Ouch man, stop it.
PT went well, but he kept poking my damn shoulder.
Hello? It hurts, why do you think I'm here?
Stop. Freaking. Poking. It.
We are going to work on the pain in the shoulder through exercises I will do there and at home, and tens stim, acupressure, and other stuff.
He said we can work on the flexibility in my left leg too once we get a handle on the shoulder pain.
Because he poked it, and made me move it in every damn direction, I'm so damn sore right now. Like, I don't want to move it at all sore.
I came home and took a nap, and now I'm sitting here really just wanting to crawl into bed with my heating pad and some Lidocaine patches (lidoderm).
It's soooore. *sniffle*
I have to go back Friday morning, then again on Tuesday and Wednesday and Friday. Them Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of the following week, then we'll schedule the rest of the weeks after that.
The other PT place called me and asked if I wanted to reschedule my appointments. I said no, I can't afford to see you. At $30 a visit, I'll end up paying you my whole SSDI check. I've found a PT place that bills the right way. Medicare first, then my 20% after Medicare pays.
She was all they can't do that. I said that is how they are supposed to bill. You guys are the ones who are not billing legally, making patients pay 100% up front, then maybe giving them their money back.
She said that's how we've always done it. I said well that's not how I'm doing it, or how Medicare wants it done.
She said well good luck finding a better PT place.
I said I already did. They took good care, laid out a good plan for me, and they won't be over billing me and not reimbursing me.
She hung up.
They know what they are doing is wrong, no one ever calls them out on it, so they keep doing it.
I am reporting the PMD's billing practices to Medicare because I know what they are doing is illegal.
Ok, off to find something easy for dinner, and make sure I enter all my appointments in my calendar so I don't forget.
Later days.
Comments
You're right, Medicare is billed first and then the patient (unless you have TriCare too, like my dad, then they're billed after Medicare).
My mom has had to beat on a few desks where the people wanted her and dad to pay the whole bill up front and then get reimbursed by Medicare - the places with electric wheelchairs was the worse at it. One wanted payment in full from my parents before they even started looking to see if Medicare would pay for the wheelchair for my dad.
All I can figure on the PT you talked to is that they are trying to charge more on things than Medicare will pay for. When we get the bills it clearly shows how much they billed and how much Medicare said they were being paid. Hundreds of dollars of difference between the two ranges.
I'm glad you found a better PT.
Posted by: Sandra | March 22, 2007 8:10 AM
Thanks for the info. I knew something was totally wrong with how they were billing me.
Posted by: kat | March 22, 2007 12:12 PM