Many calls to state attorney general's helpline from Long Island

Long Island residents were at the top of the list of callers seeking aid from the state attorney general's health care bureau helpline, according to a report released Monday.

Nassau residents ranked second and Suffolk third -- coming in after Albany -- in the number of calls to the helpline in 2013, the report by Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman found.

Dealing with issues ranging from health insurance payment processing errors to deceptive business practices, the helpline has investigated nearly 13,000 complaints since it was opened in 2011, the report said. It has also resulted in more than $12.5 million in refunds and savings, the attorney general said.

"We know that in America today, too many personal bankruptcies are the result of medical expenses, a situation that is often made worse by improper medical lending practices such as predatory loans or medical credit cards," Schneiderman said in a statement.

More than a quarter of issues for consumers involved problems with billing, including improper billing by out-of-network providers; 22 percent involved problems with claims being processed, and 15 percent dealt with denial of coverage, the report said. The helpline opened an average of 13 cases a day.

The $12.5 million in savings went to nearly 2,500 New Yorkers. In one case, the helpline ensured that an insurance company processed $290,000 in claims; in another, it reversed a wrongfully rejected claim for $200,000.

Peter Zaino of Copiague said he and his wife used the help-line after they were charged for routine eye exams last year for their two children.

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Instead of the employee who normally checked their eyes -- fully covered by their insurance -- the children were examined by a doctor.

"We were quite annoyed," he said, when they got a bill for $300 because the doctor's exams were not covered by their insurance. The doctor's office refused to waive or reduce the charges, and Zaino appealed to the helpline.

Weeks later, he said, they received a letter saying the fees had been waived.The helpline number is 800-428-9071.

HEALTH CARE HELPLINE

Number of calls to the state health care bureau helpline in 2013:

Nassau: 440

Suffolk: 403

Total calls since 2011: 20,292

Investigated: 64 percent

Source: State attorney general's report