Skills Lab
Decoding the Bill: A Hands-On Skills Lab for Catching Errors, Appealing Denials, and Knowing Who to Call
Learning Objectives:
1. Identify the most common billing errors on itemized hospital statements, including duplicate charges, upcoding, unbundling, charges for canceled services, and room/level-of-care discrepancies.
2. Request and interpret an itemized bill (UB-04 / HCFA-1500) and cross-reference charges against the EOB, medical record, and CPT/HCPCS codes to flag discrepancies.
3. Draft a structured appeal letter that includes the key elements payers and hospital billing departments look for: medical necessity documentation, supporting codes, contract/policy references, and a clear requested remedy.
4. Map the escalation path for billing disputes, identifying the right internal contacts (patient financial services, billing supervisors, patient advocates, compliance officers, CFO office) and external avenues (state insurance commissioner, hospital nonprofit compliance, No Surprises Act helpline) to use when initial outreach stalls.
5. Apply a repeatable bill-review and appeals workflow to their own advocacy practice, using templates and checklists provided during the session.
About The Speaker –
Andrew Gordon, LSW / Marshall Allen Project
Andrew is a Licensed Social Worker, writer, advocate, and researcher dedicated to advancing transparency, affordability, and value in health care for patients, providers, and purchasers. He leads interview-driven research, engages industry leaders, and translates real patient experiences into clear insights that challenge the status quo. Nationally recognized, his current work is funded by a National Science Foundation grant through Princeton University.
Andrew has a blend of health care and business training — a master’s in social work from Rutgers University and a bachelor’s in marketing & entrepreneurship from Rider University. Before finding health care, he worked at tech startups, including early sales roles at a Khosla Venture backed Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company.
He writes patient victory stories for the Marshall Allen Project Substack, reaching nearly 10,000 readers each month, spotlighting how everyday people push back and win against unfair bills and opaque processes. His goal: elevate voices, surface what’s broken, and equip stakeholders with actionable findings that improve access and value.