MRI Bill Update

Some of you have asked what has ever happened with our nightmare with the MRI bill. Rather then send out a bunch of emails, here is the latest and greatest:

In November I started having severe pain in the middle of my back. I went to the doctor and have gave me a steroid shot and some meds and told me to come back if it did not get better. In April I went back because it was not getting better and I tried every "at home" remedy I could find. He then suggested a MRI. I told the nurse I would need a pre-authorization and she said no problem it will be taken care of. I had the MRI but it was taken of the cervical spine. When my husband and I went back to the doctor for the follow up and he realized that he ordered the MRI for the wrong place, basically all we got was an "oops, sorry" and an offer to have it re-done. (yeah, right)

It turns out my doctor's office never did the pre-auth but the insurance company allowed a retro-active authorization. I just got word today (4 months later) that the claim has been denied because the doctor ordered a cervical MRI but I had received prior treatment for thorasic pain. Because I did not have treatment 4-6 weeks prior to the MRI for cervical pain, the MRI was not considered medically necessary at the time it was done.

Bottom line, the doctor screwed up and we are stuck with the $1200 bill. But he sure did get paid! The hospital will work with us and take 30% off but other than that we are stuck unless we want a long drawn out legal battle for malpractice. For that amount of money it is soooo not worth it.

Consequently, we will never go back to this idiot EVER again but now have to find a way to come up with the money.

Medical care in SE Idaho is the pits!!! Medical care and more variety of restaurants are the few things that I truly miss about Las Vegas. I LOVED my doctors that I had there. I told my mom this past week that I looked up on our insurance and all of my old doctors, except one, takes the insurance that we currently have. I may have to start going there for medical treatment or start doing what everyone else around here does and drive to Salt Lake. With this type of nightmare, it would be worth it in the long run.