r/MedicalBill

I hope it's okay to post this here. These may be more like legal questions than medical billing questions, but I'm still wondering if this sub can advise or if anyone has had a similar experience.

In Feb 2024 I saw my PCP at a Carbon Health facility in California. In May 2024 I was notified via a letter in the mail that my PCP was no longer in network, but as of May I had switched insurance providers and therefore wouldn't be trying to see that doc anymore anyway. However, in Feb 2026 (two years later) I was billed for the visit because my PCP was apparently out of network before May, they were just super late in letting me know. The Carbon Health facility was in network, but this particular doctor was not.

I have argued with Carbon and the insurance provider, but they keep just telling me that my claims were denied because I didn't have prior authorization. Nobody can address the fact that I couldn't possibly have known that my PCP was no longer in network, and this feels like a violation of California's law against surprise bills. I want to take them to small claims court to fight this bill. The complicating factor here is that Carbon filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy like 4 days before they billed me.

So, I have two questions: Does this bill indeed seem like a violation of the law that I should be reimbursed for? Is Carbon protected from paying me back due to their bankruptcy or does that protection only apply the debts incurred prior to filing for Chapter 11?

There is one more bill for an March 2024 PCP visit that they haven't yet taken from me, and I'm thinking of letting them send me to collections while I figure this out in court. It's only a few hundred dollars so it hopefully wouldn't have any real negative impacts.

I went to a podiatrist in January for foot pain. Of course he prescribed custom orthotics. I was aware my insurance probably wouldn’t cover it and they provided a typed out paper that said the most I would pay for them, out of pocket, was $561 total. I paid $275 as a deposit. Insurance didn’t cover them, fine. Now, in April I am receiving a bill, not for the remaining $286 but for 800+ dollars. They are now charging me twice as much for the orthotics. They’re charging out each foot at the price I was quoted for both. I spoke with their billing department and was told they were acquired by a larger company and changed pricing. But, she agreed that in January it is likely that I was quoted the price I was expecting $561 and that I should just owe the $286. She said there has been confusion over several accounts similar to mine and that she would put in a request for review that would go to the doctor and practice manager and she’d call me back. That was 2 weeks ago. I’m now getting collection calls from the parent company and the office billing manager hasn’t called back. I’ve tried to call her 4-5 times and left messages 3 times but I get nothing. What can I do? How do I fight this? They quoted me in writing. If the person gave the wrong quote that isn’t my fault. I can only go by what they gave me in writing.

I don't understand and no one can provide an answer. I know so many people who just don't pay their medical bills. What happens? We live in Wisconsin. I've seen that the statute of limitations is 6 years. But 6 years for what? 6 years to bug me? Collection agencies are all over the place. What happens if I just don't ever pay my $140 bill? It goes away?

Please give me tips and things to say to billing department to help my odds of lowering my bill. I have a large medical bill I am not able to afford, but I want to tell them I can pay them in full but only with the specific amount that I do have, how can I do this?

I received 3 CPT codes (64495) for different prices on the same day on my medical bill. Can I dispute this? It was for level 3 joint injections in my lower back after an accident.