Grrr... my RE had my blood type tested

[mom2fussy]

Apparently last month when I had a bunch of blood work done, my RE also had them check my blood type. I signed a number of papers that day, but I don't remember seeing one referencing blood typing.

Now my insurance won't pay for it & the lab says I owe them $75. I know my blood type - that test was totally unnecessary. Shouldn't that info have been in my file anyway?

I went through all this when I had DS. They checked my blood type before he was born, then the hospital tested me while I was there after his birth (unknown to me at the time) - despite me pre-registering with them, using the same ob/gyn as I'd had the original testing done with, etc. When all was said & done, we had to pay out of pocket for that one too.

Does anyone have any good suggestions on how to fight this or what else I can do? I'm just really annoyed right now that the dr would have such a basic test performed when that info should be pretty standard in my file or they could have just *asked* me or something.

[karmab]

you could ask them if they were looking for specific antibodies. they might have been looking for more than just your "type."

[HulaJenn]

Ask to see the forms you signed again to ensure there wasn't anything about the blood typing and then point it out to them....they can't argue that.

[lifeguard]

$75?!!! We tested our blood test in high school with a finger prick & something like litmus paper - no way that cost $75. I definitely do more follow up with them & find exactly what they tested.

[newmommy7-08]

They probably did the typing that also does the RH factor. That's been standard everytime I've gone to the RE and my first prenatal appt.

[mom2fussy]

Originally Posted by newmommy7-08

They probably did the typing that also does the RH factor. That's been standard everytime I've gone to the RE and my first prenatal appt.

Yes, that's what they did. It's listed on the bill as ABO typing & rH factor. Almost 4 years ago when I had DS, the hospital's lab charged $45 for the same thing. That was still annoying but a little more reasonable.

[mom2fussy]

Originally Posted by HulaJenn

Ask to see the forms you signed again to ensure there wasn't anything about the blood typing and then point it out to them....they can't argue that.

Good idea!
But with my luck, maybe one of the things listed on the form was some medical term that covered 5 different tests at one time & I just didn't understand what all it meant or something!

[MNHall]

I often get things back from insurance saying they won't cover it. You're right, it was silly for them to have tested it, but since they did, if you call the doctor's office and tell them the code they used was not covered and ask that they change it to something that is covered...you can probably get it covered in the end.

For example, if they coded it just as, "blood typing" your insurance may not cover that. It could be under just yearly well visit type of stuff...and insurance doesn't cover blood typing under yearly well visit stuff. But if there's a "blood typing for TTC related issues" they may cover that. It just needs to be coded correctly in order to be covered.

I've run into many many situations like that both pregnancy related and kid related. My pedi suspected an autoimmune difficiency in my kids, so she had blood work done. It was just charted as regular blood work for a well visit...insurance said no way, not necessary for a 4 month old and 2 year old. So, when I called, I made sure that they knew this was blood work that was requested by the doctor for a suspected issue, so the insurance people in the office changed the coding to something else. Something that was more descriptive as to WHY the blood test was done....insurance covered it. Insurance just didn't have the proper info to know that it was something okay'd and wanted by the doctor for a good reason.

Hopefully that made sense...basically, call the insurance department at your doctor. Explain to them that a charge is not being covered, but that your doctor requested it (even though yes, it was silly because it's not like your blood type changes...but honestly, all 4 of my pregnancies, they've tested my blood type...so silly..but it's always been covered under pregnancy blood work). Anyway, tell them you'd like them to code it different so it will be covered. Make sure you're nice! I know it's silly, but when you get someone on the phone, if you are super nice, they are 99% of the time willing to figure things out. If you start the phone call with additude, they give it right back! They often deal with jerks, so they know how to dish it right back!

Oh, and every once in a while, they will have to recode it AGAIN....depends on how much digging for the right code the insurance people at the doctor's office will do!

HTH!