Never Pay the First Bill, Marshall Allen
Never Pay the First Bill, Marshall Allen
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Never Pay the First Bill
And Other Ways to Fight the Health Care System and Win

Author: Marshall Allen

Narrator: Marshall Allen

Unabridged: 7 hr 17 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 06/22/2021

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included


Synopsis

From award-winning ProPublica reporter Marshall Allen, a primer for anyone who wants to fight the predatory health care system--and win.

Every year, millions of Americans are overcharged and underserved while the health care industry makes record profits. We know something is wrong, but the layers of bureaucracy designed to discourage complaints make pushing back seem impossible. At least, this is what the health care power players want you to think.

Never Pay the First Bill is the guerilla guide to health care the American people and employers need. Drawing on 15 years of investigating the health care industry, reporter Marshall Allen shows how companies and individuals have managed to force medical providers to play fair, and shows how you can, too. He reveals the industry's pressure points and how companies and individuals have fought overbilling, price gouging, insurance denials, and more to get the care they deserve. Laying out a practical plan for protecting yourself against the system's predatory practices, Allen offers the inspiration you need and tried-and-true strategies such as:

Analyze and contest your medical bills, so you don't pay more than you should
Obtain the billing codes for a procedure in advance
Write in an appropriate treatment clause before signing financial documents
Get your way by suing in small claims court

Few politicians and CEOs have been willing to stand up to the medical industry. It is up to the American people to equip ourselves to fight back for the sake of our families--and everyone else.

* This audiobook includes a downloadable PDF which contains sample letters, advice, and more resources from the printed book.

About The Author

Marshall Allen is a reporter for ProPublica, where he covers the health care industry. He is a Pulitzer Prize finalist and recipient of the Harvard Kennedy School's Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting. He teaches investigative reporting at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York, and has spoken at various conferences across the country. Prior to journalism, he spent five years in full-time ministry, including three years in Kenya.


Reviews

Goodreads review by David on May 27, 2021

There appears to be no bottom to the deception, self-dealing and criminal behavior that is the US healthcare system. In Never Pay The First Bill, healthcare investigative reporter Marshall Allen has collected a well-rounded and well thought-through range of stories to understand the enemy, and succe......more

Goodreads review by Camille on October 24, 2021

Everyone using the US health care system needs to read this book. I read it because I recently had to go to the ER, spent four hours there and now owe about $4000 (I have crappy insurance; without the crappy insurance it would have been over $7000). Thanks to this book's advice, I was at least able......more

Goodreads review by ✨ABookGirl✨memoirs are my jam✨ on August 26, 2024

This book is dedicated to anyone who’s been pushed around by the healthcare system. It is a specific guide on how to avoid being one of the millions of people being taken advantage of by the health care industry. The book is told in three parts: how to fight back, how to avoid the fight in the first......more

Goodreads review by Mona on October 18, 2021

Just a mere fact, that this book happen to occur, is quite telling about American healthcare system. The book is exactly what the title and cover suggest- compilation of tips how to fight medical bills. It's a manual and needs to be treated as such. Nothing more, nothing less. Good guidance for lay p......more

Goodreads review by Jon on April 11, 2023

This book is extremely practical and useful, and I recommend it for every American who needs healthcare (which is every American). Straightforward tactics and principles to "fight the system" and overcome unjust/predatory practices in healthcare. Do read it, because it isn't just a guide on how to r......more