Billed for Tubal Ligation That I "Never Had"

I would consult another doctor and see what they say and see if they can tell if you have had it done, and if so go and get a lawyer.

I've worked medical admin... and this is a common thing, although not usually as dramatic.

ALL procedures, supplies, etc have a "number" attached to them. If someone fatfingers 112457 as 113457 usually what happens is that tissues shows up as gloves and it goes unnoticed. But if 113457 is 'lobotomy' instead of tissues, obviously someone is going to notice. Usually that's the person typing, but people are people and make mistakes. Most typos are caught by the person typing as they scan to make sure everything is correct. It's one reason why I scan every single itemized/coded bill I get.

Yes, it's pretty easy to do an ultrasound and see if it's been done. UPSIDE... if it *was* done without your knowledge and consent... you've just become several hundred thousand dollars richer. And, especially this early it's easily reversed. Most likely, however, someone just fatfingered the wrong key in the 5000 codes they typed that afternoon.

It was probably an error in coding, someone doing the data entry could have typed in the wrong number. To be sure I would order a copy of all of your medical records from the hospital and the doctor. Talk to your doctor about it, and maybe there is an ultrasound or something they would be willing to do to reassure you.

I would freak out too from worry! But I did billing for years and hospital coding errors are very common.

Just go to the hospital and request your chart. There is a way you can have it tested, but it is done by an OB and then you would need another OB to do it. It is very costly and if it comes back negative, you will be footing that bill. I really doubt a procedure like this was done by mistake. We have to go through big leaps and bounds law wise before we can do this. It is now a law that consent can only be obtained 30 days prior to the procedure, after multiple consultations and informed consent. A "Time Out" procedure has to be done with the medical team as well. SO that is a lot to have by-passed. I bet the mistake was just because the Unit secretary checked the wrong box. I tell you what, all MDs have to dictate a post op note as well as include the procedure in your H&P. OB's have to also dictated a delivery note. So go and get your chart and look for those three forms and I am sure you will see it was a billing error.

I would be freaking out /hopping mad at first glance at that bill, too. But then step back and breath.
I agree it has to be a billing issue if 1. your doctor didn't tell you an emergency occured to require the procueedure against your will (save your life level proceedure) and 2. you didn't request it. There are all these codes and one wrong number it codes to the proceedure above or below. They also change the codes sometimes and it takes a while for all paper work to line up to the insurance/billing.A great testament to why you should ALWAYS review your bill.
However, just call and ask your doctor's office for peace of mind. No conspiracy, they will tell you if the proceedure was performed.

I would just check with your doc. I think it's much much more likely that there was an error in billing than an error in having major surgery that had never been discussed before. Believe me, if someone had done a tubal, the insurance company would want to be paid for it - the suing would be of your doc, not them.

Check with your doctor, and if you're still worried, ask him/her what you can do to "prove" you're still fertile (short of having another baby right now).

Good luck.

Ask the doctor who did the c-section.

There will be legal issues if they did this procedure without notice from you or at least your husband plus a written authorization form that you had agreed to this procedure.I would call the office don't stall ask to speak to the Dr himself who did your csection ask him point blank did you do a Fallopian Tubal Ligation if he responds yes I did all you have to do as tell him I will be seeking a Lawyer according to your statment there was no discussions made on this no medical problems with you.It is very possible to have a medical code error Dr.s writting is horrible.I hope this mistake didn't happen to you

I think that this was a billing error. I have had the insurance company call me in the past about charges that seemed odd to them that turned out to be a mistake in the office. To be honest, though, most hospitals WONT do a tubal in the delivery room without a bunch of paperwork and possibly counseling before hand. I know because I wanted one after my son was delivered, and was told at 26 that I was too young and they wanted me to spend a loooong time considering before I scheduled it!

Speak to your ob/gyn. Make an appointment and see them face to face. I know that this is scary, and I really think that the ability to look at your doctor would add some reassurance.

