[patrisha]

Tobeafamily was right. If the hospital bill was covered under Medicare/Medicaid, then so should be the anesthesiologist if he was required by your physician. I have gone round and round with providers on this point and not lost in the end yet.

In fact, if your doctor chose the anesthesiologist, then it was his responsibility to make sure he was in the elgible network. They cannot come to you in the 11th hour and tell you will be charged! Any agreement you made would be classified as "under duress" and not binding anyway.

Write a letter to the collection agency giving them your coverage information and tell them the charges must be submitted to the plan that covered you. Be aggressive and demand that they remove this bill from collections immediately. Send that letter registered mail, and copy it to the California State Medicaid/Medical Program Ombudsman, the State Insurance Commision and the hospital (thanks tobeafamily that I could copy and paste!).

I have found anesthesiologist's to be the worst about not wanting to belong to the plans, then trying to bill the patient for everything from overages to the entire bill.

Good luck

Trish

ps - I got billed for circumcising for my daughter! (I told them that they must have gotten carried away! LOL)