Not long ago I received a medical bill totaling $7,370 with the ominous wording, “Your insurance has processed this claim. The balance is now your responsibility.”

Since I knew these particular services were listed in the Affordable Care Act’s 10 essential health benefits, I began to make calls.

Finally I called my insurance company and informed them I would need assistance in filing a grievance. The representative gulped and said, “Why are we filing a grievance today?”

After listening for a few minutes the representative asked, “Can I put you on hold?”

“Yes, but before you do I want a three-way call with you, the medical billing department and me,” I answered.

“We can do that,” she said.

Time will tell whether the issue will be resolved. While it is helpful to know the ACA’s essential health benefit provisions, sometimes a three-way call is the way to go.

More information about essential health benefits can be found here: https://www.healthcare.gov/coverage/what-marketplace-plans-cover/. Learn about the essential health benefits that all private health insurance plans offered in the Health Insurance Marketplace must cover.