Just an ultrasound may not show if it was done. They would have to do a hysterosalpingogram--an X-ray test where they put contrast into your uterus and see if the contrast travels through your fallopian tubes. It is a pretty simple test done in the radiology department under fluoroscopy (live X-ray).

It is most likely a billing error but definitely check with your surgeon.
Good luck.

WOW - that's a big one...

I'd DEFINITELY be scheduling an appt. with the doctor who performed your c-section to discuss HIS medical report from your procedure. I review medical reports all day long for my job, and it SHOULD MOST CERTAINLY be documented if they did it. And I'd want to review the medical report from your procedure WITH THE DOCTOR HIMSELF.

If they did a tubal ligation, and you didn't request it, that's malpractice.

My guess is, however, that it's a billing error. There are codes on medical bills, and the billers for an ob/gyn are used to putting the same codes on the bills over and over. It was 'probably' added in error. But I'd never take someone's word for it. Discuss it in the presence of the doctor who performed your surgery. And you have the right to request a copy of YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS. So I'd do that too. So you can read them yourself.

If after all that, if you still have questions, I'm sure there are some diagnostics that can be done to see if the procedure was done. An ultrasound, maybe?

Best wishes to you...

You also have a right to see your whole file, I would also look at that.

Hi, A.:
Have you gone in for your 6 week checkup?
Make an appointment to talk in person to your
surgeon.
Just a thought.
Good luck.
D.

First of all, congrats on the babies!
Talk to the doctor who delivered your babies. If your chart shows the procedure was't done and the doctor confirms it, you shouldn't worry.
I have years of experience dealing with medical claims and working in hospitals. I hate to say it, but billing can be messed up if someone types in an incorrect diagnosis or procedure code. It happens more than you'd think. There are literally thousands of different codes and just being one digit off makes a huge difference.
Talk to the doctor. Your fears need to be allayed and then the hospital needs to get to the bottom of how that incorrect code got on there and correct your billing.
I was trying to get about a year's worth of billing straightened out for someone and her claims kept getting rejected by her insurance. It turned out that someone at the doctor's office put a pediatric procedure code on the bill. She was a 54 year old woman and obviously no pediatric procedures were performed. It was an incorrect code and finally it got billed correctly.

Contact the doctor yourself for reassurance, but I am pretty positive it was an error on the paperwork and not in actual procedure.

Let us know what the doctor says, okay?

You might want to see another dr and have them transfer your operative report so you can see what it actually says, rather then ask them what it says. If they did something without consent they WILL try to cover it up, lawsuits are expensive and a lot of trouble.

Here's the deal- yes, coding errors do occur. However, I have spoken with women who were forced into tubal ligation, sometimes without their consent. One lady became uncomfortable with her doctor who was wanting to do a cesarean and kept pressing her towards a tubal ligation. She transferred to a midwife for a VBAC and the records which were transferred clearly stated that a tubal ligation would be performed when the cesarean was to be performed. She had made a HUGE deal about not wanting a tubal ligation, and yet if she had gone for the cesarean she WOULD have gotten one anyway!

Try not to be upset until you find out the real deal. But you DO need to find out!

you need to speak with the dr that delivered your babies asap to have this question answered. i wouldn't talk to the billing ppl at the hospital, or your dr's nurse - but the dr himself/herself.

If it were me I would demand an ultra sound from the doctor/hospital to prove this didn't happen. I would make a huge deal about it and not let up until I know for sure. Don't let them talk you out of it.

Current tubal ligation is usually done by tubal occlusion. The difference is that in the past tubes were cut but could possibly re-grow together. Now they make a loop in the tube and put a very tight ring around it. This not only closes the tube immediately but eventually a kind of scar tissue completely fuses this loop. The ring is visible on some kind of scan, maybe x-ray but it depends on the ring material. I had mine done 10 years ago with this occlusion method and my doctor said the ligation (cutting) method is not longer used. However, it is possible there is some newer better method used nowadays. Certainly talk to your doctor. This is most likely a coding error in the billing. Since you had one vaginal and one C-section twin I imagine the coding clerk is totally confused!