cheradenine

I got tested for covid in January and gave my insurance info to the test place. Today i got a letter saying i have a bill for lab testing.
Admittedly i have been in the u.s. for 6 years now and am still struggling to understand the system here, but i thought covid was covered by the government?

I went on the state website (https://covid19.ca.gov/healthcare/) and found this. does my health plan have to cover my covid-19 test?
Yes, if you:

• Have COVID-19 symptoms,
• Were exposed to someone who has COVID-19, or
• The test is medically necessary for your situation.

If you have COVID-19 symptoms or think you’ve been exposed, then under federal law, you can get a test anywhere. Your health plan must pay for it.

Have contacted the insurance and waiting on a reply.
Just looking for advice on this, cheers!

SanDiegogirl

As it says if you have any or all of those reasons for having a Covid test your health plan has to pay for it.

If you are uninsured the Government pays for it.

If you did not have any of the reasons given for having a test (i.e you just thought you would have one), then, as it says:

If none of these things above are true but you’d still like a test, contact your health plan or health care provider.

cheradenine

thanks for your input.

yes I had symptoms and tested positive, I’m just so very confused with this bill. It feels like a scam or something.

S Folinsky

Contact the lab and ask why you are being billed. There may be an error. A few years back with the measles outbreaks I expressed concern to my doctor. Given my age I had never been vaccinated against measles but I had been exposed as a child so doc ordered a titre test. (I do have immunity). MediCare refused to pay stating I should have received my vaccination at a pharmacy. Found out that the titre test had been mis-coded as a vaccination, not a test. So, with recoding, it got paid.

SanDiegogirl

Who is the letter from? The lab, your health insurance company?

Must say, one does not usually get a letter telling you about a bill - you usually get just the bill.

robin1234

I had a similar situation back in June 2020. I got a COVID test because I’d been exposed, was ordered to quarantine, and had been told to get a test by the public health department. A couple of months later, I got an invoice for the test. It turns out the hospital that administered the test hadn’t bothered to contact my health insurers. You should never underestimate the moronic stupidity & boneheadedness of healthcare bureaucracy and billing departments.

cheradenine

The letter is from the insurance company. It says at the top ‘this is not a bill. Do not pay. This is to notify you that we processed your claim.’
But then below that is a breakdown of costs and at the very bottom the total amount I allegedly owe the provider.

SanDiegogirl

It says it is not a bill ........

What is the service/item that you allegedly owe the provider. Sometimes items are included on health bills which are not payable.

cheradenine

Says i owe $125 to the provider.
Also says that on my online account and has an option to pay there. If it's not a bill that's the strangest way of saying you owe us money?
Again though, i was under the impression that covid tests are covered.

Nutmegger

Then you should wait until you receive a bill from the provider, see what it is for, then you can try to ascertain if something was wrongly coded and point out that you believe you are not liable.

SanDiegogirl

Give your insurance provider a call and ask for clarification of the bill (or non bill).
If you fulfilled the requirements for being eligible to have the test, then the insurance company should pay.

Giantaxe

I would simply wait for a bill, which may or may not appear. It could simply be that at the time the notice was sent, the government hadn't stumped up the $ for the test.

cheradenine

If I don’t get a response from them by tomorrow, I will run the gauntlet of being put on hold for an hour or so to get some clarification. I’m sure this thing can be sorted out.

SanDiegogirl

What online account? is this your insurance company's online account? If so, then it's your insurance company who is asking for the payment, not the lab.
You should be able to get all information as to what is being charged (and why) from the Explanation of Benefits page on the particular claim on your health insurance company's website.