Healthcare Reform = Zero cost Preventive Care? Not Precisely

Under the new health care law, "preventive care" is meant to be
absolutely free with no deductible or co-pay. So I went for a physical
last month – and got billed $730.

You call this absolutely free?
I got my "free" physical last month. But several days ago, the bills
began coming in: $600 worth of "laboratory services, " $70 for
"radiology services, " and $60 for "diagnostic services. " Since this
was definitely an error, I called my insurance company. What did they
say? That much of what constituted my preventive care wasn't covered by
the new law.
Of the seven laboratory services (translation: blood and urine tests)
performed on me, only three were in theory covered: the urinalysis,
cholesterol screening, and PSA screening. I use the word "theoretically"
due to the fact even those tests weren't absolutely free. I was charged
for them because, according to my insurance company, my doctor's office
failed to properly code them when they were submitted.
I guess chest X-rays mustn't provide enough "strong scientific evidence
of their health benefits" to move muster either, because that radiology
service also wasn't covered, nor was the EKG I was presented with. As my
insurance company pointed out, they don't fall into the category of
routine preventive services as described by the U. S. Preventive
Services Task Force, the government agency that chooses exactly what
preventive care insurance companies should be paying for. Also not
covered was the cost of drawing blood: Although the blood tests noted
above are covered, based on my insurance company, you're on your own
when it comes to extracting the blood you want tested.
Net result? The only cost my insurance company paid for my annual
physical was $80 for the office visit.
It's not as bad as it sounds
While a lot of the expense of my physical wasn't covered, much of it was
radically reduced by virtue of the discount I receive through my
insurance provider. For example, while the lab work totaled $612, after
the discount, it came to only $57. 25. And I can go back to my doctor
and ask them to recode and resubmit the covered tests, which would
reduce the bill further. I also got a significant discount on the chest
X-ray, reducing the price from $70 to $26. 64, and my EKG went from $60
to $20. So the cost of my physical, while not free, was still
negligible. Disappointing, but still money well spent.
I just wish someone had told me that my "free" physical wouldn't
actually be free. Then maybe I could have discussed my options with my
doctor, been prepared to see the bill and most important, I could have
avoided a half-hour on the phone demanding an explanation from various
representatives of my insurer.