Emergency medi-cal started on wrong date, now dealing with bills?
I was admitted to an ER let's say on 7/15 at around 11PM. I applied for HPE (emergency medi-cal) since I did not have insurance (lost my job, then couldn't find work for a couple months in my field). I discharged around 2AM on 7/16. I want to say I didn't see the provider until 7/16 12:30 AM. I later received a physician's medical bill (I received staples for a laceration) for $1500 because my emergency medi-cal technically wasn't approved until 7/16 by the time the paperwork was submitted etc. So when the billing company runs the payment for 7/15, it says I don't have active Medi-cal, so I have to pay the cost. They said to call the hospital and to get them to change the date to 7/16 since my Medi-cal is active that date. I called the hospital and they said the hospital decided to cover the charge of my facility bill (they ate the cost) since it wasn't my fault that the paperwork was submitted the next day, but they are unable to change the date since 7/15 was the date I was admitted. They also said it was legal issue and can't change it in the system since my Medi-cal was technically granted 7/16. I am almost certain the staples I received, which is what I am being billed for on my physician's bill, didn't take place until 7/16. I called Medi-cal and they can't retro cover it unless I apply for full scale Medi-cal, but I was denied since I made over the maximum because during the job I had at the beginning of the year. I am still unemployed since I decided to go back to school. Is there any hope of arguing with the physician billing department and argue that the procedure didn't occur until 7/16 anyways and ask the hospital to provide me with my chart? Or what other ways can I get out of the physician bill? What's the point of emergency medi-cal if it's not going to work for technicalities????????? Can the hospital actually change the date or why can't the physician's office just bill for 7/16???? I am barely getting by since I'm doing school full-time. Please help.
I'm 26 female living in CA.
submitted by /u/Somewhere_Away
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