Read those bills from doctors and hospitals carefully! According to a report cited by Consumer Reports Health, up to 80% of all such bills contain errors. CRH recommends insisting on an itemized bill — and reading it carefully. Some of the more common errors:

• Incorrect dates of service – make sure you’re not being charged for a room on the day you were discharged from the hospital, which most plans don’t allow.
• Inflated room charges including fees for incidentals like sheets and towels that should already be included in the room charge.
• Duplicate fees for tests and procedures.
• Human errors-one mistaken keystroke could result in the wrong billing code.
• Inflated operating room time-your hospital should have an exact record of when your surgery began and ended.

Don’t pay for mistakes, check your medical bills carefully [Consumer Reports Health Blog]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.