The bill is never correct. She has been in AL for 3 1/2 months. Her payment was posted to another account, she was charged for her food twice each month, she was charged the incorrect level of care, payments are not posted in a timely manner, etc. When they said it was finally correct, it was still $50.00 too much. Just received a bill yesterday which was missing two payments. When I deduct the payments it is still $350.00 too much.
I am her advocate and work to keep it straight. What is happening to the people who have no advocate?
About 6 months before mom passed, the private ALF had a corporate management company take over. I immediately received a double bill for the first time EVER, and this was after an email letting me know this new management company was going to "streamline" billing and get things done right. What a sad joke it is when "corporations" take over and "fix" things that were never broken in the first place.
And yes, you have to lay it all out for them. You have to assume they are dum. You don't really have to ask for a return signature. This is expensive. Certified mail gives u a tracking#. You can call up the info and it shows the envelope has been dlvd.
Things have gotten better. I just refuse to pay her bill unless it is correct. This tactic seems to be working.
If this keeps up into month 5, I’d suggest that you send a certified letter with the return receipt card to the administrator of the AL. The letter done in timeline detail as to errors and what was supposed to happen & if not addressed. Not phone calls or speaking to someone in person. In writing & certified/RRC. If after this it’s not fixed, I’d look for another place. She’s in AL and I assume private pay, there are lots & lots of other AL’s. If mom moves out breaking her contract / admissions agreement, you use that letter and return receipt card to show they voided the agreement by their actions.
For my moms 1st NH, every month for months there were billing issues. It should have been very very straightforward as she was LTC Medicaid Pending so in theory the NH got all her established for that year monthly income less the $60 personal needs allowance she was able to keep under Medicaid rules.
But for first 6 months bills were $200/300 wrong in their favor and the check I wrote for the copay credited to another account or waited weeks to finally deposit. They added late fees. All sorts of outside RX charges for meds she was not on. Billed for cable which she declined in admissions paperwork. Her medical care there was ok but after SW left & the DON told me she was looking 2 leave, the writing on the wall that it was medically going downhill. I moved my mom to another NH who had a LTC Medicaid bed open. It was a bit of a ballet to accomplish but do-able. Eons better!
I flat do not have the patience to deal with repeating errors or willful ignorance. Personally on retrospect I think some of this was very much done deliberately as families are overwhelmed in dealing with thier parents constant needs, dealing with a forest of paperwork from Medicare/their MDs/pharmacy programs and perhaps also having to get rid of parents household stuff, consolidating/ zeroing out bank accounts, yada yada. So family may just pay a bill. And if in a NH there’s a good probability that they might die and family won’t realize their elder overpaid till after death.
Kudos to you for being such a watchful advocate for her!
What I would do is make the adjustment and pay accordingly. Take a copy if their invoice circling the mistakes and reason why they are wrong. Show your calculations on the invoice or another piece of paper. If you have to, go back the whole 3 months. I may take your info to the Administrator telling them this is an ongoing problem. Give him a copy and a copy to him for the billing dept or you send it to them.
Again, this is pretty serious. You need to find out who at the facility is in charge of billing, and ask for a meeting with that person now.