The American health care system is broken We spend more on health care than any other country, yet outcomes are worse and costs keep rising every year Health insurance premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket costs make many afraid to even go to the doctor. It’s an industry designed to maximize profits for shareholders, not maximize health for patients.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Marshall Allen’s book “Never Pay The First Bill” is all about how regular Americans can fight back against the unfair health care system and get the care they need without going bankrupt.
Who is Marshall Allen?
Marshall Allen is an investigative journalist who has spent over 15 years reporting on the health care industry. He has seen first-hand how the profit-driven system fails patients. His book draws on industry insiders and experts to expose the tricks hospitals and insurers use to overbill patients.
The book teaches readers how to avoid getting ripped off and fight back when they do Allen provides tips, scripts and templates for negotiating with hospitals and insurers to get reasonable prices and avoid unfair bills
Shocking Truths About U.S. Health Care
Here are some of the shocking truths Allen reveals about the US health care system:
-
Prices are made up and inconsistent. Different insurers pay wildly different amounts for the same procedures. Uninsured patients get charged the highest amounts.
-
Hospitals overcharge uninsured patients to make up for lower rates from insurers. Their list prices are often 5-10x higher than what insured patients pay.
-
Bills are intentionally confusing, with inflated charges and fake discounts to make you think you got a deal.
-
Hospitals often refuse to provide prices upfront. Bills come months later and are purposely vague.
-
Insurers deny and delay coverage for expensive treatments, even when doctors deem it medically necessary.
The system is designed to make patients feel powerless. But Allen explains how we can take back control.
How to Fight the Health Care System and Win
Allen gives useful advice on how to cut down on health care costs and stay away from unfair billing practices. Here is a summary of his main advice:
Never Pay the First Bill
Hospitals’ initial bills are almost always wrong, inflated 2-10x higher than the actual allowed amounts. Never pay it without scrutinizing itemized charges first.
Shop Around for Care
Compare prices between hospitals and stand-alone imaging/surgery centers. Don’t be afraid to ask about costs beforehand.
Negotiate Itemized Bills
Go through itemized bills line-by-line. Challenge inflated charges by comparing against Medicare rates or fair market prices.
Fight Insurance Denials
Don’t take no for an answer. Appeal denials and keep escalating to higher representatives. Enlist doctor’s help advocating.
Request An Audit
If you suspect double-billing or upcoding, ask for an independent audit of your full hospital bill.
Know Your Rights
Learn about protections like the No Surprises Act and statutes of limitations. Use as leverage when negotiating bills.
Try Conciliation Court
Take hospitals to small claims court for bills under $15k. Judges often rule in favor of patients.
The book provides templates to dispute bills, appeal insurance denials and negotiate reasonable payments. Allen also names “good guy” hospitals who charge fair prices to use.
Real People, Real Victories
In addition to expert advice, Allen provides inspirational case studies of ordinary Americans who fought back and won.
For example, he tells the story of a teacher named Scott whose insurance refused to cover a spinal fusion surgery deemed medically necessary by his doctor. After months of appealing, including contacting the state insurance board, Scott got the insurer to pay.
Allen also profiles a woman who audited her $18,000 hospital bill and got it reduced to under $3,000 by catching double-billing errors and inflated drug prices.
These people represent the thousands who have used Allen’s advice to overcome unfair billing and denials. You can fight and win too.
Take Control of Your Health Care
The cards are stacked against patients in the American health care system. Complexity and obscurity allow hospitals and insurers to overcharge and underdeliver. But armed with the right information, we can fight back.
We have power when we know our rights, understand real costs, and negotiate firmly but fairly. Marshall Allen’s book “Never Pay The First Bill” gives you the tactics to be an empowered health care consumer.
Don’t feel trapped by a system designed to take advantage of you. Educate yourself and take back control of your health care. The knowledge to push back is out there.
Project UnLonelyJeremy Nobel, MDHardcover$200
About Never Pay the First Bill
This is a guide for anyone who wants to fight the unfair health care system and win, written by award-winning ProPublica reporter Marshall Allen. 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. Allen gives you the motivation you need and tried-and-true methods to protect yourself from the system’s unfair practices. For example, he says to look over and dispute your medical bills to make sure you don’t pay more than you should. He also suggests getting the billing codes for a procedure ahead of time and writing in an appropriate treatment clause before signing any financial documents. Finally, he suggests getting your way by suing in small claims court. Few politicians and CEOs have been willing to stand up to the medical industry. For the sake of our families and everyone else, it is up to the people of the United States to get ready to fight back.
Never Pay The First Bill – Fight the Healthcare System and Win
What is never pay the first bill?
Never Pay the First Bill is the guerilla guide to health care the American people and employers need. Reporter Marshall Allen has been looking into the health care industry for 15 years. He shows how businesses and individuals have been able to get medical providers to play fair, and he shows you how you can do the same.
Are You struggling to pay medical bills?
But then the bills come – hundreds, maybe thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of dollars. A lot of Americans are having a hard time paying their medical bills, which are an unexpected debt that can put some people out of business. Marshall Allen is an investigative reporter, and he’s been digging through medical bills for years.
Can we take back control of our health care?
We can take back control of our health care. When we do, we make things better for ourselves, our families and one another. Marshall Allen, an award-winning reporter for ProPublica and author of Never Pay First Bill, talks about ways for families and employers to save a lot of money on health care while also getting better benefits.
When should you pay your first medical bill?
But the principle that we have in the title is never pay the first bill until you have checked it to make sure that it’s accurate and to make sure that it’s fairly priced. And so those are two things that every patient should examine because most medical bills, according to people who review them for a living, contain some kind of an error.
Can companies Force medical providers to play fair?
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.
Are you helpless in the health care industry?
The health care industry wants you to think you’re helpless. Every year, Americans spend more on health care and get less for their money -and the industry makes record profits. Layers of complexity make it confusing and discouraging to do anything about it. It seems impossible. But the truth is, we can push back and succeed!
