Medical billing ridiculousness

If any other business was run like medicine, it would die!!!!

Ok, so I get this bill this last week from some pathologists that I wasn’t expecting and I have no idea what it was. Some “microscopic analysis, V” done on July 5th, the day after my cesarean. I don’t remember having anything done after my cesarean. So here is my investigation:

1. Tues, 16th Nov.: called the Pathologists and ask what this charge is for. They say they don’t know, but it is legitimate. Well, I have to pay cash for it, so I want to know what it was! They say they’ll pull my file, call back tomorrow.
2. Today: called the Pathologists. They have no record of my call on Tuesday. Maria says there is nothing to research, the only detail they have is “microscopic analysis, V” by Dr. Merrill. She said it’s probably a biopsy. Biopsy? Were they worried about something? What was the result of this biopsy? I don’t remember getting cut on the day after my cesarean… She recommends I call my doctor.
3. I call Dr. Merrill’s office and talk to Sharon. She says if it was done at Forsyth Hospital, the records are at Forsyth. Call Forsyth Prenatal.
4. I call Forsyth Prenatal. They have no billing records – they forward me to
   
5. Novant. Novant says they have no billing records – they forward me to
   
6. Carmen in Billing. Carmen says they don’t have billing information for the Pathologists, I need to call the Pathologists. I told her that’s where I started! She recommends
7. Medical Records. Joyce at Medical Records listens to the first 5 words out of my mouth, says hold, and forwards me to
8. Financial Services. Shawn at Financial Services says she does have a record of some sort of pathology happening on the 5th. “Surgical Path Micro”. How can I find out what this is, I ask. She recommends I ask my doctor.
   
9. Back to Sharon at Dr. Merrill’s. Again she says she has no record of what happens at Forsyth. She says maybe I should try antepartem at Forsyth. But I wasn’t in antepartem when this procedure was supposedly done. Maybe they can connect me with post-op? she says.
   
10. Rachel at Labor and Delivery says I need to request my medical records. She forwards me back to
    
11. Medical Records. Pauline this time. Pauline says I need to request my records. She forwards me to
12. Teresa. Teresa says they can’t tell me anything by phone. I either need to have them mail me a release form or I should come in and fill one out and then I can get a copy of my records and see what it was for myself.

UGH! This is just a snippet of what we’ve been dealing with since I got pregnant. So we are headed over to Forsyth right now to see if we can get these illusive records! When you are paying cash, you are much less likely to be satisfied paying $248.05 for “microscopic analysis, v”.