Navigating the mountain of medical correspondence and bills is one of the most stressful parts of receiving care. Melody Mulaik breaks down the top five most confusing medical billing issues and gives you a clear, actionable plan to validate every charge, so you only pay what you truly owe.

Learn the critical difference between the communication that says "This is not a bill" and the final statement that requests payment. Most importantly, Melody provides the one non-negotiable step you must take with your insurance company before making that payment.

Featured Topics:

• Validating Your Bill: The essential first step is to log in to your insurance company's website to review the Explanation of Benefits (EOB) and confirm your patient's responsibility before paying any medical bill.
• Handling Unsubmitted Claims: If you receive a bill but the claim isn't showing up on your insurance company's website, call the provider's billing office and ask them to resubmit the bill.
• The Timely Filing Rule: If you get a bill months after a procedure, check your EOB to see if the insurance company denied the claim due to the provider missing the "timely filing" deadline; if they did, you are not obligated to pay it.

In this episode, Melody discusses:

• [00:00] The stress of medical correspondence and why providers communicate with you.
• [01:06] What to do with the initial "This is not a bill" statement.
• [01:54] The non-negotiable step to take once you receive a bill—checking your insurance claim.
• [04:36] Action plan: What to do if your provider failed to submit the bill to your insurance.
• [07:11] Why do you receive multiple bills for a single ER visit?
• [10:43] The "Timely Filing" rule: Do you have to pay a bill received months later?.
• [13:08] Detailed breakdown: How to read your Explanation of Benefits (EOB) to find your exact responsibility.

Want to Ask Melody? Visit: https://melodymulaik.com/ASK Don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss an episode. If you've ever tried to get an urgent appointment with your doctor and were told they have no availability, this episode is a must-listen.

Take Your Healthcare Advocacy Further

Navigating the healthcare system doesn't have to be a solo journey. For deeper dives into the topics we discuss on the show, plus exclusive "insider" tips delivered straight to your feed, subscribe to Take Care Newsletter.

• Subscribe to the Take Care Newsletter
• Connect With Melody on LinkedIn
• Got a Healthcare Question? Ask Melody Now.