Q: A hospital over charged me for lab work and won't send a refund or return my calls. What can I do?
I was given the option to pay for lab work at the time of service on two occasions. The hospital employee told me she would calculate my portion of the bill based on my insurance provider. She did not account for the significant discount agreement between the hospital and my insurance company, and I overpaid by $155 on one occasion and $172 on another.
I spoke to someone a few weeks ago who said she would start the refund process, but I've yet to receive anything, and they won't return my phone calls.
The hospital should be aware of the pricing agreement they have with my insurance provider. Deliberately not taking that into account seems like fraudulent billing to me. Is that correct or am I overreacting?
I want to file a complaint with the appropriate state oversight organization, but I keep getting the runaround. Every person I speak to refers me to a different organization.
A: Sue them in small claims court.
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