Explanation of Benefits

I got a bill in the mail, and I was not expecting a bill.

If you received a “bill” in the mail unexpectedly from one of our laboratories, you may be surprised to find out that it is NOT actually a bill.  It is called an Explanation of Benefits (EOB).  An EOB is a statement from your health insurance provider that details recent health care charges and plan benefit payments.  You will receive an EOB when a laboratory (Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Boston Heart, SpectraCell, etc) submits a claim to your insurance provider for laboratory services rendered.  You can tell the difference between a true bill and an EOB by looking for the phrase, “THIS IS NOT A BILL.” It is usually in small print and hard to find.  Even though the letter may say, “Patient owes $500,” it is not a bill that you have to pay.  Before you pay a “bill” from a test that we ordered, please make sure to call the number on the bill or our office to make sure you actually owe them money.  It is very difficult to get a refund after you pay the EOB.  It is better to pay a bill late rather than try to get your money back.  We generally will warn you about tests that will cost you money out-of-pocket before you have them done.  There is usually a number to call on the bill, but here are contact numbers for laboratories that we frequently use:

  1. Health Diagnostics Laboratory: 1-877-4HDLABS (443-5227)
  2. Boston Heart Diagnostics: 508-877-8711 (option 5) or [email protected]
  3. SpectraCell Laboratories: 1-800-227-5227

Everyone who gets our “HDL Panel” drawn gets an EOB in the mail.  The HDL acronym stands for the lab where the blood work is sent (Health Diagnostics Laboratory).  This should not be confused with your good cholesterol level (HDL = High Density Lipoprotein).

A Note from HDL, Inc

Worry-Free Billing

Lab costs and bills are worry-free with HDL, Inc.  For patients with PPO/POS/HMO insurance, if it turns out your insurance company does not cover a specific test, HDL, Inc. assumes all the risk.

Will Patients Receive A Bill From HDL, Inc.?

There are three instances in which a patient would receive a bill from HDL, Inc.:

  1. If HDL, Inc. learns that payment for services was sent directly to the patient and not forwarded to our billing department as requested above
  2. If the patient does not have Medical Insurance or opts for services at the Cash Price
  3. If HDL, Inc. has filed claims with the patient’s insurance company and the patient has NOT met the patient contribution requirements (e.g. deductibles, co-pays, etc.) for laboratory services