by KYW's Salil Gutt
Expenses for health care have become untenable whether you are retired or not. Besides the high premiums for those who have health insurance, insult is added to injury when the system goes after people for bills they do not have to pay.
Millions of consumers are affected by something called balance billing. Here's how that works and the shocking thing is it is common practice -and yes, illegal.
When doctors or hospitals think an insurer has reimbursed too little, they bill the patient for the difference. It does not matter that they have contractual arrangements with the insurer that amounts paid by the insurer constitute reimbursement in full. When patients fail to pay, the health care providers sic the collection agencies on to them.
According to an article in Business Week, consumers pay some $1 billion a year for medical services for which they are not responsible. The best thing a consumer can do is fight this collection in court. Past cases have resulted in judges throwing the book at such practices and also awarding punitive damages to patients unfairly targeted.
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