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

by Marshall Allen

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593190012
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	06/22/2021
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	56,069
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Marshall Allen is a reporter for ProPublica, where he covers the health care industry. He is a Pulitzer Prize finalist and recipient of the Harvard Kennedy School's Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting. He teaches investigative reporting at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York, and has spoken at various conferences across the country. Prior to journalism, he spent five years in full-time ministry, including three years in Kenya.

Table of Contents

Introduction: My Mom and Dad's Health Care Battle ix

Part I Fighting Back

1 The Five Hidden Reasons You Should Fight Back 3

2 Never Pay the First Bill 20

3 The Insurance Warrior's Guide to Winning Your Appeal 41

4 How to Handle Medical Debt Collectors 60

5 Sue Them in Small Claims Court 79

Part II Avoiding the Need to Fight

6 How to Avoid Treatment You Don't Need 99

7 Protect Yourself from Price Gouging 115

8 You Might Save Money by Not Using Your Insurance 138

Part III Employer Section

9 The Conflict of Interest Undermining Employers' Purchase of Health Benefits 153

10 The Buyer Sets the Price 173

11 Check Your Receipts. You Might Be a Victim of Fraud. 192

Conclusion Standing Up to Bullies 212

Acknowledgments 217

Appendix A 219

Appendix B 227

Appendix C 231

Notes 235

Index 253

About the Author 267