# My Medical Bill is a Joke **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 5, 2016, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-medical-bill-is-a-joke/751264 "2016-04-05T16:21:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2016, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-medical-bill-is-a-joke/751264/21 "2016-04-05T23:29:01Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > The Provider is your insurance company… No “the Provider” is the doctor or the lab that ran the test; they’re the ones that provide the actual healthcare series and bill the patient. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-medical-bill-is-a-joke/751264/22 "2016-04-06T03:25:41Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Expanding on what **El Kabong** [said](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=19236104&postcount=8), I suspect the three documents are related to three distinct entities entitled to payment. The doctor (or his practice PC) is one, the hospital or clinic (providing facilities, nursing and technical staff, etc.) is another, and the lab a third. > > The lab doesn’t care where you get the blood from. They aren’t drawing it, so they don’t get paid to draw it. The hospital (phlebotomist, using hospital-provided materials and facilities) does. > > Just speculation, but that’s how I’ve seen the breakdowns before. Good point. The Dr. may bill it as a lab order, while the lab would bill a CBC or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-medical-bill-is-a-joke/751264/23 "2016-04-06T10:47:06Z")
When I had my cataract surgery, I got the usual statements for a few weeks, and everything was paid. Then, months later, I got a new statement, billing my insurance company for $8,000 . . . for use of the building where the surgery took place 😕. It was marked paid in full. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-medical-bill-is-a-joke/751264/24 "2016-04-06T15:06:53Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > No “the Provider” is the doctor or the lab that ran the test; they’re the ones that provide the actual healthcare series and bill the patient. Must be different for different insurance companies. My EOB’s say ‘Provider pays’ and lists the amount the insurance company pays the clinic/doctor/etc. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-medical-bill-is-a-joke/751264/25 "2016-04-06T15:41:29Z")
Except for minor standard treatments, I always insist on an itemized breakdown. Couple years ago I had to be hospitalized for a few days. When I got the itemized bill later, it included medicines I had not taken and treatment I had not received. The hospital was very pleasant about correcting it. It didn’t change the amount I paid, but I figured Medicare and my insurance company should not have to pay for something billed in error either. ---
**Author:** ![norvalnormal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f19dbf/32.png) [@norvalnormal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norvalnormal)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2016, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-medical-bill-is-a-joke/751264/26 "2016-04-06T22:08:29Z")
Semi-off topic: My new Blue Cross health plan allowed me to see an eye doctor for an exam for a mere $15 copay but I just got a bill from the doctor’s office for $45, since Blue Cross will not pay for the pupil dilation preceding the exam proper. And I gathered from a woman at the front office that this is not by any means solely a Blue Cross thing. Is there ever an eye exam that does _not_ include getting one’s peepers dilated? ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2016, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-medical-bill-is-a-joke/751264/27 "2016-04-07T00:47:14Z")
I think the most insane EOB letter I ever got was from when my wife had a [PIC line](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peripherally_inserted_central_catheter) that started slipping out of her arm one day when she was playing piano. The EOB had a number north of $40,000 for the total cost to reinsert that line :eek: Insurance said “No, we will only pay 2,500” Our part came to a few hundred after insurance. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-medical-bill-is-a-joke/751264.md?page=1)