I used to be a lawyer (thankfully have since moved to a more rewarding career). My girlfriend at the time was erroneously billed $2000 for a procedure that the

I used to be a lawyer (thankfully have since moved to a more rewarding career). My girlfriend at the time was erroneously billed $2000 for a procedure that the insurance company had pre-approved but later denied the claim for. She had them recorded pre-approving, and they failed to decline her claim within the statutorily specified period anyway so it was a prime facie invalid denial. I had to write several letters, talk on the phone with their legal department for hours, and ultimately get the state insurance commission to initiate an investigation before getting them to back down. It took over 60 hours of work from a qualified attorney to handle a grossly invalid claim denial. Had I charged her at what was then my actual hourly rate, it would have cost $18000 to handle her $2k problem, for which she received no compensation. I honestly don't know how people get healthcare in this country without getting a law degree first.