[Sarah]

Looking for advice!
At the end of 2024, my husband had a dermatologist appointment where the PA told him he needed an excision for a wart.

He felt it wasn’t necessary and even canceled a scheduled excision on 1/3/25.

Fast forward to 2/26/25 — he went back for unrelated skin issues, and the same PA once again pressured him into making a follow-up appointment for the excision.

He finally agreed and went in on 2/29/25, only to be seen by a different PA (who specializes in excisions), who said the procedure wasn’t necessary and sent him home without any treatment.

Now we’re out $100 for the co-pay, plus the cost of that unnecessary office visit.

Is there any way to get that money back? Has anyone had success disputing charges for something like this?

We don’t know where to start and would really appreciate any advice or tips.

[Nancy]

I think you should take it as a win and leave it as is. I had a similar situation happen only I was pushed into the excision.

I felt it was un necessarily, but they insisted and eventually I had it done.

I was out the cost of the visit, partial for the procedure partial for the lab testing, follow up copay, and co pay for removal of stitches all to be told it was nothing of concern.

[Mindy]

I’d visit with the office manager in person and explain the situation asking for the $100 reimbursement.

If no resolution, I’d talk to the head doctor of the facility.

Mind you, my suggestion takes work, time, and effort on your part. You need to evaluate whether it’s worth this.

Or perhaps good lesson learned.. don’t allow medical people talk you into unnecessary procedures (not being men here btw).

[Watkins]

You won’t get it back. It’s the agreement you have with your insurance on what you pay.

Insurance still gets billed for the appointment so you are responsible for the copay.

[Julene]

I had an issue like this with a dermatologist. I was able to dispute it with the hospital billing department.

Insurance still paid their portion, mine however was waved by the hospital

[Helen]

You can try and protest it, on the grounds that you were being harrassed for unnecessary treatment, but healthcare in this country can be ‘fun’ (i.e. when the doctor kept insisting our kid had an eye virus, then that he’d got reinfected…and 3 visits and 2 repeated medicines later…

a nurse practitioner took a look up our kid’s nose and said, ‘nope, he’s having an allergic reaction’…they still forced me to pay up for all those visits though I did try appealing it.)

Best I can recommend is asking for a note in your husband’s file, that that PA not be a part of any future visits for your husband, same as there’s a nurse in our doctor’s office not allowed to see our other son after she traumatized him with a flu jab that ended up literally with blood spraying from his hip…

years later, I still struggle to get him to have injections or take medicine.

[Brenda]

I went through something similar, except with an ENT. I went to one with complaints of hearing issues after recovering from the flu.

He did a cursory exam and told me nothing was wrong. But the problem persisted and I went to another doctor who did a thorough exam and a hearing test.

He found a 30% loss in that ear. (To this day I still have problems with that ear.)

I sent a letter to the first doctor’s clinic, detailing everything that had happened, and told them I would NOT pay for that visit.

They wrote it off.

You never know if you don’t try!

[Teresa]

Sorry, you wouldn’t have a case with this. I have disputed ridiculous charges that were totally questionable with zero luck.

It’s a money making racket, that’s what it is.

[Author]

Posts