One visit, two bills: How Medicare is quietly fleecing America’s seniors

Every day in America, a grandfather walks into the dermatologist’s office, the doctor examines a concerning mole, then removes it during the same visit. Medicare may pay for the office visit and the procedure separately, at close to full price. That’s one visit but two charges, and grandpa owes coinsurance on both. This could be the eye doctor or another specialty, also, but the double billing for both an evaluation and a procedure is quite common.

One visit, two bills: How Medicare is quietly fleecing America’s seniors

TL;DR

  • Medicare may bill separately for an office visit and a same-day procedure.
  • This practice can lead to patients paying coinsurance on both charges.
  • The extra costs can be a hardship for seniors on fixed incomes.