I injured my right leg in March. The injury was at the insertion of the achilles tendon into the gastrocnemius muscle (calf muscle).in laymen's terms I "pulled a muscle". I went to an Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr Jana, at the Physicians Clinic to seek treatment. My leg was placed in a special boot which was designed to prevent my right foot from flexing to alleviate any stress on the injured area. Basically the boot immobilized my right foot and ankle. What I did not know at the time is that the boot had a heel lift inserted into it. This caused my right leg to be elevated significantly more than my left leg during walking creating undue stress on my back and resulting in back pain. I ordinarily wear a heel lift in my left shoe because my left leg is slightly shorter than my right leg. I removed the heel lift from the boot; the result was that I eliminated most of my back pain. The heel lift seemed to me to be a superflous addition which did not have anything to do with the function of the boot. When I received the notice about my claim from my insurance company I noted that they had denied a claim from Dr. Jana's Office for an "orthotic". Orthotics are commonly used to correct for problems of the feet-similar to arch supports but more sophisticated. I also wear orthotics; I know the difference between a heel lift and an orthotic. The claim was for $124. I received a bill from Dr. Jana's office for $124, saying in essence that my insurance company had denied their claim and that I was responsible. HOWEVER, I was billed $124 for a "heel lift" not an orthotic. I called Dr. Jana's office but they refused to credit me for the $124 and insisted that I had to pay the bill. I am filing complaints with the appropriate agencies - I was charged for a device that I did not need; Had I known the situation at the time I would have refused the device on the basis that is was improper and unecessary treatment. I was not told that I would have to pay for it. I assume that if it happened to me it has happened to a lot of other patients who might not be as knowledgeable about such matters. They essentially have been victimized by this questionable behavior. Further, I understand that there are those who put on seminars for business personnel in health care professional's offices on how to extract more money from insurance companies and patients by unethical billing practices. My admonition is to read your bills and insurance companies' correspondence very caefully. And raise questions and be ready to file complaints.
I am a health care professional... And I am irritated
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