A listener’s doctor wanted her credit card info up front — before her appointment. She wondered: Do I need to give it to them? We did too.
After all, who wants the risk of being overcharged — and then having to fight for money back?
Experts gave us their best advice, including a couple of tricks to try, and a legal protection you may be able to rely on.
Meanwhile, Elisabeth Rosenthal, senior contributing editor at KFF Health News, filled us in on the rapid growth of medical debt as a financial product, including specialized credit cards and financing plans pushed by hospitals and other providers.
They can come with steep interest rates, and (surprise, surprise) the terms aren’t always spelled out clearly.
The federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been issuing reports, including a handy FAQ, but hasn’t taken enforcement action in a decade.
Here’s a transcript of this episode.
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Badass volunteers help Jared level up, in the fight to crush medical debt
A whole book about fighting effed-up medical bills? Yes, please.
Want to write a killer letter to insurance? Meet Jeannine.
Mini-episode: One guy skirts a medical-bill trap, and shares the secret.
Why picking the right insurance is so hard (bonus/encore)
Programming note: We're working on some cool new stuff.
Who's been trying to cash in on COVID vaccinations? (And how did racism help them out?)
Revisiting insulin, as relevant (and expensive) as ever
A legal strategy for erasing billions in medical debt— that works—from a 60-second video.
A former "bad guy" lawyer shows us how the dark machinery works. And our rights.
Mini-episode: Two small doses of good news
A 21st-century Christmas Carol: How one Scrooge became a health-care whistleblower
From our reporter's notebook: What we learned in 2020, and what's ahead, with T.K. Dutes
Fight! My family tries to pick health insurance for next year. COVID makes it harder.
Andy Slavitt gives us a COVID check-in from 40,000 feet
How to avoid a big bill for your COVID test: with Sarah Kliff of the New York Times
How to Keep Cool in a Tough Moment: A self-defense expert breaks it down
David v Goliath: How to beat a big hospital (using small claims court)
How to handle debt collectors, with the TikTok Mom and a legal expert
Your TikTok Mom has some medical-bill tips, and a hell of a story
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