Question about (missed?) billing.

This is a bit of a long story that might be more for exposition than a question. So here's he short version: The question is this: Isn't the responsibility for billing on The T's side? If T chose not to bill me for a short session, should I follow up an verify that? Or is it a 'let's just let that drop' kinda thing- and not my problem?

The long version: A while back my T texted me the night before an early AM appointment to ask if I could come in 30 minutes early. No big deal for me.

The session goes well enough. T says their credit card machine isn't working that day and she'd bill me next time. T is actually making small talk with me as I go as if there's no need to rush, which I only noted because our closings are usually quick business "good day" stuff. As I left, I also noted there were no other cars in the lot, I didn't see another client lined up. It was only on the way home that I did the clock math and realized that the session only about 30 minutes long!

I am guessing that T realized that we had wrapped too soon as well, just as I was leaving. Thus the small talk at the end. Perhaps T's mental clock was off because of the odd start time but the cynical side of me thinks: 'T had something come up less than 24 hours before an appt. She tried to squeeze me in and didn't run the card to save time.'

I was upset about the short considering that I drive a half-hour to get to the office in the first place and I wondered why she didn't just cancel. Stuff happens, that would have been okay with me. Then I remembered that the session previous to this one was very, very heavy: emotional abuse and hard stuff. Maybe T didn't want to just cancel during such a difficult time and wanted to at least check in with me?

I honestly don't feel that she intended to short the session.

At the next session, T didn't charge me for the short one. Hasn't come up since. I thought, okay, maybe realized it was too short and that's why the machine was "broken" that day? However, I read my billing statement from the insurance company and they did bill a session that day. The statement said I "might owe" the copay amount. Do I bring it up? Do I let it drop?

(For the record she's never done anything like that before or since. She has always been reliable and professional outside of this odd incident.)

Yes - it is their responsibility

It sounds confusing, and since you aren't sure what happened that day, what do you have to lose by talking to her about it?

Money perhaps?

Ha, I did think of that, but there is always the option to refuse to pay since it was a shortened session!

She must have sent information to the insurance company otherwise how would they be saying you "might owe?" I would definitely talk to her about it.

Honestly I would be a little wary of a T who thinks it's ethical to bill your insurance for a shortened session as if it were a full one, regardless if they charge you your copay or not.

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It's the T's responsibility. That being said, there are different billing codes for different session lengths - did your T bill for the full session or for a shortened session? If she billed the full session to the insurance, I'd want to bring it up because that's fraud.

That being said, I don't know what kind of relationship you have with your T. I've called my T out for things (not rudely) only to discover I'd misinterpreted the situation. Sometimes I just don't have all the facts even if it seems like I do.

Ok. I guess i'll ask her about it. I need to get my own feelings together about whether I think it's fair to bill for a short session. I'm pretty sure my copay would be the same (It's a small one) and this isn't about the money but my own feelings at feeling 'shorted' of time when I went out of my way to show up early. I'd just like to believe she 'forgot' to charge me as a courtesy, I guess but that may not be the case.