Overcharging, Incorrect Codes, Telling me I'm late with payment when hadn't received a bill

Have you no shame....or do you not know what TCF is?

I had an incident on 21 May 2016. I paid the hospital bill there as asked, I was told I would be e-mailed the doc bill.

On 18 August (3 months later), I received an sms saying I had an outstanding amount that was overdue - news to me as I hadn't received the account.

I called immediately and asked for it to be e-mailed to me on the e-mail I submitted when I signed the forms at the hospital. It was mailed and I nearly fell off my chair at the amount I was charged for having saline poured into my eye after a foreign object got into my eye and badly irritated it. Also the code was not for an accident/foreign object falling into my eye, she'd coded conjunctivitis.....wrong!!!

At this point you should know I am in the industry and know all about codes and how doctors charge, so I know I was being over charged and questioned whether it was for an overdue account I hadn't ever received until 18th Aug. I received a response on 23rd Aug in which I was told that was the bill. You got to be joking right???

I did my own investigation and found for more serious things like broken bones (casting) and stitching the doctors rooms had charged the same and some cases less than what they were charging me....I'm no idiot unfortunately. I thus queried the over charge on something so minor and also requested the correct coding so I could claim from my Gap Casualty benefit as my medical aid does not have a benefit.

No response. I followed up on 9 Sept....no response again.

The next time I heard from anyone was sending me the bill again on 22 July 2018!!!!! After assuming it had been written off due to my queries.

You can't be serious. I again questioned the over charge and the coding and said it is now too late for me to pay, it's a stale claim and will not be processed. I received a new bill with an "oh sorry" with a less amount, but no answer as to why the hell I got this A YEAR AFTER I QUERIED!

WHY NOW MUST I PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR SOMEONES INCOMPETENCE????!!! WHEN I COULD HAVE PAID THE CLAIM BY CLAIMING FOR IT, SINCE I PAY TO HAVE THE BENEFIT.

Back and forth on 22nd July and then another bill being sent 10 Oct....STILL NO ANSWER TO MY QUERY. Again I asked for answers.....still nothing and then the bill again on 11 Dec.

I work in the industry, please don't treat me like someone who doesn't know how doctors work and doesn't know what codes and claim processes entail.

I want answers and I am also not paying for a bill you decided a year later was ok to resend me, when I asked for re-coding so I could claim and pay you, as well as questioning the overcharge on service received in Aug 2016