Defensive spending in regard to medical care is a new experience for me too. Recently my daughter needed her wisdom teeth removed. She went to an oral surgeon who called and “verified” that the insurance would cover a percentage of the cost of surgery. We went ahead with the surgery and later discovered that the common practice of this dental office was to get a telephoned quote and submit a claim, all the while knowing that the dental insurance industry typically wants to pre-approve these kinds of medical treatment! I didnt know this and the bottom line was I was stuck paying an unexpected $750 of the $1900 total cost of surgery because the insurance co would not approve after the fact. The medical office knew this could happen and did not inform me. Unfortunately it was ultimately my responsibility to be aware of my policy’s coverage and so the lesson learned is READ THE FINE PRINT and do not trust medical office personnel to do the work for you.
Defensive spending in regard to medical care is a new experience for me too. Recently my daughter needed her wisdom teeth removed. She went to an oral surgeon who called and “verified” that the insurance would cover a percentage of the cost of surgery. We went ahead with the surgery and later discovered that the common practice of this dental office was to get a telephoned quote and submit a claim, all the while knowing that the dental insurance industry typically wants to pre-approve these kinds of medical treatment! I didnt know this and the bottom line was I was stuck paying an unexpected $750 of the $1900 total cost of surgery because the insurance co would not approve after the fact. The medical office knew this could happen and did not inform me. Unfortunately it was ultimately my responsibility to be aware of my policy’s coverage and so the lesson learned is READ THE FINE PRINT and do not trust medical office personnel to do the work for you.