Question:
WHEN DO WE PAY OUR CO-PAY? BEFORE SURGERY?

I was just wondering we do we pay our co-pay? Mine is 300.00. Will I need to pay that before the surgery, also who do I pay that to? Do I send it to the insurance? I'm not sure how this works. thanks heather    — Heather C. (posted on January 13, 2001)

January 14, 2001
I'm sorry I said co-pay I meant deductible! lol . Who and where do I pay that to? I have never had this sorta thing before. thanks heather
   — Heather C.

January 14, 2001
I didn't have to pay a cent before my surgery, but this really depends on how your surgeon and hospital handle things. Some will ask for a deposit, some won't. My surgeon and hospital do their billing together. They warned me that I was going to have to pay approximately 3,000 out-of-pocket since I was going out of network for my insurance PPO. I signed a paper agreeing to pay my portion, but was not billed for anything until after the surgery was over, and until after the insurance had been billed and payed their share. Then, what was left un-paid by the insurance was billed to me, and the hospital offered to give me a payment plan if I couldn't pay it all at once. Ask your hospital and doctor what their billing policy is.
   — Lynn K.

January 14, 2001
The deductible thing works like this: You have a doctor, a hospital, an anesthesiologiest, lab, etc. Everything they do for you they itemize on claim forms. These forms are sent to your insurance company who in turn processes them IN THE ORDER THEY RECEIVE THEM. The first $300 (in your case since that's your deductible), is NOT PAID by the insurance company but instead billed to you. Now, when I say "billed to you" I mean that the doctor, hospital, lab, anesthesiologiest, etc. will bill you once they receive the information back from your insurance company that states a portion on their particular bill was "applied to deductible." Ideally these care providers will not make you pay your deductible up front because if you pay for example your doctor the $300 before hand and the insurance receives the claim from the hospital first then it will be the hospital's bill that they take the $300 out of. This could leave you having to pay another $300 to the hospital and having to request a refund from the doctor. Follow? I hope so! This is what I do for a living. Any insurance questions are always welcome here. Much love,
   — Alicia B.

November 19, 2002
Your doctor's office will send you a bill for what you owe after they get the info from the insurance company. That is usually how it works!!! Good Luck!!!
   — Regina C.