Medical debt can feel overwhelming, confusing, and deeply unfair — especially when you did everything “right” and still ended up with a bill you don’t understand. In this episode of Financial Fitness with The Money Doctor, Frances Rahaim, Ph.D., and co-host Jess Tyler welcome Dr. Virgie Bright Ellington, an internal medicine physician, medical billing expert, and fierce patient advocate who says something most people never hear: medical bills are often wrong — and patients have more power than they realize.
Dr. Virgie, author of What Your Doctor Wants You to Know to Crush Medical Debt and founder of Crush Medical Debt Finance Wellness, pulls back the curtain on the medical billing system and explains why the financial side of healthcare is a completely different “universe” from the care patients receive. With clarity and compassion, she walks listeners through why basic medical financial literacy is essential — not to game the system, but to protect yourself from errors, overcharges, and unnecessary financial stress.
This is an empowering, eye-opening conversation for anyone who has ever opened a medical bill with a knot in their stomach. Rather than shame or fear, Dr. Rahaim and Dr. Virgie focus on knowledge, confidence, and practical steps that help patients ask better questions, spot red flags, and advocate for themselves without feeling intimidated.
If medical debt has ever made you feel stuck, ashamed, or powerless, this episode is a reminder that understanding is the first step toward relief — and that you’re not alone in navigating it.
Watch the full episode of Financial Fitness with The Money Doctor below.