Update on additional bills for preventative annual check up

Several days ago, I posted about my experience receiving an additional regular office visit bill for a preventative annual check-up visit: Link to Reddit post

After filing a complaint with the provider, I received their response and resolution today. They said:

“As long as I mention any prior conditions during the annual preventative check-up, whether it is current or not, the doctor can bill it as a regular office visit if they discuss it with me or give me suggestions.” This means there is no such thing as “providing medical history”; if you only want the preventative check-up, you must keep silent to avoid being billed more than expected.

The provider agreed to waive my portion of the regular office visit bill and any associated lab bills (my insurance already paid 90% of these bills, so they waived my 10% responsibility). However, this response infuriates me. In my previous annual check-ups, mentioning prior conditions never resulted in an additional bill. The provider stated they cannot comment on other doctors’ practices but have the right to bill me if the doctor discusses my prior conditions.

This is a harsh lesson learned. I will be extremely cautious in my future annual check-ups. I’m sharing my experience to warn others who don’t want to receive additional bills from preventative care visits.

The healthcare system is deeply flawed: doctors and hospitals will exploit every possible way to squeeze money from you.