Medical Billing: How to Understand Your Credit Balance
Medical billing can be a confusing process, especially if you have never done it before or have been doing it for a long time. Your credit balance in medical billing is the amount of money that you owe your healthcare provider, and it can be both positive and negative. In this article, we'll break down how to understand your medical billing credit balance so that you can find out if you have a surplus or deficit.
What is the credit balance?
Some people are confused about what the credit balance is in medical billing.
The credit balance is the difference between the total amount of money charged for insurance and the deductible, co-payments, and co-insurance.
If you don't have any other outstanding medical bills, your credit balance will be zero.
If you do have another outstanding bill, your credit balance will show how much your insurance company will pay on top of what you owe.
How do I pay my bill?
All payments for medical services will be processed and billed in the time period and order in which they were received (usually date of service). When this is done, you will receive a bill. The bill may show a credit balance. A credit balance means that you're owed money. You can use this money to pay for future visits or use it as cash at your next appointment's check-in desk.
Why is there a credit balance?
A credit balance happens when you overpay for a service. This is because the provider is allowed to collect payment for services rendered even if they are not invoiced yet. It does not mean that the company has any extra money.
How do I avoid an extra balance on my medical bill?
If you are covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or another government health care plan, you should contact the hospital's billing office to discuss your bill. You may be able to get help with your balance if you're low income.
Conclusion
It is important to understand the balance on your medical bills as well as any credits that may impact those balances. The credit balance could be attributed to a deductible, copayment, or coinsurance for services rendered as opposed to a credit card purchase.
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