From a bottle of Tylenol that costs a hundred dollars to unexpected bills that can cost thousands-- or even more-- we have expert advice on lowering your hospital costs.

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Hospitals are complicated places-- certainly for the expertise required in the care they give-- but also for the way they have to navigate their finances.

For patients, this can sometimes mean a trip to the hospital ends with complicated billing statements, surprise charges and frustration.

"A lot of the patient complaints that rise to my level start with they didn't understand what was going to be covered and what would be out of pocket," says Diana Gernhart, a finance administrator at OHSU. She says ask yourself: do you know how much your deductible is for hospital visits? What tests are covered? And what's not?

Know before you go. And read the "exclusions" portion of your healthcare policy.

If you're headed in for a scheduled surgery or procedure-- call the hospital's billing department and find out in advance exactly what the room charge covers.

"Great idea. I think it's always best to be informed before your service even if it's a day surgery so there are no suprises," says Diana.

Find out if everyone who will treat you is covered by your policy: that includes surgeons, anesthesiologists, radiologists, and pathologists. Otherwise you could pay an increased fee or even get stuck paying the entire bill.

And, sometimes you end up in the hospital unexpectedly. By all means, after the fact, contact the hospital's billing department if you have any questions about your bill-- including miscellaneous fees. If it isn't obvious what the charge is about

About one third of every dollar spent on health care in this country is spent on people in the hospital-- making it the most expensive part of America's health care system.

EXTRA INFO: http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/reports/statbriefs/sb28.jsp