As the result of a bike accident last year we had a chance to experience first hand the crazy world of medical billing and reimbursement.
Since then we have been following with greater attention the series of articles in the New York Times that try to explain why things cost so much in this country.
A good friend recently suggested that we check out a website that tells you whether what you are being charged is within the typical range of healthcare costs in your area.
The site is called Fair Health. It was set up as part of a settlement with insurance companies who were using artificially low “usual and customary” rates to limit reimbursement for out of network medical costs.
On that site, if you enter the CPT code and the zip code of the doctor or facility, you can see what the average fee is in that area.
Check it out next time you are looking at a doctor’s statement. Or the next time your insurance company sends you a statement which limits how much you get reimbursed on the grounds that your doctor’s fees are more than they pay for.