conversation: User (bai-jie): "I recently recieved a bill for about $1200 dollars from a doctors visit over 18 months ago claiming that this bill is overdue, that this was my fifth notice, and I was about to be sent to collections.  This is the first such letter I've received. \n\nLooking back on past bank statements I can see that I paid this doctors office about $250 right around that time.  I do not have a copy of the original bill from this office.  I called the office and they claim that my insurance paid the remaining balance of ~$1200 dollars only to rescind the payment the next day and that they (docs office)  have sent me four letters since that time.  \n\nThe original appointment was in March 2015, they claimed to have sent letters in September and October of 2015 and in August and September of this year. \n\nDo I have any recourse against this doctors office or am I screwed? If I call the insurance company what questions do I ask to get to the bottom of this?  Thanks all for your help.\n\nEDIT: This blew up!  Thanks everyone so much for your responses, I'm taking my time to read them all.  I'll contact the doc office and insurance tomorrow and try to get this worked out.  You are all the best!\n\nEDIT 2: Success!  After getting an online EOB from my insurance company, we found that this bill HAD been paid and was never rescinded.  It was a complete clerical error on the part of the doctors office.  You guys are truly the greatest.  Now does anyone have any advice on how to get back the hours of my life lost dealing with this?"
  Self: "&gt; Now does anyone have any advice on how to get back the hours of my life lost dealing with this?\n\nI'm convinced medical billing offices are staffed by incompetent chimpanzees since paying real employees with real salaries is really hard.  Obviously this is not the same for all medical offices, but I've got experiences in billing hell.  Document it to the best of your ability, then forget about it.  Stewing about why you had to spend hours of your life talking and this stuff with insurance and the bill originators is not valuable.  Instead, pour yourself a stiff drink and give a toast that you got out without damage this time.  "
  