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Health Insurance Resolutions
Minimize health care costs and make the most of your insurance

From Kelly Montgomery, for About.com

Updated: January 04, 2009

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3. Read - and save - every piece of paper you get from your doctor's office, the hospital, and your insurance company

Like most people, my first instinct is to toss all those medical bills and insurance statements into a pile somewhere and forget about them. But you can never assume that your medical bills are correct. Medical billing professionals get it right almost all of the time, but they are human, capable of making mistakes. If someone switched digits or missed a letter in the billing code, you (or your insurance company) could be billed for a procedure that costs far more than the one you actually received.

If you do not understand your medical bill, or you think there may have been a mistake on yours, contact your healthcare provider for an explanation. If you are unable to resolve your medical billing dispute yourself, Medical Billing Advocates of America may be able to direct you to an advocate that can help you.

Likewise, it is important to read your insurance statements carefully. If your insurance company declines to cover a particular procedure, make sure you understand why and that they have a legitimate reason for not covering your claim. People who work at insurance companies make mistakes, too. See my article on How To Resolve a Claims Dispute for more information on how to approach your insurance company when your claims are not being paid.

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