Healthcare is incredibly expensive, and if you aren't lucky enough to have great insurance through an employer, then you know just how high medical bills can truly be. A simple visit to the emergency room for stitches can cost well over $300, and a trip to urgent care for a sprained ankle can cost somewhere in the ballpark of $250.

However, in spite of these high costs, not all high medical bills are solely due to the procedures you procured. In fact, nearly 30 percent of all medical bills are recorded to have billing errors on them – and some agencies believe that the number is even higher than that – which could easily result in you having a medical bill higher than necessary, even if you have insurance.

Medical billing and coding specialists create the code that is used between hospitals and insurance companies. When the insurance company receives a specific code, it automatically lets the hospital know how much a patient will have to pay for their procedure or operation. These codes are called CPT codes, otherwise known as Common Procedural Terminology codes.

If one of these codes is slightly off, you could be overcharged or denied coverage altogether. To ensure that you are not being overcharged for any bills your receive, acquire the CPT codes associated with your procedure, and then contact your insurance provider. Ask them directly what they will cover and how much you can expect to cover yourself. Keep note of this so that when your bill arrives you will notice any discrepancies.

After your treatment, instead of accepting a standard general bill, request a detailed bill that outlines all procedures and supplies, then immediately scan for the following errors:

• Incorrect name
• Incorrect insurance provider
• Number of room-and-board charges
• Hours of admittance into the hospital
• Duplicate charges
• Unbundled fees

If you notice any of these types of charges, don't pay the bill and immediately contact your insurance provider.

Remaining aware of your medical bills can not only save you money, but it can actually have a pay out too. Some insurance providers offer cash rewards to customers who find bill discrepancies or errors. If you have any questions about your medical bills, there are several organizations available that can help you determine whether or not you are being appropriately charged. Don't let healthcare send you to the cleaners. Keep track of your bills and what you are being charged for.

Photo Credits: yonghokim

Originally posted 2011-09-30 20:31:36. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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admittance, billing and coding, billing errors, board charges, cpt codes, discrepancies, emergency room, hospitals, insurance, insurance companies, insurance company, insurance provider, medical bill, medical billing and coding, medical bills, procedural terminology, provider number, stitches, urgent care