EXTRA POST....assistance....

Thanks to a friend whose mom is also a cancer patient, I obtained a link to a website for an assistance program to help me pay my vastly increased costs for my monthly injection.

I got signed up, and today, the mail carrier brought what looks like a MasterCard debit card.

Hopefully, when I call to pay my bill with this card, that will be that.

Oh, and I can't remember if I posted WHY my costs went up so far....we were able to figure it out.  

I've been in the medical billing field for 18 years.

I had Dave call the insurance company and ask them what kind of forms my claims were coming through on before, and what kind of forms they're coming through on NOW.

My doctor's office used to be independent.  

In December, it was taken over by a large regional hospital system.

SO, how interesting..... in December, the method of billing the charges changed from using a HCFA1500 form, to using a UB04 form, which is used for hospitals. 

That makes it "okay" for the charges for THE EXACT SAME THING to go from $3266 to $11,154 PER ENCOUNTER.

SIMPLY BECAUSE St. Anthony Health System changed the designation of the clinic that I have always gone to from a doctor's office to an OUT PATIENT FACILITY.

That simple change makes it possible for them to charge four times as much for the exact same services.

I just keep praying that my insurance doesn't have a life time maximum.