I discovered this week that our Health Reimbursement Account and I both paid the same
medical bill. The HRA payment was made on July 7. My personal check was cashed by
the Essentia Health system on July 23. I telephoned the business office of
Essentia Health early this morning, seeking reimbursement of my $95.55 over-payment.
The woman on the line told me she couldn’t return the money until
a medical bill from a service I received on Nov. 23 is fully paid. I haven’t
yet received that bill from Essentia Health. But I shared with the woman what I
know about its payment from my insurance account details online: My insurer already has
sent payment for what’s covered and the portion that’s to be paid from our HRA “is
pending.”
I reminded her that Essentia Health, aka, the Duluth Clinic, aka
St. Mary’s Medical System, was founded on Benedictine values. I also explained
that my husband teaches ethics at the College of St. Scholastica, which is run
by the same Benedictine nuns who founded St. Mary’s. I told her that it didn’t seem
very ethical to keep $95.55 of my money for five months without letting me know
an over-payment had been made. And it was even less ethical to continue keeping it once I requested it be returned.
She, of course, would have to speak to her supervisor about this.
I asked her to let me speak to her supervisor. “I will try...” she said. On hold
for a fair amount of time, I anticipated I would hear the standard spiel about her supervisor
not being available and I would need to call back. Surprisingly, the woman came
back on the line saying she would process my refund.
It makes me very sad that I’m surprised when someone actually does
the right thing, or almost the right thing.
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