Medical Bills Are Confusing for Nearly 40% of Adults, Survey Finds

Almost 40 percent of Americans are confused by their medical bills, with many feeling uncertain about what they are being billed for or if they will be able to pay, according to a survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of healthcare operations company AKASA.

The survey reflects responses from 2,026 adults 18 years and older, gathered between March 9 and March 14, 2022.

Respondents were asked to rate how confusing medical bills are to understand on a scale from one to five, with one indicating not confusing at all and five being extremely confusing.

Eleven percent of participants found medical bills not confusing at all, 14 percent leaned toward medical bills not being confusing, and 37 percent were neutral on the confusion of medical bills.

Meanwhile, a combined 38 percent of respondents found medical bills either somewhat or extremely confusing.

The survey also asked respondents to rank their frustrations surrounding the financial experience after receiving healthcare services. The top concern was understanding what they were being billed for, with 29 percent of individuals citing this frustration. Twenty-seven percent of respondents said they were most concerned about their ability to pay the bill.

Nearly a quarter of adults were frustrated about not getting a medical bill until weeks after receiving care, while 20 percent were uncertain if their final bill would be consistent with the estimate.

“The rise of high-deductible health plans, the uncertainty of what’s being billed, the complexities of in- and out-of-network charges, and how much patients are on the hook for makes understanding and managing medical bills challenging for many families,” Amy Raymond, vice president of revenue cycle operations at AKASA, said in the press release. “Additionally, as errors in medical bills persist, patients should be diligent in reviewing their bills to ensure they’re getting an accurate bill.”

Respondents were also asked which actions would help them best understand how much they are expected to pay for healthcare.

Almost 3 in 10 (27 percent) said a call before the procedure from the physician’s office or hospital staff that walked them through payment plan options and payment expectations would help. Twelve percent of individuals said an online calculator to help determine cost ranges for services would help, while 11 percent would benefit from an email from the insurance company breaking down the bill after receiving care.

A smaller share of respondents said they would benefit from a call from the insurance company (9 percent), access to live online customer service through their health plan’s website (9 percent), or a call from the physician’s office to discuss their medical bill after receiving care (8 percent).

Past data has found that enrollment in high-deductible health plans, low income levels, and uninsurance were linked to a greater likelihood of medical bill problems. For example, 20 percent of adults enrolled in plans with a deductible of $3,000 or more reported facing issues with paying medical bills compared to 12.3 percent of adults with no deductibles.

Financial assistance programs, such as payment plans, offered by healthcare providers can help patients understand and manage their medical bills. However, 64 percent of consumers said they didn’t know if their physicians or hospitals offered these resources, according to a separate survey conducted by YouGov.