Financial Fitness With The Money Doctor, January 25, 2026

Financial Fitness With The Money Doctor with Frances Rahaim, Ph.D. "The Money Doctor" Financial Fitness - Guest, Dr Virgie Ellington on Crushing Medical Debt Medical debt is one of the biggest financial stressors in the U.S., and according to today’s guest, most medical bills contain errors. In this episode of Financial Fitness with The Money Doctor, Frances Rahaim, Ph.D., (The Money Doctor) and co-host Jess Tyler welcome Dr. Virgie Bright Ellington, an internal medicine physician, medical billing expert, and fierce patient advocate. Dr. Virgie is the author of What Your Doctor Wants You to Know to Crush Medical Debt and founder of Crush Medical Debt Finance Wellness. You’ll hear a practical, empowering conversation about how billing is a completely different “universe” from the care you receive, and why patients need basic medical financial literacy to protect themselves. In this episode: • Why 8–9 out of 10 medical bills may contain errors • Why the first bill often isn’t a real bill • How to spot a legitimate bill using CPT codes (and what to ask for if they’re missing) • What a UB-04 form is and why it matters • How to use the Medicare rate as a benchmark when disputing charges • What balance billing is, and how people get trapped by it • Dr. Virgie’s powerful personal story as a two-time breast cancer survivor, and how predatory billing helped spark her mission Dr. Virgie also shares her simple three-step process to help people confirm what they truly owe, dispute errors, and negotiate a fair payment plan. Learn more about Dr. Virgie: crushmeddebt.com