Question about MRI Bill: Is $12k Fair Price?

[Greg Bernhardt]

I'm also surprised that the doctor did not send you to an outpatient imaging center, or at least give you an option. It's possible the doctor gets a kickback from the hospital for sending them business.

If the doc was connected to the hospital they are discouraged from doing so for the obvious reasons. My MRI was going to cost me $2500 and they booked it for me right away and didn't share options with me. I had to insist I was going to shop around after hearing a medical imaging ad on the radio. They sheeply said ok.

 

[edward]

The insurance did agree to pay 80% of the $12k so the provider can not be out of network (unless I misunderstand).

Sometimes your insurance company will offer to pay an out of network provider what they would pay an in network provider. It is difficult to negotiate with an insurance company.

If you were indeed sent to an out of network facility, talk to your doctor and ask why. A call from your doctor to the MRI Lab may heavily influence whether or not the lab will negotiate the bill, especially if he refers a lot of patients to them.

My son successfully negotiated $3000 off of his bill. Actually in my sons situation the supervisor of his doctors billing office ended up calling the supervisor of the labs billing office and the lab agreed over the phone to write off the $3000.

Don't talk to the person at the desk in the Lab's billing office. Ask to speak to a supervisor.

 

[humanino]

Sometimes your insurance company will offer to pay an out of network provider what they would pay an in network provider. It is difficult to negotiate with an insurance company.

If you were indeed sent to an out of network facility, talk to your doctor and ask why. A call from your doctor to the MRI Lab may heavily influence whether or not the lab will negotiate the bill, especially if he refers a lot of patients to them.

My son successfully negotiated $3000 off of his bill. Actually in my sons situation the supervisor of his doctors billing office ended up calling the supervisor of the labs billing office and the lab agreed over the phone to write off the $3000.

Don't talk to the person at the desk in the Lab's billing office. Ask to speak to a supervisor.

That is certainly encouraging. The person at the billing desk was not helpful at all.