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Tuesday, March 01, 2005

The little things that annoy you


Have you ever felt annoyed that the EOB (Explanation of Benefits) forms we get from the insurance company always use an entire sheet of paper, even if there's only one line of items on them? Not me. I have over 1 inch of these forms from last year bound together in a 3-ring binder. They are how you keep billing from getting out of hand.

Pretty much the only way to keep this stuff straight is by date, and by the "account number" you get assigned for each visit. It will be on the statement of services you get from the doctor, on the EOB, and ultimately on the bill.

Only our new insurance company puts multiple visits on a single page. I get different dates from different providers all mixed together. Now how am I supposed to file that? Do I file it with the bill from our personal physician for the visit when Linda went in for a blood test? Or do I file it with the bill for Linda's therapy at the hospital three weeks earlier?

Maybe I just take it to work and make a copy so I can file it with both. Great. Now, I have a paperwork nightmare (multiple copies of the same stuff) and no one saved a single scrap of paper. Insurance people are supposed to be professionals. If I could see the problem in 5 minutes, you'd think they could get it right.

As they say, it's the little things in life that matter.