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Where to turn for help when your insurance company doesn't pay

Delayed claims threatens patient's credit
Posted at 6:37 PM, Aug 24, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-24 18:37:17-04

After going through the surgery routine, the insurance claim and the run of the mill, 8 months later the patient feared for her credit over unpaid bills. Bills we found the insurance company should have paid. 

Seven months after hand surgery Sandy Kocab continues to make calls. She’s attempting to find out just when Blue Cross is going to pay her claims.

Multiple bills totaling thousands of dollars went unpaid and threatened to damage Kocab’s credit. One doctor sent her account to a collection agency.

After hearing Kocab’s story we relayed her claim issues to Blue Cross's corporate offices.

Then one of Florida's largest health insurers responded by paying a few of the outstanding bills.

During our interview at least two bills remained unpaid so we stood by as Kocab made one last call to Blue Cross. It was the first time since January she hung up with Blue Cross and felt relief.

On the phone Blue Cross blamed a coding error on the part of the doctor's office. A supervisor told Kocab they would process and pay the final bills immediately.

Kocab was unaware she could have filed a case with the Department of Financial Services who will mediate claim issues for Floridians dealing with slow to respond insurance companies.