Its_All_Totally_Fine

Jesus. I mean, I dont want to say yes to that, but like

Your insurance legally has up to 2 years to reprocess your claims before issuing final billing

You might be able to get the clinic that performed the procedure to notify the insurance of medical necessity and provide medical records, but if that already been done you might be out of luck. As far as the appeals process goes, your best option is always to talk regularly with the clinic and keep them informed that you're appealing, trying to stay on top of it, etc.

The thing about codes is that they're all essential in one way or another. The shittiest ones are those for Medicare and Tricare because their rules change so often and they're both very picky. My employer does facility based billing as opposed to provider based because we're non profit, so all our codes will say 'hospital' or 'outpatient'. The problem there is that some insurances wont pay certain procedures if they're outpatient.

As far as consulting physicians, you can try requesting the ranking physician because that's typically who consults, but it's unlikely you'll get your pick. The best choice there is to avoid large facilities. More docs = more residents = more consults.

On the bullshit charges... exasperated sigh

Doctors have no idea how billing works. They don't know that every single thing they enter becomes a charge, and if a patient has existing conditions, they will almost certainly charge for 'maintenance' of that condition. If you're following up on that specific issue, only schedule a consultation for that, and do NOT let the doctor change the subject. Anything else? Say no. They're required to write down anything discussed, and as a result, coders are required to turn every word in to coding.

Pro tip; talk to your insurance about what's covered and NEVER the doctor. They have no clue, and will 100% tell you its covered to get you to come in.

EDIT FOR CLARIFICATION:

I am NOT saying you shouldn't discuss issues with your doctor. You absolutely should. What I'm trying (and failing) to say here is that your appointment's status is not set in stone until its entered in coding. If you go for a wellness exam but discuss your diabetes/former cancer diagnosis/menstrual cycle, the visit will no longer be considered annual wellness. If you discuss an issue other than the original reason for scheduling, the coding can/will change. Absolutely discuss medical issues with your doctor.

And the winner is...