[zerohm]

It wasn't just his doctor it is the whole system which is somewhat unavoidable.

We are lucky to have good health insurance, and a simple ER visit to get stitches or an X-Ray will invoke 5 pieces of mail from 3 different entities. You have to watch out for student Doctors who will send you a bill for being in the room. It's too much to think about when you should be focused on taking care of your health issue.

[TallGuyShort]

>> It's too much to think about when you should be focused on taking care of your health issue.

This is one of my biggest pet peeves. The biggest bill I've ever had get processed wrong is the only one where lawyers ended up getting involved, and what the other side's lawyers sent was a form my wife signed while in labor (was at an 8 when we got there) while I was out of the room agreeing to pay the bill however the hospital decided to bill it. They said that excused their mistake, and now that it was too late to bill insurance (had been over a year) we were on the hook.

[Para2016]

Could you provide proof that you were charged because a student was in your room or in the operating room?

[xtracto]

What type of proof would be good for you?

[Para2016]

I'm a medical student, we are assured that the hospital can't bill for us. It would be enlightening to see an itemized bill showing that our presence is actually billed for. I've never heard of it happening so I think proof is warranted.

[zerohm]

If I remember correctly, the hospital did not bill for him, he billed us separately, but the Hospital condoned this. I'm sure we agreed to it somewhere in the fine print. I'm not trying to vilify student doctors here, I understand 99% of the time they are not billing. But after this experience, we ask.

[Para2016]

Ah gotcha. He wasn't a medical student then, most likely a resident. Residents are doctors though, if they perform a service such as anesthesia or other procedure they will likely bill.

For example, an Anesthesia resident will perform all of the procedures and monitor the patient's vital signs and response to the general anesthetics or other drugs. The Attending physician only intermittently checks on the case if the resident needs help or the case becomes too complicated.

If the resident doesn't bill for services performed, such as central line, placement, peripheral line placement, intubation, arterial lines, etc. I'm not sure who would do the billing.