Episode 21

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Published on:

17th May 2022

Has your doctor overcharged you?

  • How do you fight what you think is an outrageous bill?
  • How common are medical billing errors?
  • How do you stop out-of-network charges
  • How can you avoid getting an unexpectedly large medical bill?   
  • What’s the No Surprises Act and how does it help us?
  • Why should you get a price upfront, for a procedure that you, or someone in your family, needs? 

Believe it or not, medical billing errors are quite common these days. Even though we’ve moved to electronic medical records, the coding process that is supposed to ensure that procedures are properly noted for your insurance provider or Medicare payers can get complicated.  Sometimes as many as three or more codes are needed to describe one procedure before your carrier will approve your coverage.

Recent research notes that as much as 90% of all medical bills have at least one error in them. 

Who pays in the end, and why should you be responsible for these mistakes? 

That’s where “coders” come in:  medical billing coders can be a patient’s best friend. Especially when they can help us understand our bills, correct errors, and reverse coverage denials.

In this episode, we take a deeper, and rather interesting, look behind the scenes with a medical coding expert. These are the folks who keep your medical providers organized so they can focus on keeping you healthy or recovering. 

Either way, we need coders!

There’s a lot more in store for you in this episode, and, as always, a laugh or two to keep us all moving forward.  Tune in as we learn more from Jennifer McNamara, one of the best coding instructors and educators I know.

Additional links of value:

Special Note: the No Surprises Act supplements individual state surprise billing laws. It's important to first check into such protections that have been instituted in your state. One term to research in your state is the All-payer Model Agreement or any rules that help set limits on out-of-network charges. You can also call the CMS help desk line at 1-800=985-3059 for questions directly related to your personal situation.

Guest: Jennifer McNamara CPC, CCS, CRC, CPMA, CGSC, COPC AAPC, is the Director of Education and Coding for Oncospark. She has worked in many specialized areas of Coding including Orthopedics, Plastic Surgery, General Surgery, Ophthalmology, Podiatry, and many more. Her coding team provides Auditing, Consulting, RCM services, Credentialing, and Compliance through our team of experts.

She is the host of the weekly podcast “Life as a Coder” where she discusses the Health Information Management industry and how to succeed in the Business of Healthcare as well as tips for work-life balance.

Host:  Nancy May, Author How to Survive 911 Medical Emergencies, Step-by-Step Before, During, After!  Expert in managing the path of step-by-step caring for an aging parent or family member, even from over 1200 miles away, or more. For a Free File-of-Life to www.howtosurvive911.com. Nancy is also the Co-Founder of CareManity LLC, and the private FaceBook group, Eldercare Success.

Disclaimer: The views, perspectives, and opinions expressed in this show are those of the show guests and not directly those of the companies they serve or that of the host or the producer CareManity, LLC. The information discussed should not be taken as medical, legal, or financial advice. Please seek the advice or your own personal medical, legal or financial advisors as each person’s situation is different. (c) Copyright 2022 CareManity, LLC all rights reserved. CareManity is a trademark of CareManity, LLC.



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About the Podcast

Eldercare Success
Doing It Best with Eldercare Success
Join us in Doing it Best with Eldercare Success where we explore ways to relieve the stress, exhaustion and overwhelm that we all face in caring for an aging parent, frail spouse, or partner. Fear, frustration, emotional and financial strain do not have to be your MO! In this show, we dive into unraveling the tricks, traps, and gotchas that create more questions than answers while caring for those we love.
Join Nancy May, and her guests as she helps relieve the pressures and delivers solid ways to find more joy and freedom as we care for those with those we love. Here you’ll learn how to find the ground under your feet again. Hang tight there’s a better road ahead.
keeping our feet on solid ground. Hang tight there’s a better road ahead.

About your host

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Nancy May

Nancy May is a corporate leader, business advisor, author, speaker, and nationally recognized podcast host. She has spent her career working with CEOs, Boards of Directors, and senior leaders in the public and private corporate sectors. These experiences gave her the strength and foundation to step in and provide her parents with guidance and support, both as their POA and Trustee, and diehard advocate as they aged. Nancy credits her father an entrepreneur, innovator of innovative eyewear design, and her mom for encouraging and preparing her to acquire the many skills needed to start, build, and lead several successful businesses. She has transitioned these competencies and life lessons to into her new business, CareManity, LLC, which focuses on providing family caregivers structured ways to obtain practical knowledge, resources, and access much-needed support.