Surprise Bill

The number at the bottom of the page is not the number you have to pay.Hospitals bill different amounts to different payers for exactly the same care. Insurers negotiate. Medicare pays a set rate. If you're uninsured, or your plan didn't cover something, you get the highest price on the list — and almost nobody actually pays that price.This guide gives you the words. Word-for-word phone scripts. Copy-paste email and letter templates. A five-pass method for auditing an itemized bill and finding the charges that shouldn't be there. Eight things billing departments say to end the conversation, and exactly what to say back. A four-step escalation ladder for when the first call goes nowhere, and a one-page plan to keep beside you while you dial.Written for one evening's work. Read the prep chapter, read the script, make the call.General information, not legal or financial advice. Covers the US medical billing system. Laws and hospital policies vary — no outcome is guaranteed.