The problem is not with the people in the ER...it's with the hospital not billing my insurance. They took TWO copies of the insurance card...one at the admitting desk, one with the patient advocate. Two weeks later, I get a bill from Legacy Health System, saying that we owe $2472 for the visit.
I called our insurance a few days later to make sure they had the claim and to find out how much we will owe after they pay. They didn't have the claim. Called Legacy on 5/14. They don't have my insurance on file!
I gave them the member id number on the card and all is well. Except NOT.
Called insurance this past Monday to make sure they got the claim. They don't have it. Called Legacy AGAIN. They said they sent it on the 18th. Considering that my insurance AND Legacy are both located in Portland, OR, it does NOT take four days or longer to get from one to the other. Then it turns out Legacy has the WRONG MEMBER ID. Got it fixed, instructed them to call my insurance and fax the documentation, because at this point this is getting ridiculous.
Got the bill for the ER physician this afternoon. $617. In the place where it says insurance? It says it was CASH.
I call my insurance tomorrow to make sure they got the claim. Then I call the people that represent the doctor to give them the insurance information. Then I plan on calling Legacy Billing Services and demanding to speak to their supervisor. They fucked up and they damn well better fix it...because they HAD THE INSURANCE CARD COPIED AT THE HOSPITAL!
ETA: called Providence this morning, and shocker. They still haven't received the claim. Called Legacy Billing Services for the fourth/fifth time in a couple weeks; they tell me it was faxed yesterday with a confirmation and confirmed phone number. Providence checked all faxes-not there. Was told by a rep "I understand you want to blame someone" and asked to speak to their supervisor. Left voicemail for supervisor and called another company to get the bill for the ER physician straightened out. Imagine my surprise when I give the account number and the woman says "Oh! I just got a call from Legacy, they gave me your insurance information!" The woman who called? The same one that said I wanted to blame someone. Apparently Billing Services CAN call, they just don't want to, it seems.