Insurance can be complicated! Despite taking several dense courses on health care, I once was very confused about premiums, deductibles, out of pockets and co-pays. The whole subject of insurance was something I found very daunting and so I chose to ignore it. However, I realize after working in medical billing how important it is to understand your benefits, especially in a continuously fragile health care nation.
When you know and understand these terms, you are able to confront your insurance company with the information to help you get coverage for things that may get overlooked. You, as the policy holder, have more power than anyone to get your claims paid. At Absolute Health Chiropractic, we make every effort to verify your benefits prior to discussing your financial options, however, we are only as good as what the insurance company tells us. We always insist that you also call on your benefits prior to beginning care. That way, if there is a discrepancy, we are able to address it prior to having a handful of visits.
Always double check your EOB’s! The Explanation of Benefits are the letters that you receive from insurance outlining what was done during the visit and what portion you are responsible for. Oftentimes, you will have the EOB before we have the information in our office. Ultimately, your insurance is your responsibility, and while we do everything that we can to make sure that we are given the correct information, we have little recourse when the insurance representative that we spoke with told us completely incorrect information.
Another tip for when you call your insurance companies, remember to get reference numbers and names for representatives you speak to. While ideally you’ll never need it, it can be helpful if you have to fight about the information that they gave you. If you ever have questions on terminology, coverage and related issues – don’t be afraid to ask, I’m here to help! Stay tuned for my next blog where I’ll help you understand exactly what your EOB is telling you!
- Ali
