Is it legal to accept money from doctor after insurances pay

by Hughes » Wed Jan 14, 2009 03:41 am
Posts: 5
Joined: 14 Jan 2009

Hello,

I have a question about double dipping in Arizona. I was in a care accident what was not my fault, in fact the man that hit me took total blame for everything. I just settled with his insurance company and most of that was sent to pay for my chiropractor and x-rays bills and the rest was sent to me. I also used $5000 on my insurance's med-pay that was paid during the treatment until it ran out. I did not know about double dipping until a front deks lady at the chiropractor's office confidently called me and told me that I should $5000 check coming my way from the chiropractor. She called because she told me that if people don't know about this law then he will double bill and then just pocket the extra money and she wanted me to get my money because it was such a large amount. So I'm pretty sure that Arizona does allow double dipping, I talked to a previous insurance adjustor and he confirmed this. My question is do I need to go to the chiropractor and get this money from him, or should I call my insurance company and see if they will cancel the original $5000 and then send the check to me? (The later option is what my insurance adjustor friend recommended should be done) Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

Total Comments: 16

Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 07:05 am Post Subject:

Hi Hughes!!

I'm bit confused with the whole narration....

The chiropractor's office wants to return some $$ to you so that you don't enjoy double dipping :shock: Sorry, but this is not clear to me.

You are double billing against whom??

Check your policy document to see what is written about the subrrogation right of the medpay provider. Has you been asked by the your insurer to return the amount they have paid towards the medical bills?

Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 10:41 am Post Subject:

Hi Marion,

You are double billing against whom??


I guess the front-desk lady simply meant that the chiropractor could charge twice for the treatments in case the OP wouldn't know about the law associated with double dipping. Am I right Hughes!

Roddick

Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 12:14 pm Post Subject:

My question is do I need to go to the chiropractor and get this money from him, or should I call my insurance company and see if they will cancel the original $5000 and then send the check to me? (The later option is what my insurance adjustor friend recommended should be done) Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

Alot of states allow double dipping of medpay by the insured NOT by the chiropractor...If it was me, I'd call the chiro's office, and ask if they were paid twice for their services..(which apparently they have been per the angel at the front desk)...I would then ask them if they have deposited this money...if so I am on my way to their office to pick up a check from them for 5k...any flak and I would tell them my next call is to the dept of insurance to report fraud...they will have that check ready and waiting...and i would then NEVER EVER in my life go to that crook, and i would tell anyone that would listen the same thing...then when it's all over with I would send (to her home) the poor front desk girl a thank you card with at least a 100 dollar gift card or something in it!

Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 12:24 pm Post Subject:

Alot of states allow double dipping of medpay by the insured NOT by the chiropractor...If it was me, I'd call the chiro's office, and ask if they were paid twice for their services..(which apparently they have been per the angel at the front desk)



This is excatly what has confused me...not often we come across such ethical choripractors. I was the opinion that they always try to skim out as much as they can. May be good people are still out there.

Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 12:52 pm Post Subject:

THIS chiropractor isn't ethical! He/She is attempting to rip off the OP and two different insurance companys! The chiro is keeping the double payment rather than willingly giving it back to the OP who is entitled to it..not the chiro.

Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 05:36 pm Post Subject:

Thank you Lori! After talking to several other people this is exactly what I've decided to do. I didn't think that this was okay for him to do, but until just a few days ago I had no idea that the insured could even do the double dipping. This is the first accident I have ever had and just didn't know. And from the way I understand from my "little angel" this has happened many times before and I'm considering turning him in.

To clear up some confusion. The chiropractor doesn't think that I know about the double payment and just plans to keep it. The front desk lady called me because she just couldn't sit by and let it happen again! And both my insurance and the person who hit me's insurance have closed my cases. So two different checks have been sent to the chiropractor, one for the amount of my med pay ($5000) and the other (from the person at fault's insurance) for the total amount of the bill (almost $7000). The chiropractor is very unethical and the more I talk to the front desk person, the more I find out about it and actually since looking into him through his board I've found out that he has had past complaints about his billing procedures.

Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 11:42 pm Post Subject: Update

I just wanted to thank everyone for their input and thanks again Lori for the great advice. I went to the chiropractor's office today and he gave me the money with no trouble at all. I'm sure he knew he owed to me and he said he was going to bring it by my house today, but I'm sure that was a bunch of bull! Thanks again for your help!

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 02:10 am Post Subject:

I went to the chiropractor's office today and he gave me the money with no trouble at all

yeah, I figured he'd cough that up in a hurry...you might (i would no question) reporting him to the governing body of his profession...chiro's like this are the very ones that have tainted the profession...just curious any chance he either 'referred' you to your attorney, or your attorney refer you to him?

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 11:28 pm Post Subject:

I actually didn't go through an attorney.

Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 12:55 am Post Subject:

I actually didn't go through an attorney.

good glad to hear it...just out of curiousity how did you happen to go to this chiro?

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