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is this normal?
With my insurance plan, the copay for office visits is $30. The chiropractor's office I've gone to the last few years always charges me $30, because that is my co-pay. (I pay right away, before leaving). The amount they charge for the services is over $30. However, the allowable/negotiated amounts for the services I've received has always been closer to $20, as shown on my insurance's Explanation of Benefits forms.
Last year, I brought the EOB form with me and pointed out that I had overpaid the previous times, and that I therefore should have credit on my account. Due to this, they didn't charge me for that visit. But for the 2 visits earlier this year, they again charged me $30 each time. I'm sure if I pointed it out again, they'd give me a refund, but they don't do so automatically. I wonder if they are doing this knowingly with all their patients, and whether it could be considered fraud.
Is it normal for a doctor's office to charge you your co-pay amount, and to not automatically send you a refund if the allowed charge ends up being less than the co-pay?
Last year, I brought the EOB form with me and pointed out that I had overpaid the previous times, and that I therefore should have credit on my account. Due to this, they didn't charge me for that visit. But for the 2 visits earlier this year, they again charged me $30 each time. I'm sure if I pointed it out again, they'd give me a refund, but they don't do so automatically. I wonder if they are doing this knowingly with all their patients, and whether it could be considered fraud.
Is it normal for a doctor's office to charge you your co-pay amount, and to not automatically send you a refund if the allowed charge ends up being less than the co-pay?
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I had an issue like that with my doctor's office when I was in Americorps. I had to have the insurance company call them several times to explain that since they had agreed to be in a certain network, they couldn't charge more than a certain amount for a doctor's visit, no matter what the copay was. I'd pay my co-pay. The insurance would pay up to the allowed amount and list the remainder as "network provider discount," meaning the doctor had to provide a discount for in-network work, and the doctor's office manager (his wife) would try to bully me into paying it.
In general, I really liked that doctor, except for that one part. I was sad I couldn't afford him anymore after the insurance was done at the end of my service.