Avoid & Combat Crushing Medical Debt w/ Dr. Virgie #716

Aug 30, 2023

Dr. Virgie Bright Ellington, a doctor and insurance executive, shares a three-step process to minimize medical debt. They discuss common medical bill errors, the importance of CPT codes, how to avoid outrageous bills, and negotiating and documenting medical bills. They also highlight organizations that assist with medical debt and end the podcast with a discussion on beer and road trips.

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Introduction

00:00 • 3min

Exploring the Impact of Medical Debt

02:52 • 14min

Understanding and Fighting Back Against Medical Bills

16:38 • 4min

Understanding CPT Codes and Avoiding Overcharging

21:07 • 13min

Negotiating Medical Bills and Documenting Agreements

34:17 • 7min

Resources and Organizations to Help with Medical Debt

40:55 • 11min

Discussion on Beer and Road Trips

51:54 • 2min

Our guest today has a three step process that will ensure that you’re paying as little as possible for your medical care! This is good to know because the leading cause of personal bankruptcy is… you guessed it, medical bills! An estimated 100 million Americans have amassed nearly $200 billion in medical debt, and nearly 1 in 5 adults have medical debt in collections according to a study by the Journal of the American Medical Association. And that’s why we’re happy to have Dr. Virgie Bright Ellington joining us today- as a doctor and an insurance executive, she has had an inside look at our broken healthcare system, and her book: Crush Medical Debt, outlines the steps that we need to take to ensure that we’re not paying money that we don’t owe. We discuss the most common medical bill ‘errors’, why it’s important to ask for CPT codes, what to do with the CPT codes once you have them, how to avoid getting outrageous bills to begin with, and much more today!

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