Thursday, January 13, 2011

Lesson Learned

So, today I learned a couple of lessons.  A couple of months ago (Octoberish) I had a doctors appointment and paid my $25 co-pay.  I didn't even have anything done while I was there...I was just there to talk to the doctor!  No test, no exams, no checkin me out, just talkin!  In fact I waited longer than I actually talked to my doctor! Then got a bill about a month later for $43 something (insurance paid like $11).  I'm really bad about opening our mail, unless it's fun mail.  Majority of our bills are online, so there's not really a big need to open the mail right?  Well, I was just being lazy and forgot to send my check in to the doctor. 
Yesterday I cried...I got a certified mailed letter from my doctor that said we have found your balance to be uncollectable and have written it off and you have been dismissed from the practice!  I. Was. Fired!  from my own doctor!  I didn't know they could do things like that.  So I cried to Mike and was so embarrassed.  I mean who gets fired from their doctor?!  He told me everything would be fine to just call them and see what they say.
So this morning I tucked my tail between my legs and called them at 8:15.  They of course ask for your name so they know who they are talking to and I'm sure my name had a BIG RED FLAG next to it.  I asked for the billing department and they transferred me and this lady just knew it was me and that I hadn't paid my money.  So she came off as a polite hardass.  I told her my name and apologized immediately telling her that I screwed up and received her letter and was seeing if I could pay the balance and reverse the dismissal.  She said that typically they don't but she would for me (I'm sure I'm not special and she says this to everyone).  She also told me that when this happens that you have to write a letter to the doctor to see if they will accept you back into the practice!  Thankfully I didn't have to do this, because she said it wasn't the doctor that dismissed me it was the business office.  So thankfully, I was re-accepted back into the practice, I thanked her and was so excited, I ran back to the bedroom and woke Mike up telling him my good news...I really felt like I had just been accepted into college or something! 

So Life Lessons Learned today...
1.) I definitely work in the WRONG field, I mean I would love to charge 85 bucks to talk to a patient for less than 10 minutes!
2.) Open your Mail!
3.) Pay your Balance!
4.) Don't mess with your doctors, they really want their money!

I'm so glad Mike was right, but it was so hard begging for forgiveness and being at the mercy of someone you don't even know for a stupid little lazy mistake! 

1 comment:

Abby said...

That's pretty humbling! And not fun at all! I agree with you...I'm in the wrong career. I should start charging for parent teacher conferences!