A recent article by VisitPay reviews what a patient friendly bill might look like and the importance this plays for hospitals and health systems.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared on VisitPay's website.
Imagine a shoulder injury sends you to the hospital. The good news is that there is no permanent damage. The bad news is that on your road to recovery your mailbox starts filling up with medical bills. You get one from your primary provider of care. That is followed in short order by bills from the imaging facility that provided the MRI, the radiologist who read the MRI, the surgeon, the anesthesiologist, the hospital, the rehab clinic and on and on. Those bills are accompanied by explanations of benefits (EOBs) that may or may not align with bills that may or may not be itemized in ways that are decipherable to the layperson.
Organizing and interpreting this mountain of paperwork seems impossible—and you haven’t even started wrapping your mind around how you will resolve these debts. Are there payment plans available? Financial options? Discounts? Has your provider already referred your account to a collections agency?
When you were injured, there were dozens of caring professionals dedicated to getting you back to your old self. Now, as you look upon a kitchen table covered by fine-print liabilities, it’s easy to wonder whom—if anyone—is advocating on your behalf. Click here to continue>>
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