A new study published on August 30 in JAMA Health Forum reveals that patients who contest unexpected medical bills frequently receive some form of financial relief. The study highlights that while many people are hesitant to challenge medical bills, those who do often find the effort worthwhile.

According to the survey, about 1 in 5 Americans reported receiving a medical bill they either disagreed with or found too expensive to pay. Of those, nearly 62% contacted a billing office to address their concerns, with most who reached out reporting that they either received payment assistance or had their bill corrected.

Lead investigator Erin Duffy, Ph.D., director of research training at the University of Southern California's Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, emphasized the importance of advocating for oneself in these situations. "Many people are hesitant to pick up the phone to question the accuracy of a problematic medical bill or explore financial options, but our findings indicate it’s worthwhile and typically takes less than one hour," Duffy said in a news release.

The survey, conducted between August and October 2023, involved 1,135 U.S. adults. The results showed that about 74% of those who contacted the billing office about an error had the mistake corrected. Additionally, 76% received some form of financial relief for an unaffordable bill, and 62% were able to negotiate a lower price.

Most respondents who challenged their bills did so by phone, with the vast majority reporting that the process took less than an hour and that they were treated respectfully by billing staff.

Interestingly, the study found that the likelihood of receiving a problematic bill was not significantly influenced by the type of health insurance, education level, or income. However, individuals without a college degree, with lower financial literacy, or lacking health insurance were less likely to contact a billing office, suggesting that those already vulnerable to medical debt are less inclined to dispute bills that could further strain their finances.

For those who did not contact the billing office, 86% believed that doing so would not make a difference. The researchers suggest that providing patients with more detailed information about charges and payment options could encourage more people to contest their bills.

Erin Trish, Ph.D., co-director of the USC Schaeffer Center, called for simpler billing processes and greater transparency to better support patients. "Current healthcare billing practices generally require patients to practice a lot of self-advocacy, and those who cannot self-advocate well are missing opportunities for financial relief," Trish said. "Simpler billing processes and more transparency about financial options could make the system work better for patients."

This study underscores the importance of self-advocacy in navigating healthcare billing and highlights the potential for financial relief through challenging inaccurate or unaffordable medical bills.