"Never Pay the First Bill" is already helping people save BIG MONEY

It's so fulfilling to see people engaging with my book!

I wrote "Never Pay the First Bill: And Other Ways to Fight the Health Care System and Win," to equip and empower individuals and employers to push back against the unjustifiably high cost of health care. Working Americans are being broken financially by the system. My book shows what you can do about it. 

I've been writing professionally for more than 20 years. That's long enough to realize that many people will not read what I write, or show enthusiasm for it. So that's why I'm so deeply grateful to hear the positive response to the book. 

Pictured above is Bryce Heinbaugh, a benefits advisor in the Cleveland area. He believed so much in the book that he bought 200 copies so he could hand them out to his clients and prospects. Wow! Then he made a LinkedIn post about it, which included the photo of him in front of the wall of books. EPIC!

Another friend texted me and said she took my advice and saved $30 at the pharmacy counter by paying cash instead of running the drugs through her health plan. She loved the satisfaction of hacking the system and enjoyed a tidy savings. 

And then there's a FANTASTIC Amazon review of my book by a reader who goes by 888Jay. 888Jay said he was quoted an $1,800 price for a CT scan at a hospital imaging center. He hadn't met his deductible so would have to pay the whole price - which didn't even include the cost of the radiologist. He didn't give in. He went somewhere else. "Following Marshall Allen's advice, I found a local imaging center and paid $400 cash including radiologist!!" he wrote. 

YES!!! My book helped 888Jay save more than $1,400!!! That's a great return on his investment. We can fight back and win - saving hundreds or even thousands of dollars with every health care interaction. We won't always win. But we'll never win if we don't try. 

I also enjoyed many more interviews on podcasts and other media, including NPR's Weekend Edition. Some reviews have also come in, including this one where the reviewer says, "I highly recommend everyone in the United States reads this book..." I'll take it!

My book can help save individuals big money, and it can help employers save exponentially more if they get their workers equipped with it. Will you help share it with people in your network? Here's what you can do: 

1. Forward this email to your contacts, so they can hear this great news and pick up the book. Please tell others about the book!

2. If you haven't bought the book, please buy it. If you read it and liked it, please pick up copies for your loved ones! If you want to follow Bryce's lead and make a bulk buy, the discounts are great. Signed copies are also available.

3. Please leave a review on Amazon or wherever you buy your books. Those reviews help a lot.

4. Share a Victory Story. Maybe you're like 888Jay, where the how-to tips in the book or your own moxie helped you save money on health care. Please share your victory with me! They're coming in from readers and they're so encouraging. 

One other big piece of news from me: Last week I had my final day as a reporter at ProPublica! I start working today at the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, where I will investigate the way the federal government spends our taxpayer dollars on health care. I'm super excited about this new opportunity. And I'm so glad I can continue to promote my book and the health literacy video curriculum I'm developing with Allen Health Academy. 

Thank you so much for your enthusiasm for the book and your willingness to share it with others, so they can learn to better navigate our health care system. Much appreciated!