Killer Billing Errors

But in the meantime, she encourages consumers with questions to speak to the patient advocates, consumer ombudsmen and billing specialists available in many hospitals.

"We strongly encourage consumers to be engaged," she said.

Darryl Goodale, the throat cancer patient, has been engaging over and over again with his hospital.

Even before the private consultant intervened on behalf of the Goodales to sort through their bills, Long Beach Memorial Medical Center offered to slash their $42,000 bill to $28,000, Ann Goodale said.

The Goodales countered with an $18,000 offer. "They should get the bill right and then give me a 30 percent discount if they want to," she said.

The hospital said in a written statement: "We understand Mr. Goodale's concerns with his insurance company's refusal to pay a significant portion of his hospitalization fees. We have worked with him and his insurance company to minimize the expenses related to his last hospitalization. As for the organization that reviewed Mr. Goodale's bill, we are unfamiliar with their experience in the health care field and their knowledge of medical billing practices." The hospital maintains that its bill is correct.

Citing privacy laws, Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose declined to comment on Carrozzo, the California woman baffled by the price of her ovarian surgery.

But in a written statement, the hospital said it helps patients "navigate their bill through processes established in the healthcare industry" and that "financial counselors are always willing to discuss patient bills."

Carrozzo resisted paying her bill for as long as she could -- about a year.

But then a collection agency started calling. Eventually, the hospital offered her a deal, she said: Pay $1,300 instead of $2,148.

"They even offered to have me put it on my Visa," she said. "Wasn't that nice of them?"

Carrozzo buckled and paid.

Staff researcher Richard Drezen contributed to this report.