Member Letter: Make sure you get a cash-pay discount

Last year I had emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix. At the hospital I was told cash-pay patients are automatically given a discount of 50-75 percent if they agree to pay a minimal fee upfront. I paid less than $200 of “good faith” money in order to seal the discount. When I finally got the bill, however, there was no discount listed, but instead the entire amount of $41,410 was billed to me! I had to call and remind them that I was a cash-pay patient and that they had promised me a significant discount. You need to keep an eye on your bills and make sure they’re right. You have to communicate and let them know you want the discount and are willing to pay it off. They sent me a new bill reflecting the discount, and in the end I ended up paying about $10,000 for an initial bill of over $41,000!
Donna, Virginia