[anjo1017]

My son is 5 years old and receiving SSI because of being diagnose with AUTISM, so therefore he had Healthy Families as his insurance but because when he started receiving SSI benefits they kicked him of Healthy Families and had him on STATE MEDI-CAL, and I didn't know at the time. So my son has been seeing a AUDIOLOGIST for his hearing which at the time I didn't know that he didn't accept Medi-Cal, but the AUDIOLOGISTS then just when ahead and made an exception to just see him anyway so I've been taking my son there for the past year and every time I go in there is a co-pay that I have to pay with Healthy Families at the time and then on January of 2012 I took my son in for his follow up because they had put in tubes in his ear I wasn't ask anything and so the Doctor saw my son and not one person bothered to say that he didn't have insurance, so after my son was seen there without knowing that because my son didn't have insurance I would soon be expexting a bill that would be my RESPONSIBILITY, Days, And then a month later I received a bill stating that my son has a bill that we would have to pay because he didn't have insurance at the time of visit, I was furious and so was my husband so I tried to call the billing department at the doctors office and the lady told me that I would have to pay for it because he didn't have insurance and I told her wait a minute well why didn't anyone at the front desk tell me that? And she replied by telling me that well that's your responsibility to know that you don't or have insurance and then I told her that I didn't even know that he didn't have insurance obviously because if I had known I would have never took him in, but she just kept insisting that its our responsibility. What happen was that when he had insurance through Healthy Families they had kicked him off because he started getting State Medi-Cal which to my knowledge had no idea that was going on until I was going to take my son in to see his Primary Physician where I've taken my kids too for 2 years now to be seen so the front desk named Patty had made appointment to come in that same day, then about 5 minutes later after talking to her she calls back and lets me know that they can't see him because he doesn't have insurance I was shocked but to me I would have rather liked the fact that she at least called me back and notified me instead of getting a Surprised BILL... So I'm trying to figure out what I should do? I mean is it like MANDATORY or like the job of the people at the doctors office to make sure that the person being seen has insurance? From what I know most of the doctor's that we take are kids to would always ask for insurance if not always lets us know if there is a problem with the insurance before being seen which I think is the right way just because it doesn't matter if a person has been going to the same doctor for 10 years that doesn't mean that nothing can change meaning maybe the person ended up not having insurance, or maybe changed their insurance and the doctor that that person has been seeing for 10 years doesn't accept there insurance then what? I mean no one can ever assume that just because a PATIENT who's been coming to see that same doctor for many years doesn't mean that nothing can change. So what do we do as far as refusing to pay the bill because I felt like that it was done on purpose so that we'd have to pay it.

[ScottGem]

he lady told me that I would have to pay for it because he didn't have insurance and I told her wait a minute well why didn't anyone at the front desk tell me that?

My doctor's have signs in the reception area advising they need to be informed about any change in insurance. I'm sorry, but it IS your responsibility to inform them about any change in coverage. What did you think, that just because you no longer had insurance you wouldn't be responsible for the bill?

You can try negotiating with the doctor's office, but you DO owe this bill.

[Fr_Chuck]

No, doctors assume your insurance did not change unless you tell them. Many offices call and verify at the time of each appointment but many don't. Also if they changed his insurance you should have been made aware to notify any doctors and verify.

You will owe the bill and need to see what can be done for payment.

[LearningAsIGo]

Scott and Chuck are correct. I do this professionally and the simple answer is that it's the patient's responsibility to inform any & all physicians if their insurance coverage changes. In these political times most physicians cannot afford to pay ancillary staff to make redundant phone calls to insurance companies.

Defintily call and make payment arrangements though. In the large majority of cases, as long as you work with them, you will not go to collections which will reflect on your credit.