Health Insurance Tips
Helping You Take Charge of Your Medical Bills
Health insurance can be overwhelming and confusing, especially when you’re staring at a medical bill, unsure if it was processed correctly. Unfortunately, many billing departments count on that confusion, sometimes overcharging patients who don’t know the rules. It’s frustrating to think that people end up paying more than they should—often out of fear of collections or being denied future service.
For over five years, while building Healing Hands of Estacio, I also worked in the medical field, handling denied insurance claims for providers and facilities. My job was to get those claims paid, but I quickly realized that not every denied claim was the patient’s responsibility. In fact, many times, a claim should have been covered by insurance but was incorrectly processed, leaving patients with unnecessary bills. While my role was to help providers receive payment, my personal mission was to make sure patients weren’t paying more than they truly owed.
That’s why I created this Health Insurance Tip Section—to share what I’ve learned and help you understand your rights when it comes to medical billing. Mistakes happen all the time, and some billing offices use scare tactics to pressure patients into paying bills they might not even owe. You should never feel pressured or misled when it comes to your healthcare costs.
On this page, you’ll find real-life billing scenarios and guidance on how to make sure your bills are correct. If you ever have a question or a situation not covered here, I’m happy to help! Feel free to call or text me directly at 774-930-5920, and I’ll do my best to guide you through it.
You deserve to know your rights—let’s make sure you’re not overpaying for your healthcare! 💙
🔽 Below are topics and scenarios you may relate to. Simply click on the one that interests you, and it will take you to that section.
If I have 2 insurance policies (for example Blue Cross Blue Shield and United Healthcare), should I pay a co-pay at the doctor's office?
The answer is NO!!!! Your doctor's office should not ask for a copayment upfront? 🚫💰
Here’s why: When you have dual coverage, any copay, deductible, or balance should first be submitted to your secondary insurance for processing. Only after both insurances have reviewed the claim and determined if there’s any remaining patient responsibility should you be billed.
If you're ever asked to pay a copay at the time of your visit, kindly remind the front desk that you have two insurance policies and that all balances should be processed through your secondary insurance first. ✅
Stay informed, and don’t pay more than you need to! 💙
I'm struggling to make my monthly payments because they were set too high, what can I do?
If you ever receive a medical bill and need to set up a payment plan, remember—you are in control of how much you pay each month, not the billing representative. They may push for the full balance to be paid within 12 months, but the truth is, you do not have to agree to their suggested amount.
As long as you are making consistent monthly payments, they cannot tell you it’s not enough or force you to pay more. Whether you can afford $5, $10, or $20 a month, that’s what you pay—and they cannot harass or threaten you over it.
🚨 Important Facts:
✅ Your bill cannot be sent to collections if you are making monthly
payments—even if it’s just $5.
✅ If they do send it to collections, it will not affect your credit score.
✅ Many billing offices use scare tactics to pressure patients into paying more than
they can afford—this is misleading and considered fraudulent billing.
💙 Know your rights and don’t let these tactics intimidate you! If you
ever feel pressured, stand your ground and pay what works for your
budget.
They are threating to send my claim(s) to collections, will it hurt my credit score?
If you’ve received a threatening notice about your medical bill being sent to collections, don’t panic! Here’s what you need to know:
✔ Set Up a Payment Plan That Works for You – If you haven’t been making payments, call the billing department of the facility where you were treated and set up a plan based on what you can afford. Even if you can only pay $5 a month, they cannot send your bill to collections or demand a higher amount from you.
✔ Already Making Payments? They Can’t Send It to Collections! – If you’ve been making monthly payments and still received a collections notice, call the billing department immediately and request that the account be removed from collections—you are actively paying, and they cannot penalize you for that.
✔ Ask About Financial Assistance – If making payments is truly not possible, ask to speak with a manager in the billing or patient financial services department. Many organizations offer financial assistance programs, extended payment plans, or even bill reductions, and in some cases, balances can be completely adjusted off.
✔ Collections Does NOT Affect Your Credit Score – This is one of the biggest scare tactics billing offices use to pressure people into paying. Medical bills in collections do NOT impact your credit score, no matter what they say. Don't let fear push you into overpaying or agreeing to an unaffordable plan.
💙 You have rights—don’t let them scare you into paying more than you should!
They are threating to send my claim(s) to collections, will it hurt my credit score?
The answer is NO!!!! Your doctor's office should not ask for a copayment upfront? 🚫💰
Here’s why: When you have dual coverage, any copay, deductible, or balance should first be submitted to your secondary insurance for processing. Only after both insurances have reviewed the claim and determined if there’s any remaining patient responsibility should you be billed.
If you're ever asked to pay a copay at the time of your visit, kindly remind the front desk that you have two insurance policies and that all balances should be processed through your secondary insurance first. ✅
Stay informed, and don’t pay more than you need to! 💙