The Medical Bill Survival Guide: What You Need to Know Before You Pay a Dime [Mass Market Paperback]

Pat Palmer (Author), Martha Ellis (Author), Christopher Slone (Author)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; Reprint edition (August 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446608629
• ISBN-13: 978-0446608626
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,715,049 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars TRANSLATE THE GREEK OF YOUR HOSPITAL BILL TO COMMON SENSE, August 7, 2000

By 

Arthur L. Lund "alund" (GRAND JUNCTION, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Medical Bill Survival Guide: What You Need to Know Before You Pay a Dime (Mass Market Paperback)

If your or any of your friends or relatives have been into a hospital lately, you have noticed that as a patient you were probably treated well, but as a customer you were treated horribly. You would be hard pressed to find any other business that could survive the sort of gross arrogance and incompetence in the way it bills and collects from its customers.

If you assume that everyone--hospital administrators, doctors, and insurance companies alike--would genuinely want their bills to be correct and accurate, you are very very wrong.

This little book shows you through the experience of others, how you too can get your pocket picked, but even more important, it shows you how to protect yourself.

The author shows you how to: how to get a detailed itemized bill, how you can learn their language, how to recognize and reduce excessive charges, how to recognize and remove duplicate charges, how to recognize and reveal hidden charges, how to recognize and reject undocumented charges, how health insurance works today, how to fix some problems before they arise, how to recognize and reverse insurance denials,

Also included, are very helpful chapters on: helpful websites, and a directory of people who can help you get your money back.

The author is a leading consumer advocate for patients, and she gives you the knowledge that you need to fight back. The MEDICAL BILL SURVIVAL GUIDE will help you get back what's yours--and make sure you'll never have to spend an extra, unnecessary dime on the care you deserve, ever again.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Helped me save $11,000, August 31, 2001

By 

Happy and healthy (now) (Boulder, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Medical Bill Survival Guide: What You Need to Know Before You Pay a Dime (Mass Market Paperback)

It's hard enough going to the hospital. When the bill comes, it's overwhelming. I spent 3 weeks in the hospital and received a 20-page bill when my insurance tried to deny my claim. Using Pat's advice, I scrutinized my bills and medical records. I found billing errors (totalling almost $11,000) a huge medication error (we're filing a lawsuit about that one) and other "fun" surprises. It's amazing that they can run a business like this!

Some of the writing is pretty sensationalistic, which is annoying, and sometimes he takes 3 pages to say what he could have said in two paragraphs. But the information is valid and useful to someone like me who knew nothing about hospitals and billing. It only takes a few hours to read this book. It will open your eyes, help you take control and may even save you some money.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Invaluable information for health care consumers, October 23, 2000

By 

"bcnationwide" (Vancouver, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Medical Bill Survival Guide: What You Need to Know Before You Pay a Dime (Mass Market Paperback)

Everyone who pays medical bills will benefit from the easily-understood information contained in this book. This is a giant step toward the Patient's Financial Bill of Rights. THANK YOU, PAT!!