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paying health bills confidentially
So I am 20 years old, and on my parents' health insurance. I went to get tested for STD's at my university's health center, as I am sexually active. How it works is the university sends you the bill, which you are supposed to make a copy of. One copy you send to the university with your payment, and the other you send to your insurance so they can reimburse you.
My problem is that before I always sent it to my mom, and she took care of everything for me. But my bill clearly states that I have gotten tested for HIV, Chlamydia, etc, etc. I don't want my mom seeing this. I discussed with her today how to pay bills with the insurance and stuff, and she told me I need a password in order to send the bill to insurance. She won't really give it to me because she is now extremely suspicious that something is going on. What do I do? For this bill I guess I can just pay it without insurance, its not too expensive, but what if something else like this happens again? I want my health stuff to be kept private from the rest of my family. Is there anything I can do?
Thank you
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You're 20 years old, and a sexually active adult who is being _responsible_.
It's about time you got over your hesitancy about sex with your parents and treated things like this as a routine part of being a responsible adult.
If you want your privacy that badly just pay it and call your insurance agent to discuss being able to submit your own payments and bills on your own. But you really shouldn't be hiding something like this as if you're doing something wrong or inappropriate.
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I just paid for mine myself, until I was old enough that I had my own health insurance.
There are other approaches: Tell your mother it was routine. Look for coverage through your school in your own name. Call your insurance company and talk to them about how to add yourself as a payee.
In the end though, if you can afford to pay for it yourself, that is likely the simpliest solution for the next few years.
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I'm older than dirt as well. :)
I've also worked in the health field. While your medical records and what you discuss with your doctor is confidential, insurance is a whole other thing.
By law THEY (the clinic) have to give detailed info on services provided to the insurance company. This is to prevent insurance companies from paying for things you didn't get. It is also so the patient can see it and know they are only paying for services provided by the doctors.
The billing for insurance goes to the person who is paying for it. If that is your parents they will get the detailed statement. That is the law.
Now your parents can call the clinic and they will not give them info about your visit or any test results. But they know what you were tested for. Its a catch 22 thing.
Since you are 20, you might want to call the insurance company and discuss getting an insurance card in your own name. Where billing for your medical services come directly to you.
I don't know for sure if this will work, but you might give it a try.
For this visit, to be on the safe side, I'd pay it myself. You are 20 years old though and you can always tell your mother it was a routine check up and something the clinic checks as part of the exam.
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Hi, I'm old enough to be your grandfather and I answer questions on this site because of questions just like yours. I try to supply the correct and most truthful answers I can to questions.
First: I have never heard of an Insurance company requiring a password, other than on their websites, in order to have a claim paid. It is my feeling that your mother is telling you this so that she has some control and have insight into you medical claims.
Second: By law since you were 13 years old you have been entitled to medical confidentiality. Meaning you have the right to consult with a doctor and be treated by a doctor without your mothers knowledge or in most cases consent. Since you are now an adult in the eyes of any state your mother has no right to interfere or have knowledge of any of your medical exams or procedures. To be blunt your mother is being nosey.
On the back of your insurance card there should be a customer care or some type of customer service contact number. Call them and ask them how and where to send your claim for reimbursement. They may tell you that you need to go to their website to down load the claim form.
At this point ask them how to do that. If they tell you that you need the subscribers password, this is when you tell them that your mother won't release it and that she is intruding on your medical confidentiality. If they refuse to send you any claim forms ask to speak to a supervisor. Tell the supervisor the same thing. At the very least ask where to send the claim.
There is such a thing as a universal claim form which the school clinic should have a copy of or you can find on the web. If you cannot get the insurance companies cooperation; file your claim using the universal claim form.
Your mother is not breaking any law by refusing to allow you to file your own claims. The law protects you from any doctor or medical practitioner including Paramedic's and EMTs, releasing any information to her. By allowing her or her forcing you to allow her to process any claim for medical services you are in a sense giving her permission to have knowledge of your medical procedures. This is possibly where she could be running afoul of the law. The law I am speaking of is called HIPPA.
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I would go to the university where you got tested and explain to them that you are on your mom's health insurance but do not want to her to have all of your personal information given to her such as the test's you received. if they can have them send a bill that will not reflect the services given, which will allow you tell your mom whatever you want. If it dous not work and they refuse to do this then talk to your mom and let her know that you appreciate her for allowing you to be on her insurance, but you would like to take on the responsibility of submitting your own medical claims, since later on you will have to do this anyway's when you get your own insurance, and ask her to give you the information you need to submit these things. It may be to late for the series of tests that were already given but if she ask's why you had them, let her know that some of these STD's can be contradicted in many different way's and that it is always better to be safe then sorry. Educate her on how some of these dieases are contracted aside from sexual contact and explain that the tests are a series of tests that are done together and that it would cost more for individual tests to be conducted so you opted to just he have the entire screening done. If you are in the medical field, you would need to get these things done anyway's.
The last option is to contact the insurance company that your mom uses. Ask them to give you your own card and password and ask them how you can sumbit your medical claims. Also ask them what you asked us and voice your concerns about confidentiality and see what they can do for you. I hope this helps.
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Honestly,. You should just be honest with your mom. Explain that your an adult and your being safe by being tested. Your being a responsible adult. Explain that you would like the password so that you can continue to be the responsible adult that you are.
Hope this helps:)
^Jasmine!*
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