I just got a $250 bill for a doctor visit I had 7 months ago. I asked them what was going on, and they said:
Your insurance paid us in June 2024, but in January 2025, they took the payment back saying they couldn’t identify you. You’ll need to call your insurance.
The visit was in June 2024. I left my job in November, and my benefits ended on January 1.
How is this even possible? How do I call an insurance company I’m no longer with? What can I do to fix this?
Yeah, this can happen, and it’s frustrating. Insurance companies sometimes review past claims and pull back payments if they think there’s an issue. You should still call your old insurance provider. Even though you’re not a current member, they have records from when you were.
Your old insurance should still have all your records. Call them and explain what happened. It’s likely just a clerical error, like a wrong birthdate or a typo in your name. If that’s the case, they should be able to fix it, and the doctor will get paid again.
Insurance goes by the date of service, not whether you’re still covered now. Since you had coverage in June, they should process the claim correctly if there’s a mistake. This kind of thing happens because insurance companies review payments and sometimes take them back if they find an issue. If the problem is just a typo, it should be easy to fix. If they’re saying you weren’t covered, check if your benefits actually lasted through November. If they didn’t, it could be a bigger problem.