I really need some advice on this. My primary insurance at the time was United Healthcare, and my secondary was Tricare (which is always secondary by law). But the clinic listed Tricare as my primary, so UHC refused to cover the bill.
I was 19 when this happened, and my mom was the one getting all the emails and bills, so I didn’t know about it until recently. Since I was over 18 at the time, I’m the one who’s responsible for paying.
The bill is from 2023, and I haven’t had UHC for over a year now. Plus, it’s already in collections, so I don’t know if contacting the clinic will help at this point.
Is there anything I can do to get UHC to cover this, or am I stuck paying it? I’d really appreciate any advice. Thanks.
You should call UHC and explain the mistake. If they never got billed at all, they might not pay since too much time has passed. But if they denied it because of the Tricare mix-up, you might have a chance.
Also, Tricare might be able to reconsider if UHC pays first. Definitely worth making a few calls.
Call UHC ASAP. Tell them they should have been the primary insurer and that Tricare was listed incorrectly. Some plans have a longer window for fixing coordination of benefits mistakes, so they might still pay.
Also, if the clinic made the mistake, you might be able to push back on them to fix it. It’s worth a shot.
This is a tough situation, but first, find out if UHC was ever actually billed. If they were and denied it because Tricare was listed first, you might be able to appeal. If they were never billed, then they’ll probably say it’s too late.
Unfortunately, it’s up to you to make sure clinics bill the right insurance. Going forward, always check your Explanation of Benefits (EOB) on your insurance portal to catch mistakes early. I’d also make sure you, not your mom, get any billing info directly from now on.
Since it’s already in collections, the insurance companies likely won’t process it anymore. They usually only take claims within a set time limit (often around two years).
At this point, you might have to negotiate with the collections agency. Sometimes they’ll accept a lower payment if you offer a lump sum. It’s worth calling to see what they’ll take.
Try asking the clinic for a copy of the insurance form your mom filled out. If she accidentally listed Tricare as primary, UHC probably won’t pay at this point. But if she listed UHC correctly and the clinic messed up, you might be able to get them to fix it.
Tell them that since it was their mistake, they need to sort it out with insurance before expecting you to pay.