ROBERTS: Medical billing odds are against you

I have been a physician for 35 years. The vast majority of my practice has been in the nonprofit setting, where I have had the privilege of treating patients regardless of ability to pay. I used to be able to remain blissfully ignorant of what insurance my patients had; I didn’t want it to influence my treatment recommendations. Insurance companies took that luxury away, demanding not only that we are aware of which company and plan, but also that we beg permission (known as prior authorization) to do anything.

We now have — roughly — three main groups of patients: those with insurance (with varying degrees of co-pay); the truly indigent without coverage or resources; and...