I received a bill from Natera today. This is for the research study I participated in post kidney transplant at UCLA. For almost three years, I had blood drawn quarterly at home for early detection of any signs of kidney rejection. This was all covered under Medicare.
After my Medicare coverage ended, Natera or UCLA wanted one more test. I was told by my rep at Natera that this would be covered by my work insurance. Even if it was not covered, Natera will cover the cost. Well, the bill I received was for $50. The original charge was $1,591 and my work insurance paid $1,541, leaving me with a $50 bill. The amount is low, so I am fine with paying it, but I am frustrated with all the billing bureaucracy and surprise billing.
Why does it cost so much to do a blood test, even if it is specialized? I received another bill from Quest for lab tests. This was denied in error by my insurance, so I was billed $1,327 for a few blood tests. Since I have a lot of doctor visits and tests, I have many wrongfully denied claims which leads to many bills from providers. It is such a timer suck to deal with all this.
Life with chronic diseases 