Summing up: Don't let them cheat you!

I recently posted a series of articles about health insurance and how to tell if your doctor's office is committing fraud. I thought that was the end, but it wasn't. I feel compelled to sum up.

Part 1 is a description of fee-for-service health insurance in the US, including lots of boring terminology.
Part 2 is a description of how health insurance claims work, and how to tell what you should pay the doctor.
Part 3 describes my personal experience of how a medical practice tried to cheat ME.

So what can you do? Here are the steps to take:

1. Understand your insurance policy. Read and keep your benefit booklet. If you don't understand it, call your insurance company and ask questions.
2. Don't agree to be cheated. At the doctor's office, refuse to sign any document that says you agree to pay the difference between what the insurance company allows and the doctor charges for covered services. (Yes, this happened to a friend of mine. They tried twice to get him to sign something like that, and the second time they slipped it in with a bunch of other papers.)
3. Stand up for yourself. If you have a plan where you have to pay for things yourself to satisfy a deductible, refuse to pay until the claim settles. If they are trying to insist, get IN WRITING what their refund policy is should they happen to charge you too much. If they won't do this, or you are not satisfied by what they tell you, walk out without paying a dime. They can't physically restrain you! You can pay them after you get the EOB and know what you actually owe.
4. READ YOUR EOB. And keep it, just in case. If you don't understand it, call your insurance company. They can and will answer any questions you have.

You as the consumer have to look out for yourself. Be educated, be smart, be brave.