What to do when billing code doesn’t seem to match appointment?
Hi there, this is my first reddit post so I hope I’ve come to the right place. I was hoping for advice on getting an appointment recoded for insurance because I don’t know what to do next. Here’s the situation:
Before the appointment: I messaged my doctor through MyChart to ask if I needed to make an appointment to get birth control pills prescribed. She told me yes, so I booked a video visit.
During the visit: During the video visit, she asked if I get migraines with aura, because it means birth controls with estrogen have extra risk. I told her I do. I did not ask for or receive consultation on migraine treatment. We wrapped up the call and she prescribed me progestin only pills.
After the visit: My after-visit summary notes mention birth control and migraine with aura. The detailed notes specify that the discussion of migraines pertained to avoiding estrogen.
My medical bill is coded as an office visit, rather than birth control consultation or preventive care, and my claim (I have a Cigna HDHP) is $258. Meanwhile, coverage documents for my Cigna plan specify that Women’s Family Planning Services, including birth control consultation, are supposed to be covered 100%.
I called the doctor’s billing support line and they tell me it was coded as an office visit because “multiple issues were discussed” and that the other issue was migraines. I tell them that we only discussed this as it relates to birth control. They tell me that they’ll send it for a coding review, and to contact the doctor to get this clarified in the appointment notes.
The coding review has apparently been completed, and I am still being charged $258 for an office visit. I never heard back from my doctor regarding changing the notes.
So my question is, what can I do now? Am I stuck paying $258 just to be prescribed birth control? Who can I contact and what information do I need to have? I’m feeling frustrated and confused. Any advice would be appreciated.