The I-Team recently told you about a Lake Geneva woman, Shelly Principe, who went to the doctor after she couldn’t shake off her nagging cough. She ended up with a more than $1,200 medical bill.
The doctor ordered a respiratory pathogen panel, testing Principe for 21 different viruses. The results? She had a common cold. Her insurance company covered a small portion of her bill.
Although doctors are not responsible for providing cost information to consumers, Attorney Ryan Woody, who handles medical billing cases, contributed to this list of actions consumers can take to try and prevent hefty charges before walking into the doctor’s office:
1.) Read up on your health insurance coverage
2.) Call your provider and make sure they are still in your insurer's network.
3.) If you know what lab work/test or procedure you will receive, call your insurer and make sure it’s in your network
4.) Visit Wisconsin Price point website where you can view the average cost of common procedures in the state
