Whether you have health insurance or not, you can easily end up with a hefty bill after you receive emergency care, have routine tests run or undergo a procedure in Oregon. If your first reaction to seeing the total is disbelief, this is a good sign that you should investigate further. Our team at The Law Office of Kim Covington is aware of the many ways that health care expenses may be inaccurate, and how people can seek to reduce or eliminate medical debt that they cannot afford.
The total is not actually the number you should focus on when you open your medical statement, according to Nerd Wallet. Instead, take a look at the itemized portion. This is where you should find information such as what medication you were given and the cost, as well as what items or devices may have been used. The billing department could easily type in the wrong number and charge you for 20 Tylenol instead of two, for example. You should also look for any fees that may be duplication errors.
Charges from the emergency department or operating room may also be inflated. For example, the costs could be higher because you are billed for anesthesia for a certain period of time, when the procedure did not last that long. Sometimes, providers speculate that a test or procedure may be necessary, and that could get added to your charges, but not deleted if it is subsequently canceled. More information about dealing with health care expenses is available on our web page.
