Pregnant with twins cost me triple copayments

The Case of the Multiplying Medical Bills: Pregnant with Twins, Charged for Three?

This morning’s patient encounter left me both scratching my head and trying not to laugh out loud—and I just had to share it.

I was treating a wonderful pregnant patient who came in with lower back pain, something we see often in the chiropractic world—especially with moms-to-be. She’s expecting twins (yay!), but our conversation took a turn from spines to the strange world of insurance billing.

Like many patients, she was already frustrated before stepping into the office—not from the pregnancy itself, but from trying to deal with insurance reps that might as well be located on another planet. You know the type: endless transfers, robotic scripts, and that warm, fuzzy feeling of getting absolutely nowhere.

But the real comedy started when she shared her billing saga.

Her first few visits to her OB office went just as you’d expect: routine checkups, basic tests, and billing for one pregnancy. Totally reasonable.

Fast forward a few weeks, and the big news drops—she’s having twins! Naturally, everyone’s excited… except, perhaps, her insurance company. That’s when things got weird.

Suddenly, she notices her bills multiplying. A single prescription she was given? Charged three times. Routine checkups? Also billed as if three people showed up. I mean, I’m no mathematician, but even with twins in the womb, that still feels like… two patients, right?

Apparently not.

And here’s the kicker: she has excellent insurance. But now it’s being billed like she’s hosting a family reunion in her uterus.

Meanwhile, I—the chiropractor who developed the Bagnell Technique for helping reposition malposition babies and supporting pregnant patients through their journey—am only allowed to bill for one patient. Just one. No matter how many future humans may be along for the ride.

Even when I follow every tedious insurance guideline to the letter, I still get flagged for “random” note reviews. Sometimes on patients I’ve only seen once! Maybe I should start billing for the unborn too? (Kidding, insurance companies—don’t audit me.)

In the end, I adjusted her, helped ease her discomfort, and she left the office pain-free and smiling—ready for her next visit.

So, there you have it. A little chiropractic care, a dash of insurance insanity, and one of those “only in healthcare” stories that makes you laugh, cry, and wonder who’s actually in charge of these billing codes.

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk. Or should I say… billing support group?