1) .....if the insurance company don't think you needed the MRI they could refuse the claim and bill you.

2) i broke my foot a couple of years ago. i went to the ER (after they told me it was just a sprain) and when I saw the bill I just laughed. $200 for crutches. I close to $400 for an ankle splint you can get for 20 bucks at rite aid. And the x-rays were insane too!!

Then when it hadn't healed in a month I had to go to an orthepedic doctor who told me it was fractured and gave me a boot. I can't even imagine how much all that would have cost. A specialty doctor, check-up x-rays each time I went there and an air cast. I'm sure that would have cost at least 10 grand.

it's no wonder why half the country is seriously in debt with no insurance. thank God i was still in school and on my mom's insurance!

3) Did he hav an infusion with it-dye dontrast? Hopefully your insurance has a contract with the facility that they only pay what is reasonable and customary and you aren't billed the diference.





did have an infusion with it. Hopef

4) I am not sure about the infusion dannie, I will have to ask him. This is the first time I received a bill with so little information. It literally said MRI $4700 and that was it.

LimeyG - The doc's office was supposed to check with the insurance company before he went. He went for head and back pain and as a result he is currently in talks with the doc about back surgery. The head surgery would be too risky so they are not going to attempt that. I am not sure why anyone would just get an MRI for no reason though....

5) Good Luck!

6) Ericka, consider yourself lucky the insurance company is paying. I had my tonsils out in March, a necessary surgery for me, and the insurance didn't pay for a good chunk of it. We're now having to deal with the bills.

7) See, I don't get that. What in the world is up with these companies?

I went round and round with our insurance over an emergency room bill. A coworker sprayed some Mary Kay perfume that she was hawking on me and I had an anaphylactic reaction. Since this was the first time it happened, I did not have the Epi Pen that I now carry with me.

Well, the insurance company said that I have to receive authorization to go to the emergency room unless it is life threatening... Ummm, I couldn't breathe and I believe breathing is essential to living. They did not see it that way and I had to pay the entire bill myself.

8) Ugh. I hate insurance!! Seriously. I had strep throat multiple times a year. My tonsils were "bulbous and mucusy" according to my doctor. They had to come out. I've felt so much better since they've been gone. But it wasn't necessary?
You have to breathe to live??

9) Ericka.... that is unacceptable. Have you paid? If not, don't! Talk to someone higher up and higher and higher. Anaphylactic shock is most definitely life-threatening.

I hate these discussions. With my husband now running his own business, we are looking in to private insurance. It's fine for him and the boys. But I have asthma. i take $300 worth of meds a month. Insurance companies don't like me.

10) girlcarew - I tried talking to supervisors, supervisors of supervisors, etc. They are really good in giving the runaround. It ended up getting on my credit report and that upset me even more. I eventually entered into a payment arrangement just so they would not sue me in court and then I have a judgment on my report, which takes longer to fall off. Very upsetting.

I hope your family find insurance that will meet everyones needs!

11) I would think that an MRI would require preauthorization from your insurance company. Believe me...the insurance company will not have to pay the full amt. They all have contracts and predetermined rates set up with hospitals. If you get billed for any of it I would ask to speak to a financial counselor at the hospital to see if the amt. can be reduced. You can also set up a payment schedule so that you don't have to pay the bill all at once.

12) Ericka - I would make that co-worker pay half. I guess I'll be staying away from Mary Kay!

13) Yeah, Hayley, tell those Mary Kay ladies to keep pushin! What is so bad is I told her I was not interested and she walked right up on me, sprayed it and said "See, doesn't it smell wonderful?". It took about 4 minutes for me to realize that it was not so wonderful.

14) I would certainly relate the story to Mary Kay and tell the company it is lucky you didn't sue them for a life-threatening situation. Many people are allergic to perfumes at a lower level as well and health of the customer should be paramount to a company hawking wares of that nature. I'd certainly advise them to tell their saleswomen to avoid doing that to anyone.