Few things say “welcome to adulthood” quite like opening a medical bill and realizing you have absolutely no idea what you're looking at. There are billing codes, insurance adjustments, deductibles, coinsurance, and somehow a procedure that costs one amount on one line costs something completely different on another.

In this episode of Grown-Up Stuff, Matt and Lea tackle the confusing world of medical bills and healthcare costs with patient advocate and healthcare transparency expert Cynthia Fisher. They break down how medical billing actually works, what all those codes and numbers mean, and why the amount a hospital says it charges isn't necessarily the amount you’ll pay.

You'll learn how insurance-negotiated rates, deductibles, copays and coinsurance factor into your final bill, why it's worth asking for an itemized bill, and what to do when something doesn't look right. Cynthia also explains how to question charges, negotiate medical bills, and advocate for yourself when you're faced with a bill you can't, or don't think you should have to, pay.

Because being a grown-up means knowing how to make a doctor's appointment. But apparently it also means knowing what to do when the bill arrives.

Few things say &ldquo;welcome to adulthood&rdquo; quite like opening a medical bill and realizing you have absolutely no idea what you're looking at. There are billing codes, insurance adjustments, deductibles, coinsurance, and somehow a procedure that costs one amount on one line costs something completely different on another.
In this episode of Grown-Up Stuff, Matt and Lea tackle the confusing world of medical bills and healthcare costs with patient advocate and healthcare transparency expert Cynthia Fisher. They break down how medical billing actually works, what all those codes and numbers mean, and why the amount a hospital says it charges isn't necessarily the amount you&rsquo;ll pay.
You'll learn how insurance-negotiated rates, deductibles, copays and coinsurance factor into your final bill, why it's worth asking for an itemized bill, and what to do when something doesn't look right. Cynthia also explains how to question charges, negotiate medical bills, and advocate for yourself when you're faced with a bill you can't, or don't think you should have to, pay.
Because being a grown-up means knowing how to make a doctor's appointment. But apparently it also means knowing what to do when the bill arrives.

Do your eyes glaze over when looking at a long list of annual health insurance enrollment options – or maybe while you’re trying to calculate how much you owe the IRS? You might be wondering the same thing we are: Where’s the guidebook for all of this grown-up stuff? Whether opening a bank account, refinancing student loans, or purchasing car insurance (...um, can we just roll the dice without it?), we’re just as confused as you are. 

Enter: “Grown-Up Stuff: How to Adult” a podcast dedicated to explaining the complexities of adulting for which most of us are woefully under-prepared. In each episode, we seek out folks who can actually help us start to make sense of all the basic life skills required to be, well, a grown-up.

Do your eyes glaze over when looking at a long list of annual health insurance enrollment options – or maybe while you’re trying to calculate how much you owe the IRS? You might be wondering the same thing we are: Where’s the guidebook for all of this grown-up stuff? Whether opening a bank account, refinancing student loans, or purchasing car insurance (...um, can we just roll the dice without it?), we’re just as confused as you are. 
Enter: “Grown-Up Stuff: How to Adult” a podcast dedicated to explaining the complexities of adulting for which most of us are woefully under-prepared. In each episode, we seek out folks who can actually help us start to make sense of all the basic life skills required to be, well, a grown-up.

Grown-Up Stuff: How to Adult

Medical Bills for Grown-Ups

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/b7fef265-d77b-48a9-b2d6-b4a9012b54ef/transcript