We bring him in to the doctor and after they do what they do, we walk out (without paying a copay) and go home. Somewhere down the line we get a letter from BCBS informing us of the pediatrician's submitted charges, and the amount BCBS paid (almost always less than the submitted charges) to settle the bill. The bill will usually indicate that we are responsible for a minimal amount that covers the copay and occasionally a service not covered by BCBS, but we're talking $15-50 max. There is also usually a statement to the effect that we are not responsible for any difference between what BCBS paid and what the provider submitted. However, we have been receiving bills from his pediatrician which appear to be for the non-covered amounts. I estimate that we've paid somewhere in the neighborhood of over $700 since Napi's pregnancy in such charges. I'll be checking the statements this weekend, but if someone has experienced service providers weaseling money out of folks in this manner, please let me know. I'm not a litigator, but I do remember a few skills from law school dammit!
This billing thing comes to mind today because we may be taking Ami' in to see his doctors in the near future to have them examine a nasty rash he's had since about the second or third day into his recent St. Louis trip. He's had this rash before and we can't quite figure out what's causing it. The good news is that he does not appear to be in any discomfort as a result of the rash...yet.
