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Coco54

By Coco54,
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ontheweb Holiday Sharing Rare

ontheweb

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, mammajamma2013 said:

We received ours at one of our local hospitals. On Saturday I received a statement from the hospital stating that we owe roughly $17 each; I think this may be for the first injection only. I can't tell from the statement whether they billed our insurance (there is a line item stating $0 received from insurance). However, because our primary insurance is supposed to bill to Medicare after making their payment, I believe it will be covered at 100%. Our hospitals tend to bill immediately after services and I think (and am hoping) that this is just the beginning process in the billing.

And if they keep billing you, I would call either/or your local congressperson or an investigative reporter.  Your taxes have already paid for this. Do not let them get away with it.

 

Hopefully you are right and the billing was just premature. I know I get bills from my dentist that I know our insurance will pay all or at least part of. When I call the dentist, I am told to ignore it until the reimbursement. (Funny though, I actually paid the last bill before I got it as I had already heard from the dental insurance what they paid and what I owed and confirmed it by calling the dentist, and figured the bill was probably lost in the mail. I ended up getting the bill, which I had just paid, a few days later.)

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clo

clo

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, mammajamma2013 said:

However, because our primary insurance is supposed to bill to Medicare after making their payment,

At least for us, Medicare is the primary and the "supplement" is secondary to that. I thought that was universal. And a supplement isn't even mandatory, although I can't imagine not having one.

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CruiserBruce

CruiserBruce

Posted
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10 minutes ago, clo said:

At least for us, Medicare is the primary and the "supplement" is secondary to that. I thought that was universal. And a supplement isn't even mandatory, although I can't imagine not having one.

Many "Medicare Advantage" programs, the bill goes direct to the secondary (if you ask them, they tell you there is no real "secondary"...the supplemental is handling both sides) and Medicare is never billed. The provider likes this, as they don't have to bill twice. United Healthcare programs (DW is on United Healthcare, and I will be in about 10 months) and Kaiser are this way. United Healthcare is awesome.

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capriccio

capriccio

Posted
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17 minutes ago, clo said:

At least for us, Medicare is the primary and the "supplement" is secondary to that. I thought that was universal. And a supplement isn't even mandatory, although I can't imagine not having one.

Some of us have a continuation of access to private insurance as a retirement benefit that is primary except for what is covered by Medicare Part A (hospital and skilled nursing care).

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2wheelin

2wheelin

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

And if they keep billing you, I would call either/or your local congressperson or an investigative reporter.  Your taxes have already paid for this. Do not let them get away with it.

 

A little drastic advice when a phone call to accounting would clear it up. Oversights happen.

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clo

clo

Posted
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1 hour ago, CruiserBruce said:

Many "Medicare Advantage" programs, the bill goes direct to the secondary (if you ask them, they tell you there is no real "secondary"...the supplemental is handling both sides) and Medicare is never billed. The provider likes this, as they don't have to bill twice. United Healthcare programs (DW is on United Healthcare, and I will be in about 10 months) and Kaiser are this way. United Healthcare is awesome.

Thanks to you and @capriccio.  I didn't know that. I'm too lazy to check but I think ours goes to Medicare first and then automatically to our USAA supplement provider. There's definitely interaction between the two. 

PS: I love any day when I learn something new 🙂 Cath

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2wheelin

2wheelin

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Actually what I would do is contact my TA, and let him deal with the cruise line.

Now that’s even more drastic! 🤪  I would never think to contact my TA to question a hospital bill for vaccine. 

All good.  I nod off a bit too sometimes. 🙂

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mammajamma2013

mammajamma2013

Posted
Posted
17 hours ago, ontheweb said:

And if they keep billing you, I would call either/or your local congressperson or an investigative reporter.  Your taxes have already paid for this. Do not let them get away with it.

 

Hopefully you are right and the billing was just premature. I know I get bills from my dentist that I know our insurance will pay all or at least part of. When I call the dentist, I am told to ignore it until the reimbursement. (Funny though, I actually paid the last bill before I got it as I had already heard from the dental insurance what they paid and what I owed and confirmed it by calling the dentist, and figured the bill was probably lost in the mail. I ended up getting the bill, which I had just paid, a few days later.)

I believe it's premature billing. I did billing/insurance at a dental office and what you describe was how it worked there, too. 

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mammajamma2013

mammajamma2013

Posted
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15 hours ago, capriccio said:

Some of us have a continuation of access to private insurance as a retirement benefit that is primary except for what is covered by Medicare Part A (hospital and skilled nursing care).

This is ours as well but with Medicare Part B (hospital and pharmacy). 

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ontheweb Holiday Sharing Rare

ontheweb

Posted
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6 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

Huh???  The question had nothing to do with a cruise, but with a charge from the vaccine provider...

my mistake.😒We are in a cruise group and there have been so many posts about both not getting refunds and being billed wrongly that I just made the wrong jump.

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cl.klink

cl.klink

Posted
Posted
On 2/13/2021 at 9:40 AM, Coco54 said:

I never got a survey from cruise critic on this topic.  I am seeing like 81% in favor of mandatory vaccines?!!!  Nope.  I do not agree.  It should be like a flu shot.  It's your body people, we don't need this type of control over us.  I just got over Covid virus. I am 69.  My husband and I both had it. Like a really bad flu, but I can understand anyone with underlying problems could be worse, as they would would other flus or diseases.  Did you all get this survey, or is this the media trying to lie and put what they want us to see out there?  I love to travel, but THIS vaccine is really stepping way out of line.  Just like us.  We just had the virus.  We are naturally immune.  I refuse to go take the vaccine (which does not prevent you from getting the virus), when I am already immune.  Why would I do that?  People need to start doing their own research, and stop listening blindly to the media.  It's not an easy task, with main stream media, social media pulling any info off they don't want you to see.  Use your own judgement after reading all the facts people!

 

Gosh

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navybankerteacher

navybankerteacher

Posted
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On 2/15/2021 at 7:30 PM, CruiserBruce said:

Many "Medicare Advantage" programs, the bill goes direct to the secondary (if you ask them, they tell you there is no real "secondary"...the supplemental is handling both sides) and Medicare is never billed. The provider likes this, as they don't have to bill twice. United Healthcare programs (DW is on United Healthcare, and I will be in about 10 months) and Kaiser are this way. United Healthcare is awesome.

United Healthcare has about a dozen different options - with distinctly different terms.  Their minimal is cheap, and their better ones are pretty good.  My wife has the best "N", I believe - no longer available but having opted for it when it was is still "grandfathered"  --- although, I suppose, "grandmothered" is a more appropriate term.

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clo

clo

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

United Healthcare has about a dozen different options - with distinctly different terms.  Their minimal is cheap, and their better ones are pretty good.  My wife has the best "N", I believe - no longer available but having opted for it when it was is still "grandfathered"  --- although, I suppose, "grandmothered" is a more appropriate term.

Our supplement through USAA was one of a number of choices. Ours isn't the least expensive but a few years ago I had a very expensive procedure. It cost $97,000! We paid not one cent out of pocket. You truly do get what you pay for.

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