Chiari Institute Question???

[Guest guest]

 Hi!

I hope everyone is doing very well and pain free.  I'm sorry to have to ask this

but I'm desperate!  I had surgery at The Chiari Institute in January and have

been emailing the billing girl for months asking her if she can set me up on a

payment plan.  She kept telling me to wait that they were waiting on an appeal

request with my insurance company.  I said ok and I waited for her to let me

know...

Well,  I finally get two letters in the mail (note that I've been paying all the

many other misc. bills along the way) from their billing agency one for $6K and

another for $20K and the only way they will accept a payment plan is if I pay it

off withing 6months, 12months max.  I'm a single mom living off my child

support. My SS Disability hasn't been approved yet.

 

Any ideas on how to get cash to pay this? I don't want to get in trouble with

TCI but I can barely feed my kids.  I don't know what to do??? Anybody out there

have to deal with this? how did you pay it off in 12 months? please help! any

advice, any help will be very much appreciated.

 

Thanks

Isa

 

PS. Please, please don't take this as me trying to make TCI look bad, they are

wonderful and have done nothing wrong. Its just medical billing. Its just me

having issues right now paying this off and needing advice.  

[Guest guest]

Hi Isa,

 

FIrst, I would talk to the billing people at the TCI office, to make sure that

all the write offs have been taken on your account that have been taken.

Explain your financial situation, be really honest, don't be afraid to give

the gritty details.  But let them know there is no way you can pay off the

bills in the amount of time that Clinical Practice expects you to pay.

 

And ask TCI's billing person to please work with CPP on your behalf to

set up a payment plan that you can handle.  Clinical Practice Plan is not

part of TCI, they are part of the hospital doctor's billing.  Explain that you

have been working on paying off the smaller bills too.  Your records will

show this, and it shows good faith on your part on your intention to pay

your bills.

 

Have you heard from your insurance company as to whether or not they have

fully paid on your claim?  It might not hurt to check with both CPP on that

matter

as well, and let them know that your claim has been going through the

appeals process.  You might ask your insurance company if they have an

advocate for those with critical illnesses.

 

Good luck,  This is stress that we don't need during the healing process.

Just take it one day at a time.  Take notes as to who you talk to with

dates and time.  That will help when you have to refer to one department

to another.

 

Peace,

 

Betsy P, Erie, PA