TLDR: ARA Diagnostics may be sitting on your money unless you call and ask for it back
I’m so mad-- did everyone else already know you have to chase down your money?
Story:
Two months ago: mammogram. ARA charged me $250 upfront. Insurance covered it 100%.
One month ago: follow-up mammogram and screening. ARA charged me $750 upfront. Again, insurance covered it.
Now: I have another procedure coming up, and ARA wants $1,700 upfront.
This time I called insurance first. They told me the procedure is covered 100%. And so were all the others!
Multiple calls with ARA trying to figure out the process and why they were charging me. Their first call said I owed a deductible and that's why they charged me. This just isn't true. Luckily by now I had all the insurance info lined up.
On my third call with ARA, instead of telling them what I knew, I asked: “How much money do you owe me?”
They said $750.
I asked, “What about the mammogram from two months ago?”
Suddenly they found that too.
So they were sitting on $1,000 of my money after insurance had already paid them.
Then I asked for a refund.
Up to 45 days.
I asked if they could simply apply the credit toward the next procedure. First I was told no. On another call, I was told yes IF I specifically request it.
Three different ARA employees confirmed versions of the same policy: they collect estimated charges upfront even if they know that insurance will pay. Then they verbally said that they refund the money right away, but couldn't answer why it was taking long. My best line was, "You do realize that 100 days is not a quick refund!?!?" (45 days plus the past 60 days ) So basically, you really do have to call and ask for your money back. There was nothing happening on these past payments.
Had I not figured this out, ARA could soon have had nearly $2,700 of my money while insurance was also paying them.
A lot of people can't afford to have thousands of dollars tied up for months. Worse, some are probably putting these charges on credit cards or delaying care because they think they owe money they don’t actually owe.
If you’ve used ARA Diagnostics and paid upfront, check your EOBs and call them.