How to handle out-of-control medical bills without going crazy (or broke)

When it feels like astronomical medical bills are too confusing to fight, how do you afford the cost of care?

Several years ago, I received a bad medical bill: $150 for an in-network doctor’s appointment that my health insurance was supposed to cover with a $30 co-pay. After multiple long and frustrating phone calls over several weeks—during which time nothing was resolved—I gave up and wrote a check for $150.