Medical bills can often be confusing or difficult to understand. For those
with chronic conditions or charged with the care of a loved one, bills
may begin to pile up faster than you can handle or make sense of them.
According to the U.S. Dept. of Labor, one in seven claims is initially
denied by health insurance companies. HealthCPA, the leading provider
of medical bill management services, can help with this complicated process.
We sat down with
Leanne Flesch of HealthCPA to learn more about the service.
Who needs an accountant for their medical bills?
Anyone who is a fairly frequent consumer of health care can benefit from
a service such as HealthCPA. Some people enroll because of the resulting
pile of bills from a single incident. The majority of HealthCPA members,
however, are busy families or couples on Medicare that want help managing
their bills and insurance on an ongoing basis. Working with a HealthCPA
advocate saves them time, money and stress and on average, a family can
save over $1,000 per year.
What are the benefits of the HealthCPA service?
A dedicated HealthCPA advocate is responsible for ensuring you are billed
properly by your insurance provider, as well as guiding you through any
process necessary to follow-up on billing errors or denied claims. Often,
claims may be denied because of a computer or user error and it is important
to make sure you are only paying for the portion you are responsible for,
if any. When you or a loved one requires medical care, it can be frustrating
to split your attention between healing and accounting.
You receive help with filing insurance claims and appeals, obtaining pre-authorizations
and cost estimates for procedures and paying your medical bills so you
can return to your health without the worry of impending bills.
How does it work?
HealthCPA collects all of your medical bills and insurance statements
to perform a detailed audit based on your coverage and services received.
With increased scrutiny for coverage, even the slightest error will result
in your claim being denied.
When looking at a medical bill, it can often be confusing which line dictates
the amount due at what time. Between the cost of the service, percentage
covered by the insurance, co-pays and deductibles, it may be difficult
to make sense of your medical bills. You receive guidance with the bill
and confident advice on what you owe at what time. Your advisor will also
recommend which bills or charges to dispute or ask to be reevaluated.
Help with these claims can be provided at your request.
Many employers purchase the service at a reduced group rate for their employeesand
HealthCPA membership is also available to patients through several hospitals
and concierge physicians’ practices around the country.
Medical bills can quickly overwhelm you and account for 60 percent of personal
bankruptcies in the United States, according to a
Harvard University research study. When possible, it is helpful to enlist the assistance of an expert to
ensure your needs are met, and you are not paying more than you actually
owe. For more information on a HealthCPA membership, which covers unlimited
auditing of all of your medical bills and claims, among other things,
visit their website at
HealthCPA.com.
Written by Leeann Garms