Medical Billing

Once upon a time, a long, long, time ago, I worked in medical billing.  I don't know how anyone who has never worked in that field trusts their insurance company to process their claims correctly.  I could have a full-time job doing the medical billing for my own children.  I spend hours on the phone and internet trying to resolve the issues that insurance creates for themselves.

In my insurance company's defense, we live in Alaska.  There are special "rules" for processing our claims.  BUT, I do hate that almost NO doctors here bill their own claims, also meaning there are no in-network providers for that wonderful provider discount.  I pay for the entire visit out of pocket and then, after faxing the claims and fighting with the insurance company, get refunded for some of the money.

Lucky for us, the surgeon and hospital in Seattle do their own billing.  I have been watching the Aetna website as the claims are pouring in.  The hospital, the surgeon, the anesthesiologist, the medical imaging facility, the medical imaging provider, and on and on.  I am SO glad I didn't have to pay THAT $60,000 out of pocket to be reimbursed when insurance finally decided how to process the claim!