conversation: User (champezius): "I recently have been trying to fight a medical bill... Here’s what happened. I went in for a routine physical. During the exam I mentioned wanting to get on a particular prescription, the doctor determined that it wasn’t yet needed. I also mentioned that I had been sweating profusely and would randomly wake up from sleep drenched. Routine bloodwork was ordered and the doctor noted that we should follow up in a few months if the sweating symptoms continued (to determine if it's anything serious). Things seemed to get better so I never scheduled another visit. My doctor emailed me and said that all the blood tests came back fine; there was nothing that indicated that any serious condition. \n&amp;nbsp;\n\nSo then a few weeks later I get a bill about this visit. I’m billed for a normal routine with xrays and blood work but then there is a separate billing code for the night sweating. When I called the doctor’s office they said that because the doctor had to formally look into this, the visit had fallen outside of what’s considered "normal" or "routine". Similarly my insurance company failed to pay on this given that my plan only covers routine visits (I have a high deductible plan so I am supposed to be liable for this cost). I’m considering filing an appeal with the insurance company but I don’t know if it would be of any use. I can't think of an argument around it. \n&amp;nbsp;\n\nDo I have any other options? I just don’t think it’s fair because the doctor was literally asking me after the exam, ‘Are you sure there’s nothing else going on?’ So of course I racked my mind trying to think of anything abnormal – and then I thought ‘Oh the sweating.’ If I had known this would have been something I had to pay out of pocket for then I wouldn’t have mentioned it at all. I’m a poor grad student so I don’t really have the financial means to scope out and pay for unnecessary medical expenses. I just wish the doctor or the office would have told me beforehand that mentioning anything outside of the normal would potentially cost me. \n&amp;nbsp;\n\nWhen I called to dispute how the visit was billed, I was told there was no way to do so because I’d already received the service (the “diagnosis” of night sweating). Logically however, wouldn’t a diagnosis have to result in the affirmative to me to formally have the condition? It did not. Couldn’t this just have been speculation? I really don’t think the doctor did much aside from ask me some other questions and exam the bloodwork which she had ordered routinely anyways. \n&amp;nbsp;\n\nThe hospital where I saw the doctor sent my bill to an in-house collections agency which (I was told over the phone) does not report debts on my credit score. I’m still worried that if I wait too much longer that eventually it may end up on my credit somehow. I don’t think I should trust something some representative just told me. My good credit is the only way I can finance my graduate school with loans. I can’t afford to mess it up. \n&amp;nbsp;\n\nWhat would you do? Pay the bill and move on? Lesson learned. Or would you fight it and try and pursue another option? \n&amp;nbsp;\n\nAny advice is greatly appreciated. "
  Self: "Night sweats is associated with a number of communicable diseases such as tuberculosis (the classical board exam question).  Hate to say it but you opted for the high deductible policy and traded off lower costs for the higher deductible.  Pay it, as with the response you gave the doctor had to follow-up as drug resistant TB is making a comeback and if an otherwise healthy patient (who is not a female entering menopause) mentioned night sweats, I would do a workup as well as it needs investigation."
  User (champezius): "Fair point. Thank you. "
  Self: "Look at the itemized bill and see if there is a line item for “AFB” or “acid fast bacteria” screen, that is TB testing."
  