Be PERSISTENT when you are in the right!!

[BookNut]

Good news here. I know I have shared rants about Cleveland Clinic. That APPEARS to be resolved. They reported us to a collection agency. We talked to the agency about the issue of CC stupidity. Our insurance had paid them months ago - but they just never recorded it. Anyway - we have heard nothing in a few months now, so are hoping it is resolved.

HERE IS THE BIG ONE. I have been taking a kind of chemo injection once a month, aimed at people with severe, persistent asthma and allergies. $1700 per shot. Insurance only covers 80%. We filled out an application for co-pay assistance, and, since we never received any bills from the supplying pharmacy, we assumed all was being covered. Silly us. TEN MONTHS after the first shot, we got a bill for almost $3000!!!! Arghhh!! I called the co-pay assistance company. They immediately approved me for up to $3000 in coverage based on our income. But - they could not cover ANY of the previously accrued bills! Double Arghhh!! Obviously we could have had that bill covered if the pharmacy had sent it in a timely manner.

I have been fighting with the billing pharmacy - Accredo - since November. They have done nothing that they said they would do.

I spent two days composing a letter which I sent certified mail, return receipt requested to the President of the company, with copies going to another executive in the company and also the drug manufacturer. It included the entire timeline and an accounting of all my phone calls to them.

Today I got a call from the billing department. The representative has given me her name and direct phone number. She said they checked on all the statements I made in my letter and everything matched their records. She apologized, said that a 10 month delay on a bill was totally unacceptable, and stated that they would be taking care of the bill themselves and that we will receive a statement with a $0 balance within the week.

HERE ARE MY TIPS FOR YOU, should you ever find yourself in a similar situation.

1. Keep a detailed record of EVERY communication with the company you are dealing with.

2. Record the date and time of every phone call.

3. Write down the name of every person you speak with. Generally they are only allowed to give their first names.

4. Give everyone time to do their jobs and follow Ronald Regan's advice "Trust, but verify."

5. Ask to speak directly with managers. We failed to do that, relying on the reps to "talk to their managers and get back to us". They never followed up on those promises. If they did - we had no way to know if they really had spoken to a manager.

6. When you find yourself getting nowhere, research to find the highest level executive you can and send them your detailed accounting with names, dates and times. Send copies of the letter to other executives in the company and any other company involved in the situation.

7. Demand that you get your answers in WRITING. Do NOT accept payment "deals" on the phone.

8. Do NOT give any of these people your credit card or debit card information. Agree to payment plans ONLY if you can pay by certified bank check or money order.

9. Mail any written communications via certified mail, return receipt requested so they can never say "We did not get that letter."

10. NEVER assume, we we did, that because there is no bill there really is none.

I hope this will help any of you going through billing nightmares.