Health insurance claim appeals, what fun

I’ve got someone from United Healthcare in the phone and I’m appealing some claims from August’s last emergency room visit. They list the services as “*Remark Code B8: According To Your Plan, Your Benefits Are Lower Because Your Care Was Coordinated By A Non-network Physician Or Other Health Care Professional.” This has us paying more than we should because it was an emergency room visit at an in network hospital. We didn’t have any choice in our doctors because of the urgency of the visit so hopefully we can get this straightened out and not have to pay as much out of pocket.

All in all, I’m glad I’ve got insurance. I can’t imagine paying for all these bills without it. Actually, I can image it: people selling their cars and houses, getting into hock with credit card companies to pay for services which saved their life or a family members life. What is wrong with that scenario?

Friends joke about moving to Canada but I wonder if their system of socialized medicine if better. Need to do more reading on that. Might have to brave the colder climate for a better quality of life, not only for my family but the all the citizens in general.

Well, they escalated my request to the senior quick response representative and will contact me within 24-48 hours to let me know they have changed the status of the claims. Sounds vaugely like what they said last time on the phone.

July 29 update: No call within the last week. What a surprise. Barbara from the Rapid Resolution department says she will call by Thursday, this time. Yea, right.