A Valley woman says she has a billing problem with her doctor's office.
The billing problem has to do with a "well woman exam," basically it is an annual physical for women.
The woman you are about to meet says it was supposed to be covered 100% by her insurance carrier, so why does she keep getting billed by the doctor's office?
Shannon Karal, like a lot of women, knows the importance of having an annual physical. She says, "I do all my preventative visits for dentist, doctor, any of the normal things I try to go as much as they say you should go."
So Shannon scheduled a well woman exam at a physician's office called Doctors Goodman and Partridge, an exam she says that is 100% covered by her insurance carrier. Shannon explains, "I just had some questions and concerns about normal things that a young woman like me would have."
Shannon says the exam was completely paid for by her insurance, however, she keeps getting a bill for $92 from the doctor's office so, she called to find out why and, according to Shannon, she was told she asked too many questions during her exam.
She admits, "It makes me feel like next time I go to the doctor I shouldn't share any of my questions or concerns or take any more time out of their day because I might be charged extra for that."
Shannon maintains the questions she asked during her exam were all normal "female-related" questions and she cannot believe she would be charged. "I would completely understand this extra charge if there was another test done or something they do for my questions. But nothing! It was all verbal."
The office of Doctors Goodman and Partridge would not talk to 3 On Your Side about Shannon's case citing privacy issues but after our inquiry, they sent Shannon a letter saying, "The problems evaluated and managed at that visit were above and beyond the scope of a normal well woman exam" but, Shannon says that is nonsense and feels she is being billed for asking too many female-related questions, and taking up too much of the doctor's time. Shannon tells 3TV, "I feel like there's a stop watch every time I go to the doctor and they're gonna be timing me and making sure I don't go over that time and if I do then 'Oh, there might be an additional charge for this.'"
