Urgent Care Charge me without sending me the bill

[martingale]

I went to patient first (PF)urgent care a week ago. and they required me to insert my credit card at registration in order to be seen by a doctor.

today I got a text message saying they are going to charge my credit card on file in 10 days, but I never received their bill.

my insurance portal indicated they have received the claim from PF but they didn't not include any billing statement.

is this practice of charging credit card before letting patient seeing the bill legitimate?

what if the bill is erroneous and I need to dispute it.

[MarvBear]

Welcome to CreditBoards.

[CreditSucksNot]

4 hours ago, martingale said:

I went to patient first (PF)urgent care a week ago. and they required me to insert my credit card at registration in order to be seen by a doctor.

today I got a text message saying they are going to charge my credit card on file in 10 days, but I never received their bill.

my insurance portal indicated they have received the claim from PF but they didn't not include any billing statement.

is this practice of charging credit card before letting patient seeing the bill legitimate?

what if the bill is erroneous and I need to dispute it.

 

You should have gotten that paperwork when you checked out of the clinic.  DId you look through those papers?

 

It is common practice to get a credit card authorization for any charges not covered by insurance prior to the visit.  It is how they prevent patients from refusing to pay what they owe.  As for disputing the charges you don't lose the right to do that if you disagree with them.  You dispute the same way and if you are correct they refund the difference.

[martingale]

17 hours ago, CreditSucksNot said:

 

You should have gotten that paperwork when you checked out of the clinic.  DId you look through those papers?

 

It is common practice to get a credit card authorization for any charges not covered by insurance prior to the visit.  It is how they prevent patients from refusing to pay what they owe.  As for disputing the charges you don't lose the right to do that if you disagree with them.  You dispute the same way and if you are correct they refund the difference.

thanks for the info. I always thought once you paid your medical bill that means you give up the disputing privilege. 

i keep calling billing department but nobody picked up the call.

no, no billing paper when i check out of the urgent care.

thanks man and happy holidays.

[Why Chat]

Happy New Year-- you will likely not receive anything from their billing department at all if you didn't actually incur any charges. If you have insurance- get your EOMB (explanation of medical benefits) from your insurance Co.

[centex]

Something I am seeing a lot of this week is billing via text.  Hard copies via mail seem to be a thing of days gone by.  The first two actually were shown by my carrier as being 'spam/blocked.' The hospital I was transported to has also sent a text although it indicated a hard copy should be coming.  

 

They had a link to what I guess was a website that would have had the actual statements but I wasn't up to looking at them whilst laying in bed.  

 

I know the urgent care facility took my card and told me upfront what would be charged that evening.  I did not get anything itemized at the time, but the amount to be charged (I am a cash-pay without insurance) was made abundantly clear...it was only $1300 and nothing else has come from them.  

[TheVig]

Mrs. Vig recently went in for her yearly mammogram. They were all about making sure the correct cell phone and email address were on file. We have online accounts set up with all our medical providers anyway, but it seems they are really pushing people to get with the times. Her visit to the honey hole doctor was the same song and dance too.

 

 

[hdporter]

On 1/6/2023 at 1:50 PM, centex said:

(I am a cash-pay without insurance)

 

Large deductible policy (and you submit receipts, as necessary), or are you truly "riding bareback"?

 

Not my business, actually, but there's a fascinating narrative here.

[centex]

On 1/25/2023 at 6:32 PM, hdporter said:

 

Large deductible policy (and you submit receipts, as necessary), or are you truly "riding bareback"?

 

Not my business, actually, but there's a fascinating narrative here.

Actual out of pocket, without insurance.  I'm one of those who lost a good policy when the changes occurred and I have been out of pocket ever since...saved me better than $9K in premiums annually plus the $7500+ deductible that I would never have come close to hitting.  On the rare occasion I needed something, I hit up a quack in a box for $50-75 and then use GoodRx for any prescriptions.  

 

So far, I am basically running everything through the 0% cards (into next year) with some other stuff on a biz card that doesn't report...most of the major bills have not even arrived yet.  I've seen the x-ray bill and that is about it thus far by mail...