I’m just back from another attempt at jogging 3.5 miles. Let’s just say that I really didn’t mind being delayed by red lights! But my time was down by a few seconds from Monday, so there’s some hope.
A friendly voice at my HMO
We got a slightly odd “Explanation of Benefits” from our HMO a few days ago, declaring that the provider of a routine test was “out of network” and that the cost would, therefore, be applied to our deductible instead of having the test paid for. When I called the lab, they said that they handled this particular test for Unilab, who I know all too well is covered by the HMO, and so this should be covered, too.
So I tried last night at 4:30pm Pacific and got a recording telling me that they close at 7pm Eastern. This afternoon, I was working at home and had the paperwork in hand, so I called again, and, after fighting my way through the VRU menus, eventually found myself speaking with Christine.
I explained the situation, and she said she’d submit the bill for reevaluation as “in network”, which would mean that the HMO would pay the whole bill. Since she was so helpful, I decided to ask her how I could submit the bills from my adventure in Montréal. She went away for a while, then said that emergency treatment out of the country was usually considered “in network” and would probably be reimbursed, and that, rather than try to fit my situation into the forms, I should just fax her the bills with a cover letter. So I am.
And with any luck, I’ll get a check (or should that be “cheque”?) in a month or so.