my insurance indicating that a total of $3,227.52 was submitted to them for the day I went for the "Aspirin Works Panel" and that they have already paid $1409.20 and I owe the remaining $1818.32. On this document, it does not name the lab tests, but it DOES show they submitted charges for 28 different tests.
I immediately called the MD office and was routed around and forced to leave VM. I did this 3 times and in the third said they should call me back or I would come down in person. They called me. When I spoke with the nurse, she kept focusing on the fact that I should have gotten my results, that in fact they had not received them and she would have to log into the lab companies portal and download the results and would call me back.
I continually tried to redirect to the topic at hand: I came in for ONE urine test and they ran 28 blood tests that I did not know about. I did not call for results on those tests in November because I did not KNOW about the tests. I was NOT going to pay 1818.32 for them. She shared with me that "the lab company does not work with a collection agency, so you don't need to pay them. That is why we work with them. Legally they [I]have[I] to send you a bill for any amount not covered by your insurance, but you can ignore it. They WILL send you 3 bills, just throw them away."
When I said I was not comfortable with that, she indicated she would need to speak with someone and then call me back. She called me a short time later and told me she got the results, showed them to the MD and that they were the BEST results they had ever seen and I am super healthy. One note, though, they did not actually run the Aspirin Works Panel on me. They collected the urine, but they are not sure what happened. I should not worry, though, because the MD doesn't think I really need that.
Needless to say I was flabbergasted! When I again broached the "I did not OK these tests and the ONE test I did, you didn't even run!?" She reassured me that I did not need to worry about the bill (which I have not gotten yet, only the EOB from my insurance). She indicated she, one of the other docs and a lot of the staff have used this service themselves and that NONE of them have paid the bill, because the "Pharmaceutical rep" told them they didn't need to (what does a pharmaceutical rep have to do with lab tests?). That's why they use this lab company. She agreed to send me a document stating that fact and that all was OK. She also agreed when I said I didn't feel comfortable with this that "It does feel wrong, doesn't it? It's not how I was raised!" (laughing).
I know that was a LONG story, but I am at a loss. I feel like something not right has occurred, but am not sure where to turn next? I hope to get something in writing from them this weekend, but if I don't, I will go there on Monday. I would suspect I am not the only person that this has happened to (the message of "don't worry about the bill, just throw it away" was given way too fast). It makes me feel like they charge insurances for as much as they can get and don't press the patient for the rest.
Any guidance or further thoughts would be great.
Thank you,
Service Providers: Unauthorized Lab Tests and "Ignore the Bill"
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