Tips and tricks for negotiating with Hospital?

[Onamuji]

First, take another look at your bill. It may not be the tests cost so much, but the doctor. It occasionally happens that the practice or hospital has a deal with the insurance company, but the physician you happen to see or the phlebotomist or in-house (or outside) testing company is out of network. If this is the case, you may be able to fix it in the future by simply requesting only in-network care.

As for negotiating with a clinic, dunno. Worth calling and inquiring.

Hospital billing departments will often have policies to carve up to 50% off of a bill with a cash offer for the remainder. (Contrary to what they say in self-help articles, they usually follow strict bureaucratic procedures with pre-defined tiers for these kinds of discounts and are only willing to actually negotiate when they get served with a lawsuit.)

[Dennis S]

I have heard that some personnel within an in-network place can be out-of-network.

[Racer X]

Dennis S wrote:
I have heard that some personnel within an in-network place can be out-of-network.

Yup. We got nailed at an urgent care clinic last year. 5 of the 6 docs on staff were aligned with my partner's insurance co. She got the 6th.