I am not sure where else to post this and am so exasperated by this issue. Hopefully someone here can help me..
Backstory: I see my doctor every three months for a routine check in for my medication. Since it is a controlled substance, these visits always consist of a quick check in with her and a 5-panel urine screen. These services are always billed in a specific way (two separate codes) that results in a $160 co-insurance.
For some reason, on two bills of mine, the lab ran additional tests (in addition to the typical screen they regularly run) and, because of them, I am being charged over $2000 in coinsurance for these tests.
I spoke with my insurance first who said that it was an issue with the way they were coded, and to speak with my doctor.
My doctor told me not to pay these bills because they were absolutely not coded properly or requested by her. She said it looks like the lab did “rebound” tests that were not ordered by her. Told me to speak to billing.
Billing has passed me on to patient relations, where I got the most promising response. After I submitted my complaint to them, these charges actually disappeared from my account, and then were randomly reinstated a few months later.
Today I got a final notice bill and a threat that this could go to collections. I called billing again and this time, they passed me back to my insurance.
What can I do here? I don’t even know who the right person to speak with is anymore— my insurance, doctor, billing, or patient relations.
It’s clear from my billing statements that these charges are abnormal, and I feel like there has to be some way for me to dispute them. I am just so confused and angry with all this. I don’t see how I can be charged thousands of dollars for tests that I did not even consent to, authorize, or know were being done.
Being charged thousands for medical testing that I did not consent to or know was being run. What can I do?
byu/atrocity__exhibition inpersonalfinance
Posted by atrocity__exhibition
3 Comments
Billing/patient relations will be the one.
Be sure to submit the dispute in writing and get their response in writing.
If it gets to collections, dispute it in writing to the collections people.
You can also lodge a CFPB complaint, and there might be other bodies who can handle it
I think I would go back to billing, ask to speak with a manager or supervisor and focus in on the reinstatement. Involve your doctor if needed, and get things in writing if you can to form a paper trail.
Ultimately from what you have explained someone at the doctors/billing needs to figure out why the lab ran tests that were not ordered by the doctor, and permanently remove them from your billing account. It’s not an issue between them and your insurance if the tests were never ordered. Someone at the lab make a mistake and now needs to eat those costs. depending on how billing works it’s between the lab and your doctor primarily.
Be professional and polite, It’s hard in situations like this but you will get further if you are vs being a jerk. This isn’t going to be fun for anyone thats involved in it.
Did you possibly change insurance for 2026 or start a new annual deductible? I experienced something very similar a few months into new year 2025 and that was the issue. Different coverage and new limits.