Expert: Ray A Miller - 12/5/2010

Question
I live in IL and was treated by a physician May 2009.  I had insurance through
my employer who would reimburse $750 of my $1000 deductible after I paid
the first $250.  My insurance was billed and applied $830 to my deductible.  
The physician's office did not send me a statement or notify me that I had a
balance due of $830 until over a year later, August 2010, at which time I had
now left that job and moved so could no longer get my employer to cover the
additional $580 as they would have had I received a statement and submitted
it to them before March 30,10.  I believe I should only owe my initial $250
which would have been the extent of my out of pocket since I was never made
aware that I owed anything to the physician's office for over a year.  Am I
correct or where do I stand?  And thank you for your time.

Answer
I am afraid you are not going to like my answer.  First I need to ask you a question, why did you not call the doctor's office and get a bill?  When you got your EOB from the insurance company, you knew they had paid.

Maybe if you explain the situation to the doctor's office they will work out a settlement with you.  Something caused the doctor's office not to send you a bill and that is what you need to find out from them.  

In the end, if they will not settle, I am afraid this is a situation where you may have to pay for someone else's mistake.