Medicare and patient overbilled for bone density shot
Published: February 8, 2021 6:00 PM EST
Updated: February 8, 2021 9:17 PM EST
Karen Lawson was surprised when her doctor’s office told her she had a $500 charge for her bi-annual bone density shot. Lawson spent her life working in medical billing, so she considers herself pretty sharp when it comes to understanding her medical costs.
“It was my understanding that Medicare was going to cover it and I wouldn’t have a charge, but I needed the shot so I just went ahead and paid it,” she said.
But her instincts were spot on. When she opened up her explanation of benefits summary from Medicare and from her part D supplement plan, she discovered that Lee Health billed both parts of her plan and was actually paid twice for the shot.