PAY ME OR NO DOCTOR FOR YOU!

Today I get a call from my Sleep Apnea Dr to remind me of my appointment tomorrow. At the end of the call the receptionist tells me that if I don't contact the hospital billing office about a balance, which I do not know anything about, I can not be seen tomorrow. So I dutifully call the billing department and the woman I spoke to rattles off about some charges from back in 2001, which I have no idea about or where they came from. She doesn't give me much information and wants to set up a payment arrangement. I decline to set up the arrangement and demand that she send me documentation of the supposed charges I or my insurance have not paid. She then tells me it might be too confusing for me to understand and I should come in and meet wtih a patient advocate. I told her send the documents and I will call back or see a patient advocate about any questions I have. So she says she will send it and then says when you get them just call back so we can set up a payment arrangement. Again I remind her that I am not agreeing to pay any amount or set up any payment arrangements until I know what the charges are and if they are valid. I ask her what is going to happen with my appointment tomorrow, and she says she will make a note of our conversation and it will not be a problem. Then this afternoon my Dr's office calls again and tells me that I can be seen tomorrow but they will not be able to set up any follow up appointments, not only that but I have to pay with cash or credit card, which in itself is not a big deal. I don't know how legally they can refuse me service when they are contracted through my insurance, and I don't have alternatives. I call billing back and ask to talk to a supervisor, and they are all conveniently in a meeting. So I leave a message and here I sit waiting for someone to call me back. It is a good thing I didn't hold my breath!