Medical bills: Costly surprises and complicated rules

Re: “A homegrown solution for surprise medical bills,” (TNT, 12/13).

I appreciated Dr. Stangl’s op-ed and that lawmakers are looking into new ways to keep healthcare costs in check. I’ve also experienced unexpected medical bills.

Years ago, my daughter’s brain surgeon was a preferred provider but the hospital wasn’t, so we were hit with a $25,000 bill. Last year we were responsible for a $1,000 lab bill because the lab we’d used previously was no longer in-contract.

This year I spent over three hours on the phone with three insurance company representatives determining which labs we could use. If they have such a difficult time explaining their own policies, how is it an average person supposed to understand?

Whatever new laws are enacted, I am certain that the insurance industry will come up with new ways to ensure their profit margins aren’t impacted. Every year there are ever more complicated rules and restrictions on health insurance policies.

It makes it very hard to choose a health plan and compare costs when you have to be a lawyer to understand what you are buying from the insurance company.

This story was originally published December 21, 2019 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Medical bills: Costly surprises and complicated rules."