Explain a patient's bill with the balance math first

About this exercise

A patient called billing confused about a statement. Write a reply for the portal: the balance she owes in the first sentence, then the math on one line (charges - insurance paid - adjustment = balance), then one sentence on payment options, under 60 words, plain text. Use the corrected insurance payment, and don't give advice about appealing or changing insurance. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

• Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for "under 60 words" and it often lands well over. Try: Cap each part instead: "3 sentences, each under 18 words."
• Using the statement's balance. The printed balance is $125, and the AI repeats it. Try: Add: "Use the Nov 2 corrected insurance payment of $292; balance is $95."
• Not showing the math. The AI states a number without how it got there, so she still can't follow her bill. Try: Add: "Show it on one line: charges - insurance - adjustment = balance."
• Giving insurance advice. The AI suggests appealing or calling to dispute. Try: Add: "No advice about appeals or insurance changes."
• Ignoring where it will be pasted. AI loves bold and headings, which show up as stray ** and # symbols in the patient portal. Try: Name the place and the format: "For the patient portal. Plain text, no bold or headings."

What a strong prompt includes

• Uses the corrected payment
• Puts the balance first
• Shows the math
• Rules out advice
• Sets a word limit

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