We've been going to the same hospital/organization for the last 12 years or so. In the last year they've stepped up their aggressiveness re: collections. Used to be we'd check in, visit the Dr. or PA, go home & wait for the bill. Now, during the check in, they're telling us what our balance is (we're on a payment plan), what our estimated co-pay is and ask how much we're able to pay then & there. And on the web portal (which has recently been changed) there's a large area of the 1st page taken up with a statement of our account.
Truthfully, I don't trust any medical billing dept. I've gotten "refunds"* from a hospital over two years after the date of the visit they're refunding.
*They're "refunding" the money that they originally over-charged. The math isn't that hard - bill the ins. co., (for more than the negotiated amount), receive payment from ins. co., subtract the payment and adjustments from the original charge and bill me for the rest. Hell, I could do that without taking my shoes off. Matter of fact, the ins. co. does the math for them on the EOB. The EOB the hospital & I receive has the entire break-down, including what my portion of charge is.
When the provider looks up the info online, are they basing my co-pay on what they're going to charge the ins. co. (always more than the negotiated amount)? Or are they basing it on the actual negotiated amount?