Resting Easy Thanks to Bill Review

Expecting a Baby, Not a Bill

New parents spend months preparing to bring home their baby. From decorating the nursery to stocking up on diapers, most expenses can be planned throughout a pregnancy. As Abby Boorman learned, that’s not the case with labor and delivery costs.

Abby was happy to come home from the hospital with a healthy baby boy but less delighted by the medical bills that followed. She remembers peering at an itemized bill that showed dozens of surprising charges. In one case, the hospital charged over $500 to administer ibuprofen.

“I thought ‘my word, that’s completely unnecessary,” Abby said.

She knew some of the services listed didn’t match her memory, but she wasn’t sure how to dispute the charges. With an infant in her arms and limited time to argue, she decided to pay the balance and move on. But when she found out she’d be delivering another baby within a year, this mom immediately started thinking of ways to save.

Saving Time the Second Time Around

After her first experience in labor and delivery, Abby wanted to lower costs. So even as she went into labor, she kept a weather eye on the procedures and medications given by her provider so she could check them against her next bill. She even refused that ibuprofen. Even so, she knew she wouldn’t catch everything.

“When you’re in the hospital, you have so much to worry about and so much to go through,” Abby explained. “It’s hard to keep an eye on everything.”

When the bill for her daughter’s delivery came, Abby again noticed incorrect charges. This time, she was determined not to let them slide. As she juggled two children under a year, though, Abby wasn’t sure she’d have time to call and negotiate with the hospital. She decided to submit a bill review request to HealthJoy first.