Back in 2006 I took my son to the Fuquay-Varina office of Carolina Family Foot Care. My son was not quite 2 years old at the time of the visit. He had been intermittently complaining of his big toe hurting and I wasn't sure if the nail was ingrown. At the time of the visit I paid our $25.00 insurance copay. I told my son he could have a piece of candy if he sat quietly while the doctor looked at his toe. The doctor took what appeared to be a specialized pair of nail clippers and clipped the nail away from the skin. My son did not cry. He required no anesthetics. The doctor spent about 5 minutes total on my son. He required no further follow up appointment or treatment. I never received a bill from Carolina Family Foot Care, but shortly after the date of service we did receive an EOB (Explanation of Benefit) from our insurance company showing that the doctor had billed for surgery. I informed our insurance company that the doctor did not do surgery on my son, and also called Carolina Family Foot Care to complain that they had billed our insurance company for a service not rendered. We heard nothing further until November 2007 (a year and 1/2 after the date of service) when we received a notice from a collection agency stating we owed Carolina Family Foot Care. Upon further investigation I found they were billing for "Incision and drainage of abcess; complicated and complex". It is ludicrous to think they would bill this for nothing more than an ingrown toenail for which a child didn't even cry when clipped. When I tried to go by the office to talk to the doctor about this, I was informed he was out of the office that day, A staff member stated they would discuss the issue with the doctor when he returned to the office in 2 days. It took more than two weeks for the Doctor to respond and his response was that the insurance company sets the codes they use for payment.
Pros: None
Cons: Unethical Billing Practices
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