By Woodrow Wilcox
On September 22, 2011, I spent three hours to help one 83 year old woman to fix the medical bill problems that she had because Medicare messed up the claims. The elderly client is from Hammond, Indiana.
Much of the time was spent on the phone with medical offices and insurance claims departments to get the bill facts. The client did not have the medical bills, Medicare Summary Notices, and insurance company explanation of benefits forms in order. In fact, most of what I just mentioned was missing.
Medicare failed to deliver essential claims information to our client’s old and new insurance companies for multiple claims during three different years. I had to write and send six letters to various medical firms to get matters resolved. I am confident that my work will result in our client’s medical bills being paid according to her Medicare supplement insurance policies.
One bill was from a collection firm. For that problem, I wrote to both the hospital and the collection firm. I informed the hospital that Medicare never sent the claim to the client’s insurance company. I asked the hospital to send certain vital claim information directly to the insurance company for processing of the claim and to recall the bill from the collection firm. I told the collection firm about the Medicare caused problem, advised them what was being done to fix the problem, and asked them to cease all collection efforts.
My help to this client was provided FREE OF CHARGE. The owners and managers of this insurance agency know that the Medicare system is far from perfect. We know that errors happen whether caused by machines or people. We don’t want the senior citizen clients of this insurance agency to suffer financial harm when those errors occur. Does your insurance agent or agency provide this high level of service to your senior citizen relatives and friends? If not, why not?
Note: Woodrow Wilcox is the senior medical bill case worker at Senior Care Insurance Services in Merrillville, Indiana. Wilcox has saved clients of that firm over one million dollars by correcting errors in Medicare related medical bills. For other articles by Wilcox, visit www.dakotavoice.com and search “Woodrow Wilcox”.
© 2011 Woodrow Wilcox