I brought my pills to the hospital. When I was brought to my room, the nurse asked if I was taking any medication. I said yes, and told her I had brought it.
She took the bottle of pills and said the pharmacy had to examine it; she said I would be given them back in the morning when I normally take them.
The next morning, they were going to give me their blood pressure meds. I told the nurse they had my pills and that I was supposed to get them in the morning. She checked on it and came back later with my pills, which I took that morning and the next morning before I was discharged.
When I received my portion of the hospital bill after Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield had paid, it stated I owed $640.96. The itemized statement showed I was billed for their blood pressure medications, which I did not take.
When I questioned this, I was told to fill out a complaint form. Two weeks later, I got a letter from the auditors stating that the charges are accurate and I would have to pay for taking my own medication.
The charge for this was $32.50, of which the insurance paid $8.30 and I paid $23.90. The insurance company is not going to pursue the overcharge, so that is why I am writing you. I feel that I am owed a refund.
Streamwood ,Gerald Juggan,
Dear Gerald: When we got your letter, we thought: What’s next? Airlines charging for the sandwich we bring on board?
You told The Fixer that while this wasn’t a vast sum of money, you were still irked about paying twice for your medicine — once at home and again at the hospital.
We asked the folks at St. Alexius to look into it. They said the confusion originated because you didn’t have a doctor’s note stating that you could use your own medication at the hospital. You told us your doctor never mentioned this.
At any rate, they’ve agreed to refund your $23.90. A check should arrive in a couple of weeks.
Can you hear us now?
In past columns, The Fixer has advocated using social media to fix consumer problems, such as posting your complaint on a business’ Facebook page or messaging a company’s PR mavens through their corporate Twitter address.
Consumer Reports’ Money Adviser’s August issue adds corporate blogs and consumer websites to its list of ways to get a company’s attention.
High Blood Pressure
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