[ridethebike]

I went to hospital and they assured me my procedure was covered by insurance and I wouldn't need to worry about that and in worst case scenario insurance would contact me. Couple of days later this hospital sent me $400 bill. It took me several phone calls to get them to acknowledge that they sent it by mistake.

Exactly same situation happened year later but with ~$800 bill.

Although doctors and medical staff themselves are ok, the US healthcare system as a whole is some incompetent clown mafia.

[matesz]

I've had similar story, but this time with the IRS.

Right after my university I've started pursuing startup idea and of course I though that I will get investors coming through the door very quickly so first thing I did was to setup a Inc. company in Delaware. There is 2 ways to pay taxes there - on revenue or on shares (I might got it slightly wrong)...

After a year or so company staying dormant I was living in Europe already and received mail saying that I have to pay $150k in taxes :o

I tried to call ask why I got this bill, but it was Friday, already closed. I didn't have a job and experience back then so this was horrifying. I was running through scenarios of having to work years to pay this off because of some stupid mistake (or hiding from US government for life). So I called a laywer who asked for initial $5000. I've met another person who wanted to help me for cash $2000. I though it is a joke, because I was barely making a living.

Fortunatelly I didn't fall for that and waited until Monday. I called again and lady explained that they always send the bill for first option and we have to remember if it is correct or not. So at the end there was no tax to be payed. I immediately closed the company.

What can you do...

[ridethebike]

oh yeah, IRS, they still owe me $3k. Thanks for the reminder :)

[jandrese]

I get sent a deceptive bill every time I use the hospital. I think the idea is to show you what they are billing your insurance (not what insurance pays in the end), but it is always marked as "payment due" even though the insurance is going to foot the bill.

[codegeek]

Yea and that's also part of the problem. Most of us ignore this stuff because we have insurance but this is why the racket keeps going. But ultimately, someone pays for it somewhere.

[pydry]

Incompetence isn't quite how I'd describe this.

[Gibbon1]

There is nothing about the system that rewards competence on the financial side of healthcare.

Billing is based on what they can force people to pay. Not on what services actually cost. One downside of that is they have no control on how much things cost.

[codegeek]

I wonder if there is any law here that protects consumers ? It is atrocious that a hospital/doctor/clinic can send you any absurd bill/amount and then it is on YOU to fight and prove that it was incorrect. I have done it many times myself.