Does free preventive care not include lab

[Tiffylv]

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[Christine]

I just got a bill for $112 from a laboratory and at first I wasn't sure what it was for until I saw the ordering physician which is my gyno. It has to be from my annual Pap smear a few weeks ago. I'm a little confused because I don't recall having to pay out of pocket, ever, for one. But I thought with the affordable care act preventive care was supposed to be free anyway. Does this not include the lab reading the test? Like I said I don't think I've ever paid for one with my insurance and certainly not over $100.

Are you sure the bill was submitted to your insurance and not been "considered" yet? It sounds like the full amount and maybe your insurance has not picked up the cost yet.

 

[TAX GUY]

Nothing is really "free". Someone pays for it...

 

[aprilchem]

I believe it should be free. You might want to call your insurance company and make sure.

 

[aejammers]

Are you sure the bill was submitted to your insurance and not been "considered" yet? It sounds like the full amount and maybe your insurance has not picked up the cost yet.

I had a doctor whose bill would always come before insurance had a chance to pay him. I swear they were stuffing the bill in the envelope as I was leaving the office! LOL!

 

[Tiffylv]

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[gwynne]

It might be easier and quicker to just call your Dr's billing office. They would be able to answer your questions about whether your claim was submitted. That's what I do when I have a billing Q.

 

[gwynne]

Nothing is really "free". Someone pays for it...

Well, some consider preventative care cost effective.

 

[Christine]

It might be easier and quicker to just call your Dr's billing office. They would be able to answer your questions about whether your claim was submitted. That's what I do when I have a billing Q.

The doctor may not know though. I know that when I go to the GYN, the doctor performs the test but it is sent off to a third party lab. That lab submits the bill to my insurance and then, once my insurance reviews and pay, sends the remainder to me. My doctor has nothing to do with it.

OP, it should be easy enough to see on the bill if it was submitted to your insurance. If there is nothing that indicates that, then they have just sent you the bill. I would call that lab and ask what is going on.

 

[wilkeliza]

Depends on how it was submitted and if anything else was run through. Also it is only "free" if run through your insurance if they don't do that you get a bill.

 

[bigbabyblues]

Is the bill from your dr office or from a lab? It could be that if the lab is separate, they don't have your current insurance information. I would call the # on the bill.

 

[littleblackegg]

I agree. It can take a bit for your insurance to pick these these things up. Happens to us all the time. We'll get a big bill for hundreds of dollars and my husband will flip out and I will remind him that we have Federal BC/BS-one of the largest insurance groups in the world. Slow, but it gets paid. And I understood that by "free" you meant "no out-of-pocket expenses."

 

[sam_gordon]

It will depend on your insurance policy. You need to either call them or call the lab (whoever you got the bill from) to make sure they submitted to insurance. The insurance I've elected to take through work does not pay for preventative care (there was one that had that available however). Did your insurance (policy if not company) change in the last year?

 

[Tiffylv]

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[mom2rtk]

My policy did change several months ago..not sure if it was at the year mark or not. It just changed the first of November too so I'm a bit mixed up on all these plans.

Your insurance company writes the policy. Call the 800 number on the back of your card and they can tell you if it's supposed to be covered at 100%.

I'm curious as well since our plan is now ACA compliant. In exchange for all that free preventive care, all I had to do was accept the new $6K deductible.

 

[lovin'fl]

Also lab needs to have the correct procedure/diagnoses code on it.

 

[sam_gordon]

My policy did change several months ago..not sure if it was at the year mark or not. It just changed the first of November too so I'm a bit mixed up on all these plans.

As I understand it (based solely on my experience and no research), plans do not HAVE to "include" preventative care at $0 OOP. Like I said, the plan I have through work doesn't allow that, but another plan option does. I'm willing to play a little bit for preventative care in order to not have to pay the high deductible.

 

[SMD]

On the ACA site it says that only the screening/appointment is free and you or your plan would have to pay for any additional services.

 

[mom2rtk]

As I understand it (based solely on my experience and no research), plans do not HAVE to "include" preventative care at $0 OOP. Like I said, the plan I have through work doesn't allow that, but another plan option does. I'm willing to play a little bit for preventative care in order to not have to pay the high deductible.

Some old plans were grandfathered and have not had to become ACA compliant yet. I know the plan we were on until our 6/1 renewal this year was not ACA compliant so preventive was not covered at 100% (even though overall the benefits were far better).

 

[Tiffylv]

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