Can They Freaking DO That?!?

A woman got a bill from a medical testing lab she’s never heard of, for $35. Then, a follow-up bill said if she didn’t pay up right away, that price was going up , WAY up: to $1,287.

Which raises a question that comes up a LOT with medical billing: Can they freaking DO that?!?

Can some random lab hit you up for money , and then threaten you with a late fee of more than $1,000??

On this episode, we go find out.

The answer is: They can try. And a lot of the time, they’ll get away with it. But we found experts who explain how to fight back. If you’ve got the time and the moxie, they say you’re on solid legal ground, and you really can make the other side accept a fair offer.

“This is shooting fish in a barrel, from a contract-law perspective,” said Arizona University law professor Christopher Robertson.

Easier said than done , and more work than anybody should have to do , but you’ve got the law on your side.

So, listen up, and get psyched. And mad.

This was fun. We’ll do it again.  Next time you want to know, Can They Freaking DO That?!? … get in touch.

BONUS:

In the first half of this episode, we run down a rabbit hole called “surprise billing.” Private equity companies have been using it as a license to print money , or really, just take our money. It’s been going on for years.

Here’s a 30-second video that explains the scam: