OLATHE, Kan. -- Cable, internet, and phone bills are all detailed, but medical billing provided to patients isn't always precise. If you don't ask questions you may pay a price.
When it comes to billing, you may rely on your doctor or pharmacy to get it right. However, you share some responsibility.
Robert and Joan Parmenter keep track of their pills, but it's hard keeping track of their bills.
"We don't get any statements from the insurance companies saying what prescriptions are paid out," Joan said.
This retired couple relies on the pharmacy to get the billing right. They have two insurance policies and a co-pay. When they started using the Target pharmacy in Olathe, they thought their co-pay was high. However, they never questioned it.
"I guess naively we just assumed they knew what they were doing," Joan said.
The couple thought Target was billing both their primary and secondary insurance. They figured out that wasn't happening when they complained to a neighbor who happens to be a pharmacist. Joan says her secondary insurance gave her a refund for a year's worth of overpaid prescriptions. Joan called for action, frustrated that Target won't kick in the other $1800.
"They thought we should have known what our insurance companies cover and that it was between us and the insurance company," Joan said.
For privacy reasons, Target won't say much about this case. It apologized that Joan is dissatisfied, but says it took care of the problem.
Joan says the only thing Target did was send her itemized billing statements.
"We're both retired and living on a fixed income and obviously with the economy being the way it is, $1800 is a lot of money," Joan said.
The couple says even after they alerted Target to this double billing problem, the bills have still been wrong. Target continues to tell us they have taken care of the issue. It's an issue Joan Parmenter is now taking up with the Kansas Board of Pharmacy.
But this shows you why you need to watch the billing. Many insurance companies have an online tool that tells you the projected cost for medicine and doctors visits.
