The Paper Trail of a Bill

People can say all they want to say that Oh, you were so lucky that you didn't have to have chemo and that your cancer wasn't worse.

Yes, stupid people who should shut up, I was fortunate in many ways.  I was not fortunate when it came to billing and invoices.

Let's start the history lesson in madness on this bill.  This is really nobody's fault, maybe the billing company, I don't know.

Back in mid-August, I had a blood test that would tell about my chances of getting cancer again in the next 10 years.  If I tested positive, I would come back once a year and have a CT scan to make sure I was ok.  If not, I'd like to say I'm free but let's just say I won't have to go back and visit oncology on a yearly basis.  I asked at the time, will I get charged?  It got mentioned that I might, but to call and let them know.  Ok.

Around late August, I get a text notification from North Shore Pathologists that I had a balance.  I didn't think much of it. I thought send me a paper bill. I thought it was related to the blood work, but I didn't think much about it until I got the paper bill in September.

In the meantime, I got a notification from some place about the blood work and I guess I'm ok.  Knock on wood so I wondered is this for something else?  Should I pay?  I noticed the date of service was for a different date so I called.  It was for my surgeon. I hadn't seen my surgeon since 2018.  I called the surgeon's office and asked if there was some reason or a mistake about this bill.  There was nothing they could find and they thought maybe oncology had put my surgeon's name on the blood work.  

I called and left a voicemail for oncology in late September.  Nobody called me back and I didn't think about it.  I thought I don't get it.  I'm not sweating it.

I got a call from North Shore Pathologists wanting me to pay.  I ignored it.  I went online and sent a response to their request about the bill.  Here was the other thing.  I didn't see a claim that got filed with my insurance company.  I got a response about my oncologist wanting records from my surgeon.  I thought this doesn't make sense.  That was maybe mid November.

Then the holidays flew by. I didn't give it much thought until I got a collection notice. I thought ok.  I got to find out what this is about.  No more screwing around. I got a hold of someone in oncology and they tried to figure out why I got the bill when the date of service didn't match when I came in.  I said I don't see a claim.  Was it related to the blood work?  

She had me call their financial advocate who worked with me.  We called the collection agency.  The advocate didn't realize it was for North Shore.  She thought it was for the hospital but she tried find the number for North Shore Pathologists and she got the billing service they work with.  

This was because they didn't have my current insurance information. I gave it to her over the phone.  She said it's on your billing statement. I didn't have a copy and I said I don't recall seeing that message but she was kind of insistent to let me know I'm an idiot. I thought well maybe I am and the fact that it all got solved was a relief.

It was about an hour and a half of my time.  I thanked the financial advocate.  I was resigned to paying the invoice.  I may get one for a smaller amount and that's fine too.  

I found the invoice.  It never said anything about my insurance information.  It was just a bill.

Sigh.  I realized the last time I probably had anything done with North Shore was maybe before my insurance changed, possibly in 2019?  So yeah, they didn't have my new information that changed in 2021.

All this go around for not having the correct insurance information.

This is about as stressful as going through treatment.  What a mess.  At least it got solved.

I will consider myself a lucky person if I never had to do this again.