Surprise bill for "pathology"?

[AnxietyDisord3r]

Go ahead and move if this is the wrong board for this, but ...

After signing a lot of paperwork and paying a lot of bills for top surgery in South Florida with Dr. Garramone, I've just gotten a $270 bill for "pathology" because apparently they tested tissue samples from my mastectomy. I had a 100% normal mammogram prior to surgery, which was elective and for GD alone. The hospital said nothing that I recall about taking samples or getting charged for it. What is this? Am I going to keep getting surprise mystery bills? I'm literally out of work right now recovering. Has this happened to anybody else?

[Peep]

I would maybe contact the hospital - they do make mistakes sometimes...

[Dena]

This is belt and suspenders medicine. The doctor wants to be sure there is no possibility of cancer or other issues in the tissue. Often this is done with tissue removed in surgery to make sure there is nothing unexpected. I suggest you pay the bill and don't worry about it.

As for other bills, often doctors don't work under the hospital and are independent operators. With my voice surgery I was surprised by a bill for $1000 for the anesthesiologist.

[AnxietyDisord3r]

I just wish they had been upfront because I was saving up money for months. You are correct, Dena, they said it was a malpractice issue if they didn't test the tissue.

[FTMax]

Yep, every surgery I've had so far has had a pathology line item. Honestly, better safe than sorry there. My uterus and friends came out looking really rough (they gave me pics), and I was calling every day after the fact waiting for the pathology report to come back. Thankfully they found nothing wrong with it, but still. Glad to know they require the testing.

I would get in touch with Garramone's office and let him know that you felt a bit deceived about this bill not being included in your costs and how long you had been saving. Best case scenario, his office takes care of it for you. Worst case scenario, they don't but they start making a note about it in the new patient paperwork so other guys aren't surprised by it.

[AnxietyDisord3r]

I did call, and they should put it on new patient paperwork, but instead the office lady wheedled about how the bill used to be a lot worse. Great? I would have had no angst if it had been told to me up front.

[AnxietyDisord3r]

My wife is a badass. She got our insurance company to pick up the pathology bill even though they don't cover the surgery. Mwahahahah.

I had to evil laugh just now but it's a preventative measure so they should cover it by rights and apparently there was nothing bad found because I haven't gotten any scary phone calls.