Dear Savvy Senior,
I need some help understanding my medical bills from my knee replacement surgery earlier this year. My wife and I live on a pretty tight budget so I like to keep track of our costs as closely as possible. But the bills I’ve received are vague and confusing, and we think we’re being overcharged. What can you tell us?
Trying To Recover
Dear Trying,
Errors and overcharging have become so commonplace on medical bills today that double-checking them is a very smart move that may save you some money. Here are some tips and tools that can help.
Challenge your bills
According to the Medical Billing Advocates of America, nine out of 10 hospital bills have errors on them, most of which are in the hospital’s favor. Bills from doctor’s offices and labs have mistakes too, but they tend to be fewer and further apart.
To help you get a handle on your medical bills and check for costly errors, the first thing you need to do is request an itemized statement from the hospital or health care providers detailing the charges of the procedures, supplies, tests and services they provided you. They are legally required to provide you with this information.