In- or out-of-network health care costs: Patients can face huge bills

A reimbursement battle between insurance companies and health care providers has patients caught in the middle.

5 on Your Side first started investigating surprise medical bills in 2015.

Typically, the bills hit people who go to an emergency room or have a medical procedure at an in-network facility but are cared for by an out-of-network doctor. Some patients report receiving unexpected medical bills that soar into the thousands of dollars.

But consumers can and should fight back.

When Kate and Bill Linden were about to bring their new baby into the world, it was chaos as Kate was rushed into an emergency C-section operation.

"It's a life or death situation," Bill Linden said. The "baby has to come out now. Period. End of story."

But the story continued for the Lindens in the most unexpected way as the medical bills arrived, showing the family owed roughly $2,500.

Many phone calls later, Bill Linden found that it came down to an insurance network classification.

The anesthesiologist called in for the couple's baby birth was considered out-of-network, even though the hospital was in-network. Although it sounds simple enough to correct, the Lindens say it took 14 months to determine they did not owe the money.

"It was a lot," Bill Linden said. "It was a lot."

Consumer Reports Money Editor Penelope Wang says it is a problem that seems to be a common occurrence among many patients.

"There's a very good chance that your billing problem will drag on for weeks, months or even years, and it may never be resolved correctly," Wang said.

A Consumer Reports survey recently found two out of three people who'd had a major health expense in the past two years had experienced an issue with their bill. More than a third said they'd paid bills they weren't even sure they owed.

"They felt it was too much trouble or too much effort to fight," Wang said.

So what can patients do?

Bill Linden ultimately worked with a nonprofit patient advocacy group, which laid out the steps he should take to resolve his outstanding medical bills.

"This is the documentation you need to get, (and) this is who you chase down," Bill Linden said. "Send things certified mail."

Some patients can also retain a medical billing advocate for a fee. If the unexpected charge is one you actually owe, Wang suggests trying to negotiate with your provider.

Said Wang: "They may offer you a payment plan, or if you agree to pay in cash right away, they may discount the amount."