Rant on Medical Bills

Sorry this post is going to be a bit of a rant, but I am pissed.  With all of the grief we are going through why do medical bills have to come in and just add to the stress?  Yesterday I received an insurance claim for a bill from my regular OB's office. I was shocked to see it, not only because it was thousands of dollars and  my insurance was saying they wouldn't cover it, but also because my OB had told me she wouldn't be charging for the visits I have had from November on because since I had been transferred to high risk, she was just considering our visits from then on as "check ins" to see how I was doing emotionally (she is so wonderful for that).

So, when I got this bill I was shocked.  I called my OB's  office, who then told me I would have to call the insurance company, who then told me they couldn't do anything until the billing department re-submitted paperwork.  Well, I called the billing department and all they said was "call the office" and the only information they could give me is the bill is for multiple appointments through January. They couldn't tell me when the appointments took place, or how many were included in the bill....uggg.

I just went back through my records and I already paid the bills from each and every appointment I already had (minus the ones my OB said she wouldn't be charging me for), so I don't know where this "bulk appointments" bill is coming from.  It can't be delivery, because that was handled through the high risk office. So now I have to call the office, and will probably just be told to call someone else again.

It is so frustrating and it is the last thing I want to do.  Every time I call in to the office, they either ask for my due date, or see that I have delivered and say congratulations.  Then I have to re-explain the agonizing truth that there is no congratulations, that my baby isn't here. (again, why don't the people in the medical profession check charts before speaking?)  I just don't want to deal with this right now, but I have to.

I am sure if I could get a hold of my actual OB and tell her about this, she would be shocked  and pissed too. She recently moved offices, and I have found that the receptionists and billing are way more convoluted now. Maybe I will have to mention it when I have my follow up appointment, if it isn't resolved by then...gosh I hope it is resolved by then.

Anyway, sorry, end of rant, and on to more phone calls.