A medical billing scam that took almost half a year and cost a New Jersey widower $5,000.
After one of the biggest healthcare providers was paid twice, 7 On Your Side is showing how you can settle a billing dispute with a company.
Kim Kershaw said, “My heart stopped. I had to look at it a few times to make sure it was real.”Kershaw’s healthcare provider, Summit Health, sent him a five-figure bill for $14,466.
It was for surgery that his doctor told him to do last summer. The tests came back negative, which is good news.
The widower, father, and grandfather didn’t question the charge at first because he thought it was what he owed.
That’s how people from his generation act. Kershaw has worked as a defense contractor for most of his life. He recently came out of retirement and was hired again because he is an expert in security and always pays his bills on time
But after a few months, his insurance company also paid the claim, so the insurance company got paid twice.
By March, Kershaw said it was crazy. He said he had called Summit Health in December, January, and February, and each time a representative told him that the bill had been paid twice and that his check was being processed and on its way.
But that was never the case before 7 On Your Side got involved.
“All of a sudden, things began to happen,” Kershaw said.
Summit Health couldn’t say anything because patient privacy is important, but it did look into it. The next day, Kim picked up a check for $13,186.21, which was the amount he paid minus his deductible.
Make sure you get pre-approval for procedures, and when you get a bill or explanation of benefits from a hospital or doctor, read it carefully and make sure it’s itemized.
And if the charges are wrong, you can dispute them right away with your insurance company and your provider.
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