the insurance company had paid the full bill so we must owe insurance. We called the insurance company and they said they had just paid their portion and the rest we owed to the hospital. We called the hospital again and told them we had confirmed with insurance that they had only paid their portion and we still owed about $2,000. The hospital said the insurance company must be wrong that they had been paid in full.

So we gave up and kept our money but mentally reserved for the chance someone someday might audit one party or the other’s books and reach out asking for the money. 18 years later we still are willing to pay if one or the other came calling but pretty sure we got away with one. About the only time I am aware of an error in the patient’s favor.