Update: finally called the clinic about a $1,200 surprise charge and they cut it to $340
Turns out the person on the phone can just do that if you ask for a financial review, so who else has gotten a big medical charge knocked down just by calling?
Did they tell you what the financial review actually looks at, like income or just the bill itself? Curious because some places only do it if you're under a certain income and others just have a set discount they hand out. If it works without proof of anything, that changes how I'd handle my next bill.