Ep. 10: A $150,000 medical bill negotiated down to $5,000 and other tips with Michelle Katz

For this episode of the Surviving Healthcare podcast, you will hear ideas for cutting your healthcare costs. To do that, I will speak to a woman who literally wrote the book - two of them, in fact - Michelle Katz. Years ago, she wrote "Healthcare for less." Her newest book, "Healthcare Made Easy," just came out, and it promises to help people cut their bills by a lot. Michelle is a nurse who is dedicated to turning people into better healthcare consumers. She once negotiated a $150,000 medical bill down to about $5,000.

We engage in a wide-ranging discussion of medical pricing, and Michelle recommends some best practices for getting prices, including the best time to call the hospital and how to speak to them. She also suggests websites and smartphone apps that you can use to save money, as well.

You will hear a discussion about the nuts and bolts of the Affordable Care Act. She gives us tips for navigating the ACA during open enrollment, including:

 

·         How to evaluate a provider.

·         How to use the "free look provision" to make sure a plan is right..

·         Why you should examine your bank statement closely.

·         Why you should never panic.

There are also great strategies for getting healthcare, even if you don't have insurance. We also looked at the future of healthcare, which she thinks could feature more empowered patients.

To read more about this episode or check out other guests and topics, visit surivivinghealthcarepodcast.com