Need advice on negotiating medical bills for denied insurance coverage

Hello everyone,

I'm seeking advice on how to negotiate my medical bill of $5000 with the hospital.

This is for a procedure (capsule endoscopy) I had in 2021 for my Crohn's disease.Unfortunately, my insurance BCBSIL recently denied coverage for this procedure as they considered it experimental.

Here are the steps I have taken after receiving the bill:

I tried to appeal the insurance decision with my doctor's statement stating that the procedure was necessary, but they still denied it for consider it experimental and insist it’s an issue between me and the hospital.

The hospital claims that they’ve contacted the insurance to ensure this procedure did not require prior authorization.

I filed an external appeal two weeks ago, but I haven't received a response yet.

I requested a detailed and itemized bill, and the hospital informed me that I'll receive it in two weeks.

I filed a Grievance with BCBSIL because they ignored my appeal multiple times during the case, and they gave me a denial without even reading my appeal materials. However, I’m not sure if this will give them pressure to overturn their decision.

I've contacted the hospital's billing department multiple times, but they won't offer any discounts or settlements since I was under insurance. They only offered me a payment plan, which is still a burden for me. And the hospital told me they’ll send the bill to collector soon. However, a representative today gave me a number of the main office and suggested that I try to negotiate with them.

At this point, I believe that my only option is to negotiate with the hospital to lower my bill. I would appreciate any advice, suggestions, or skills on how to approach the hospital and reduce my medical bills. I would also be grateful if anyone has any other ideas or options that I haven't considered yet. Thank you all in advance for your help!