Posts Tagged ‘Week 1’

Question About Hospital Bills and Write-Offs?

freedom_rulz@sbcglobal.net asked:


I stayed at a hospital for three days in November. I have a $1500 deductible which I have not met yet. My EOB (Estimation of Benefits) said I may owe $2200 (out of $6000) — most of that $2200 includes my deductible and co-insurance. However, when I recdived the bill a month ago (around December 15th), it shows that I owed only $58 and, according to the itemized bill, most of the $2200 I owed was written off. Is this possible? Or does this sound like an accounting mistake? (My mother-in-law, who knows a lot of people who work at that hospital, will be checking it out this week.)
1. I’ve had outpatient procedures at this hospital and I can tell you that they have not written off a huge amount like this — some, but not a huge amount.

2. About two years ago, my dad had gallbladder surgery at a different hospital. Out of the $25,000 he owed, insurance paid $15,000, but he ended up owing only $1,000 because the hospital wrote the rest of this off.

3. Do hospitals tend to write off big bills that are processed towards the end of the year — for tax purposes?
I am on Blue Cross/Blue Shield BlueOptions (PPO) with a $1500 annual deductible. They have a contract with this hospital.

medical billing association

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