# Medical billing

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-billing/775429>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [December 23, 2016, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-billing/775429 "2016-12-23T05:49:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-billing/775429/1 "2016-12-23T05:49:13Z")

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I’m a lucky guy. I have a good job and good health care.

I had a bit of an emergency last September when I took a tumble down some stairs. My Doc sent me to the hospital for a shoulder x-ray. It was easy-peasy. Shoulder is fine.

The bill came. It gave me my 15 digit code to pay on-line. Great, get this done. The bill suggested to pay on line.

\*\*I spent less time in the hospital than I did tonight trying to pay the $90 that I owe \*\*that is not covered by insurance.

This was probably the most screwed up web site I have ever seen. The billing department and the web developers are clearly not talking to each other. I’m a programmer and web developer myself.

I revisited the web site again and again from the beginning before I finally found the proper rabbit hole to enter my code and pay my bill. Unbelievable. This is one of the biggest health care providers in my state. And I went to a major hospital covered by my insurance.

I feel for the medical billing people I really do. But sheeeeess.

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**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-billing/775429/2 "2016-12-23T06:00:48Z")

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You couldn’t write a check or pay it via mailing in your credit card number?

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**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-billing/775429/3 "2016-12-23T06:24:29Z")

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> [@nearwildheaven](#):
>
> You couldn’t write a check or pay it via mailing in your credit card number?

Yep, I could mail in my credit card number. I am trying to get away from mail though.

I could send a check, but you would have to see the bill they sent. No check ‘option’ though I suppose it would get through… and they would figure it out… eventually. But not before they sent another bill.

They suggested, in the bill to do it online.

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**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-billing/775429/4 "2016-12-23T21:07:26Z")

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My wife’s ob/gyn doesn’t even have a way to pay online. I have to call, like a cave man. I tried online banking last time. Let’s see if I don’t get a nastygram for an unpaid bill.