Billed twice for same service?

This is not directly related to my WLS bill, but rather my follow up care.  I have WLS in July 2006.  The surgery included 90 days of follow up care.  So at my 6 month follow up visit in January 2007, I was billed for the office visit with my surgeon.  That's fine and I don't have a problem with that. I then receive a bill from the hospital for the same date of service for a "Clinic Visit".  The only service I had on that date was the office visit with my surgeon in his office.  I used no services of the hospital on that date -- no labs, no x-rays, nothing.  Also my surgeon is not a contracted physician of the hospital.  He is an independent contractor. I wrote a letter questioning the bill from the hospital and asking for clarification.  They called and stated verbally that the reason that I received a 2nd bill from the hospital was that my surgeon's office is owned by the hospital.  I told them that billing practice did not make any sense to me and I wanted it in writing.  They refused and told me they would not make a special letter for me. I have written another letter to the Surgeon, the Hospital, my Insurance Co, and the Corporate Compliance Manger at the Hospital stating that their office leasing arrangment with the physician is their responsibility - not mine.  It is not the responsibility of the physician's patients to pay his office leasing fees disguised as services rendered.  I stated in my letter that this was billing me twice for the same service and it is billing fraud. I also stated in my letter that the only way the hospital could have known that I saw my surgeon on that date (and therefore knew to bill me) was if my surgeon gave them that information.  They shave my Protected Health Informatio (PHI) with someone I did not authorize and that is a violation of my privacy rights and of HIPAA. My real concerns is that my Health Plan (BCBS-CA PPO) just paid these claims with no questions asked and does them paying the claims weaken my position to protest the bill? Felicia

Anytime you goto a dr's office that is part of a hospital and sometimes you may not even know it... sometimes the hospital owns the building they are in and it's not even connected to the hospital... almost all surgeons will fall into this category, the hospital has the right to bill for facility fee's they pay for the space the dr used to see you in and therefor they can charge you a fee for using it. You're insurance company doesnt usualy question provider's that they have a contract with even if you called them and said that you didn't see the dr on that day at all most likely you would either have to report it thru a fraud deprtment or go back to the dr and have the retract the claim... Anyway Since I'm not speaking on behalf of the insurance company or the hospital i can tell you that there is no point in fighting this you wont win it's not right and you should be notified before the apt that you will be charged facility fee's but they don't have to and most hospitals don't so honestly fighting it would just be a waste of time and energy it's the way every hospital is and i doubt it will ever change. hope that helped, and in the future whenever you question something like this... call your insurance company they would have explained this to you and saved you some worry, that's what they are there for.