Patient uses AI to reduce hospital bill by 83%(AI를 활용한 환자, 병원비 83% 절감)

 AUTHOR: Keith Pleas on 11/12/2025

A post on X (was Twitter) offers an interesting twist –

"한 남자가 @AnthropicAI Claude를 이용해 19만 5천 달러의 병원비를 3만 3천 달러로 줄였습니다. 변호사도 아니고, 병원 관리자도 아니고, 월 20달러짜리 Claude Plus 구독을 통해서였습니다. 그는 항목별 청구서를 업로드했습니다. Claude는 중복된 시술 코드, 불법적인 "이중 청구", 그리고 메디케어 규정에서 명시적으로 금지하는 혐의를 발견했습니다. 그리고 이를 통해 모든 위반 사항을 지적하는 서한을 작성했습니다. 병원은 청구 금액을 83%나 줄였습니다. 이는 단순히 기분 좋은 이야기가 아닙니다. AI가 앞으로 실제로 무엇을 할 것인지 보여주는 예고편입니다. 불투명성 위에 구축된 시스템을 평평하게 만드는 것입니다. 병원, 보험 회사, 법률 회사 모두 비대칭성에 의존합니다. 그들이 승리하는 이유는 동일한 데이터와 코드에 접근할 수 없기 때문입니다." 책이든, 언어든. 클로드는 한 사람에게 규정 준수 부서와 같은 영향력을 부여했습니다. 정말 혁명입니다. AI가 일자리를 대체할 거라고 생각했는데, 알고 보니 변명을 대체하고 있더군요."

Image Generated by Author Using AI

A family successfully used the AI chatbot Claude to reduce a deceased relative's hospital bill from $195,000 to $33,000, an 83% reduction. The AI identified numerous billing errors, including duplicate charges and improper coding, enabling the family to negotiate a significantly lower amount. 

How AI Was Used to Dispute the Bill

After a relative died following four hours of intensive care for a heart attack, the family received a bill for nearly $200,000. The bill was vague, so the family requested an itemized statement, which they then fed into Anthropic's Claude AI, available via a $20/month subscription. 

The AI analyzed the complex charging codes and found several irregularities:

• Duplicate charges: The hospital had billed for both a master procedure and its individual components separately, essentially double-billing for the same services.
• Improper coding: The AI flagged that some items were classified incorrectly, such as billing the case as inpatient rather than an emergency.
• Violations of Medicare rules: Claude identified charges that explicitly violated Medicare guidelines, providing a strong basis for the dispute. 

Guided by these findings, the family used the AI to draft formal letters to the hospital's billing department. These letters cited specific violations and threatened legal action, negative publicity, and appearances before legislative committees. 

The Outcome and Implications

The hospital initially suggested charity care, but faced with the detailed, evidence-based challenge, it eventually re-evaluated the charges and settled on $33,000. 

This case highlights how AI tools can level the playing field for patients in navigating the complex and often opaque US healthcare billing system. While the story has not been independently verified by all sources, it demonstrates the potential for AI to empower consumers by providing access to the kind of compliance analysis previously reserved for industry insiders or expensive legal teams. 

Studies indicate that up to 80% of medical bills contain errors, and AI is emerging as a powerful tool for individuals to scrutinize and challenge these discrepancies. Patients considering this approach should exercise caution regarding data privacy and ensure they review the AI's output carefully.