Patient
The doctor I saw suggested I wear a heart monitor for a week due to the elevated heart palpitations I was experiencing. A few months later, I received a bill from the manufacturer of the heart monitor (iRhythm) for $995. I was perplexed that such a large sum was billed to me over a rather routine thing. I put a claim in to my health insurance, but they only covered a partial amount; leaving me on the hook for the remaining $525. My health insurance said that the manufacturer of the heart monitor was out of network. I had never heard of a manufacturer of medical equipment that a doctor uses in their practice as being in or out of network. Was I supposed to have asked the doctor what the manufacturer of his stethoscope was? Or the nurse of her blood pressure tool? I have tried calling Premier Cardiology about this several times, only to get the runaround - I was told that the office manager; Deidre would call me back but she never did. I never once demanded that they pay this bill for me, I simply wanted to try and understand how this could have been avoided. My health insurance claimed that the doctor should have told me to check if my insurance covered the provider of the heart monitor. I don't know whether this claim is correct or not because Premier Medical refuses to get back to me. This leaves me to believe that the practice's only concern regarding its patients is when they are sending money their way. And here I am stuck with a huge bill that, had I known it would be so egregiously large, I would have never consented to the treatment. The medical system is supposed to operate on the principle of informed consent. I was not informed properly by any of the parties involved despite my best efforts to contact Premier. Through this ordeal, I have had my time and efforts disrespected by Premier Medical Associates, and as such, I will not be returning.