How to Tackle a Surprise Medical Bill Like an Artist

"A month ago, I accompanied my daughter to what I thought was a routine doctor's office visit with a Mount Sinai doctor. Instead of the normal copay afterward, I was told not to worry about paying anything. Weeks later, I was hit with a surprise bill of $584, classified by my insurance as "after-deductible coverage." The anxiety and helplessness this caused are all too familiar to many patients stuck in our intentionally opaque and confusing health insurance system."

"I turned to the discovery skills I have as a pianist to learn a new "language"-to investigate, embrace complexity, decode patterns, and present my own interpretation with my own emphasis. While the language of health insurance companies is not geared toward ease of use, like all systems, it has to operate by certain rules. How do we figure out those rules and stay calm in the process?"

"Curiosity is an antidote to anxiety in the face of confusion. Psychological research shows that reframing a frustration as a challenge can alleviate stress and increase feelings of control. Even though the outcome is not all in our control, our positive attitude might even help win favor as we ask questions. Preparing our mindset is important for negotiations. Assume your audience (or the billing department) wants to listen to you and prioritize that connection."

An unexpected $584 after-deductible medical bill created anxiety and exposed the opacity of the health insurance system. Discovery skills from piano practice translate to learning the insurance "language": investigating rules, decoding patterns, and presenting interpretations with deliberate emphasis. Curiosity, reframing frustration as a challenge, and preparing mindset reduce stress and increase feelings of control, improving negotiation readiness. Approach representatives with the assumption that they can help and build rapport through calm, curious questions to foster cooperation. Negotiate claims using supporting evidence, prioritize connection with billing departments, and strategically work through complexity to resolve surprise medical charges.

Read at Psychology Today