I wish Frank Stephenson’s child a rapid recovery. With four children of my own, I was a frequent visitor to the emergency room. I don’t plan to enter a guess in Frank’s medical bill lottery. Before he picks a winner, he will have to first determine what he actually owes. In my experience, that is not too easy. Am I the only one that has trouble deciding whether a letter from the doctor’s office is actually a bill or simply a statement of past services that will be covered by my health insurance? Moreover, most of the time it is not even clear what past services are listed. When my mother was in the hospital she received bills from doctors who had apparently peaked into her room while she was unconscious. Of course, none of them bothered to indicate why they were visiting an unconscious woman. We tried to guess at that from the specialty listed on the envelope.

What particularly irks me is that these obtuse statements seem peculiar to the medical industry. My plumber sends me concise and informative statements. I know precisely what I am being billed for and how much remains to be paid.

Is there a reason for these poorly written communications from hospitals and physicians? Are their billing agencies uniquely inept or is there some other reason? Is it possible that vague statements produce multiple collections from the patient and from the insurer? There has to be an underlying rationale.