
According to the Medical Advocates of America 8 out of 10 bills are wrong. Here are the kinds of errors to look for.
Mismatches: These are drugs that appeared on the medical bill, even though they weren't listed in the medical records.
Double charges: An example would be charging for two "first" hours in the recovery room.
Inflated charges: One bill studied had a charge of $119 for a postoperative support bra found on the Internet for $19 -- a tenth of the cost.
Billing for things that ought to be included: That's like paying for the value meal and also being charged separately for the sides.
Misplaced decimals: ABC News saw one bill that read $874 for an $87.40 medication, for example.
Fat fingers: These are extra line items caused by clerical clumsiness. A medication might be listed seven times in a row, even though it's only supposed to be given four times a day.
Watch for these common mistakes to avoid your own overcharges. There are also medical billing advocates out there that will help you decipher your medical bills for a price. They usually work for $60 to $175, or they work on a contingency basis, earning a commission of 15 percent to 35 percent of the amount they save you. These advocates also go by the title of claims assistance professional, medical claims professional or health care claims advocate. Keep in mind, it's mostly phone work, so they don't have to be in your same city, so shop around.
Source: abcnews.com