Never pay the first medical bill and how to negotiate the billing system

Never Pay the First Bill: And Other Ways to Fight the Health Care System and Win

Never pay the first bill : and other ways to fight the health care system and win

by Allen, Marshall (Journalist), author.

ISBN:9780593190005

Abstract:

"From award-winning ProPublica reporter Marshall Allen, a primer for anyone who wants to fight the predatory health care system--and win. Every year, millions of Americans are overcharged and underserved while the health care industry makes record profits. We know something is wrong, but the layers of bureaucracy designed to discourage complaints make pushing back seem impossible. At least, this is what the health care power players want you to think. Never Pay the First Bill is the guerilla guide to health care the American people and employers need. Drawing on 15 years of investigating the health care industry, reporter Marshall Allen shows how companies and individuals have managed to force medical providers to play fair, and shows how you can, too. He reveals the industry's pressure points and how companies and individuals have fought overbilling, price gouging, insurance denials, and more to get the care they deserve. Laying out a practical plan for protecting yourself against the system's predatory practices, Allen offers the inspiration you need and tried-and-true strategies such as: Analyze and contest your medical bills, so you don't pay more than you should; obtain the billing codes for a procedure in advance; write in an appropriate treatment clause before signing financial documents; get your way by suing in small claims court. Few politicians and CEOs have been willing to stand up to the medical industry. It is up to the American people to equip ourselves to fight back for the sake of our families--and everyone else"-- Provided by publisher.

 

My nephew was hit by a pickup truck in South Carolina while on a bike tour. Luckily this driver stopped and had insurance and admitted fault. The hit and run driver in Raleigh, N.C. never stopped. Luckily my nephew wasn't seriously hurt by the hit and run driver but sustained extensive damage to his bike which delayed his trip and cost him out of pocket. The South Carolina accident put him in the hospital. He has medical insurance but as part of the saga I'm learning a lot about how our medical billing system works. My nephew has engaged an attorney on a contingency basis to deal with his hospital bills and expenses of repairing his bike and transportation cost back home. 

Listen to an interview (47:28) with the award winning author: https://www.kalw.org/show/your-call/2021-09-23/never-pay-the-first-bill

Marshall Allen, author of Never Pay the First Bill: And Other Ways to Fight the Health Care System and Win, and investigative health reporter who most recently covered the health care industry at ProPublica. Marshall teaches investigative reporting at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY 

Additional Resources for Consumers to determine the fair cost to pay for medical services: 

HealthCareBlueBook: https://www.healthcarebluebook.com

FairHealthConsumers: https://www.fairhealthconsumer.org/