Even with all the money we pay for our health insurance premiums, many times we unknowingly pay more than we need. As a former billing manager for a doctor’s office and a former customer service representative for a major health insurance company, I’ve seen firsthand the mistakes that cost people money—and I know how they can be fixed. I was recently discussing insurance coverage with a friend, and she asked me for some advice about her coverage. She followed my advice—she spent 15 minutes, and I saved her $95 on a healthcare bill. By following the same guidelines, you can ensure you are getting the most out of your insurance coverage so you don’t have to pay even more than you already do.

Make Friends with Your Insurance Company

What your mother taught you is true: “Civility costs nothing and buys everything.” Sure, the insurance company could have made a colossal error in processing your claim, or miscalculated what you really owe—but odds are that the person you are talking to didn’t cause the problem. The customer service representatives really are there to help you—they are the problem fixers. If you are very nice and understanding with them, they will bend over backwards to help you.

Start a Contact Log

Any time you call a healthcare provider or your insurance company, write down the following:

• Date and time you called
• Name of the person you talked to
• Type of information he or she gave you
• Any information you send them.

If you do need to send information by mail or fax, always get the name of the contact person and send it to his/her attention. Insurance companies have very large mailrooms, and it is easy for mail to get lost or sent to the bottom of a huge stack of mail to be opened and hand-sorted. And, if you get incorrect information from a representative, you may still get credit for a service—because a customer service representative is responsible for the information he/she gives you.