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Episode 136: What I wish I knew about…medical billing

November 5, 2025

Guest: Jules Nowak, Financial literacy & NICU Mom

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by a medical bill, this episode is for you. Jules Nowak—NICU parent and founder of The Medical Bill Academy—talks about the often-overlooked financial side of a NICU stay. From surprise bills to navigating insurance denials, Jules shares her personal journey through a 73-day NICU experience and the lessons that inspired her to help other families protect their financial health.

In this episode, we chat about:

- What Jules wishes she had known going into her NICU experience: emotionally, financially, and logistically
- How the NICU experience changed how she saw the healthcare and insurance system in the U.S., uncovering that parents would benefit from more information and guidance on medical billing, and leading her to start The Medical Bill Academy
- Advice for NICU parents feeling overwhelmed by bills and common mistakes NICU parents make when it comes to medical bills or insurance claims
- Pratical tools, terms, or strategies she teaches parents at The Medical Bill Academy that could help NICU families today
- One thing Jules wishes she would’ve known about protecting her financial health

About the guest

Jules Nowak, hand to hold nicu babies parent support podcast

Jules Nowak is the founder of Medical Bill Academy, a digital education platform dedicated to helping individuals—and even employers—understand and manage their U.S. health insurance and medical billing effectively. As a Financial Health Literacy Educator, she distills complex healthcare jargon and procedures into clear, actionable guidance. Her journey began after facing overwhelming personal circumstances: navigating her husband’s rare illness and her newborn’s life-threatening diagnosis. With a master’s degree in accounting, Jules applied her expertise to decode medical bills, saving significant time and money. Her experience inspired her mission to empower others to do the same.