Labyrinth: A Historical Guide To Why American Medical Bills Became So Complicated And How They Can Get Better

Have you ever wondered why your hospital or doctor bill is so difficult to understand?

In LABYRINTH, Timothy J. Garrett, M.D., traces how American medical bills became so confusing, expensive, and difficult to challenge. Drawing on history, medicine, policy, and his own experience as a physician and healthcare executive, Garrett explains how centuries-old ideas about medical payment evolved into today’s maze of insurance claims, coding systems, hospital charges, denials, and appeals. Written for patients, providers, payers, and anyone who has ever stared at a medical bill in frustration, this book turns a complicated subject into a clear story. Along the way, readers learn why the system works the way it does, where it fails, and what can be done to make medical billing more understandable, fair, and humane.