By MATTHEW HOLT
To hitch in the enjoyable I’m having with Blue Protect of California & Brown & Toland Physicians IPA being unable to inform me why I’ve a $34.94 invoice for lab work (see picture) that ought to both be coated as preventable underneath the ACA, or have co-pay of $50 (see picture of the BS of CA screenshot for the $50), I referred to as Labcorp.
After 6 minutes I bought a really confused individual. BTW there may be NO method to talk with Labcorp on the web site, and when you put your bill quantity into their IVR system there may be NO method to get a human. The one means to do this is to hold up and begin once more, NOT put in your bill quantity and hit 0. Then wait on maintain with muzak to get a human. They then ask your DOB and cellphone quantity. The decision heart is within the Philippines BTW.
I defined that I needed data on which check was not coated underneath the ACA. Brown and Toland/Blue Protect’s EOB says I’ve a $0 co-pay (see picture).
The Labcorp rep advised me that of the 5 assessments executed (with CPT code and value), 3 weren’t coated. The Lipid (85027 $107.10), the A1C (80061 – $81.90) Uric Acid (84550 $43.05). 2 of these 3 clearly are coated underneath the ACA. The Uric Acid one might not be in keeping with my studying of the CMS web site. Labcorp submitted that invoice to Blue Protect. The rep persistently advised me the declare was despatched to Blue Cross Blue Protect of CA, which doesn’t exist.
At that time — quarter-hour in — the decision dropped. I don’t know if they simply hung up however they’d requested for my cellphone quantity. They didn’t name me again.
However I’m a ache within the ass, and I referred to as them again. After roughly 4 minutes on maintain, I bought one other rep. She advised me ALL of the CPT codes/lab assessments have been topic to copay. She advised me that Blue Protect (NOT Brown & Toland Physicians) has bundled all of those codes and there’s a co pay for all of them. Which is what the invoice says.
So the one factor I can do is to ship an electronic mail with the screenshot of the EOB, which is from the IPA not Blue Protect. So I did that and will get a response in 3-5 enterprise days.
I do know you’re on tenterhooks. Let’s see what occurs subsequent however the full absence of something resembling shopper transparency or entry to the related data makes a mockery of every little thing Paul Markovich says on stage.
UPDATE. Labcorp each emailed me again AND requested me to contact them on Linkedin. See what they requested for! Sure despite the fact that they’ve despatched me a invoice and I despatched them the bill quantity, they need each element attainable in regards to the declare they ALREADY have!
Full electronic mail beneath only for giggles
Matthew Holt is the founder and writer of THCB
