Read time: 4 minutes

Good morning, 66.1ers.

Been thinking about the potential value of a phone call lately. $257 here, $452 there, $1252 here. Average call time probably 8 minutes and 12 seconds. Haven’t done the math on the hourly rate, but it’s…enough to keep calling.

83-year-old patient surprised by a bill. Went to physical therapy, they ran her insurance, said it looks like you're good to go, insurance will cover it. Went to PT, felt better, great, thanks! 5 months later, my patient gets a bill in the mail. Not a huge number, but it all matters when you're living on Social Security. And it's not really about the number anyway, is it?

Asked patient if I could call PT clinic on her behalf, see if they have any suggestions? Please do, Lord knows I'm tired of fighting over insurance stuff. Clinic owner/president is very friendly, explains that they were just as surprised as the patient. Patient is on Medicare and some other plan, everything looks good until the "some other plan" disappears as soon as they (PT) bill insurance. Owner agrees to payment plan over 2 years rather than a lump sum due in 90 days. Maybe I should call insurance, too? Because, intentional or not, one of the companies below is making money by tricking little old ladies and small-town healthcare providers…

Another patient "knows she'd qualify" for financial assistance with her medical bills but she just can't bring herself to fill out the paperwork. A few questions, if I may?

Do you want to "bring yourself to fill out the paperwork"? Or OK with how it is?
Of course I want to fill it out, she says.

Should Marcus ask about it next time we talk? Some people say I'm a pain in the butt and I know we just met.
Yes, please. Ask about it.

Bill is $5900, currently paying $100/month, how many months remaining to pay if you do nothing?
…… a lot.
Ever heard the Wayne Gretzky line?

You really can be a pain in the butt!
Call ended, patient said it was "actually kinda fun", we'll talk again next week.

This sort of thing keeps happening. Patients absorbing bills they shouldn’t owe and can’t afford to pay, not sure how to fix it, who to call, embarrassed that they need help.

Started putting together some stuff to hopefully help you avoid the same trap? Preparing for appointments has come up a bunch. Whether you're doing some family planning, exploring alternatives to starting a medication, or deciding if surgery is right for you, maybe this handbook can help?

If you do take a look, maybe you want to reply here and share?
-Anything in there that shouldn’t have been?
-Anything missing?
-Anything good enough to tell a friend about?

Marcus

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