📬 What is this letter actually telling me?

Hi there,

Have you ever opened a letter from your insurance company, read it twice, and still not been sure what it was telling you? Maybe it used a phrase like "explanation of benefits," or a charge on a bill didn't make sense. You could call and ask. But part of us doesn't want to sound like we don't know what a word means. So the letter sits on the counter for a while.

By the end of this, you'll:

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Everyone has a few. What does "APR" actually mean? What's the difference between a will and a trust? What's this line on my phone bill?

ChatGPT is good at these. It doesn't sigh, it doesn't hurry you, and you can ask the same thing three different ways until it makes sense. Nobody's watching. You can even say, "Explain it like I'm a smart beginner," and it will.

You wouldn't be the first to try it, either. An AARP survey found that about four in ten AI users over 50 have already asked one a health question.

A doctor at Harvard Health sorts these questions in a way I like. Some are green light: "Explain what this word on my lab report means," or "What is hypertension?" ChatGPT handles those well.

Others are red light: "Should I take this medication?" or "Is this the right treatment for me?" Those need a person who knows you. His advice to his own patients on red-light questions is simple: just don't.

The same idea works outside health. "What does this line on my bill mean?" is green. "Should I cancel this policy?" is a question for the company, or for someone you trust.

And keep private things private. Mayo Clinic's advice is plain: don't share your full name, birth date, address, account numbers or records. Leave them out. ChatGPT can explain a letter without knowing whose letter it is.

1. Pick one thing that's confused you lately: a letter, a bill, a word.

2. Copy the prompt below, fill in the parts in brackets, and paste it into ChatGPT.

3. Read the answer. If part of it still doesn't make sense, just say so: "I still don't get the second part."

Copy this, fill in the parts in brackets, and paste it into ChatGPT.

Act as a patient friend who's good at explaining things in plain English. I'm trying to understand [WHAT CONFUSED ME: A WORD, A LINE ON A BILL, OR A PARAGRAPH FROM A LETTER]. Here it is: [TYPE OR PASTE IT HERE, WITH NAMES, ACCOUNT NUMBERS AND ADDRESSES LEFT OUT].

Please:

1. Explain what it means in everyday words, as if I'm a smart beginner.

2. Give me one simple example.

3. Tell me if it asks me to do anything, and by when, if it says.

4. List any questions I should ask the company or a professional before I act.

Keep it short. If you're not sure what something means, say so clearly, and don't make anything up. If this is about my health, money or a legal matter, remind me to check with someone qualified before I decide anything.

The letter on the counter stops being a small worry. You understand it, or you know exactly what to ask when you call. That's a much easier phone call.

ChatGPT can still get things wrong, so read its answer the way you'd take advice from a well-read friend who isn't an expert. If something matters, check it with the source.

If you don't, that's fine too. You'll call, or ask someone, the way you always have. It just takes a little more nerve.

Find one confusing thing this week and run it through the prompt above. See how the explanation lands.

If you try it, hit reply with one word: "letter," "bill" or "word," whichever you tried. Only if you feel like it.

Talk soon,
Bob

A short story from my place – years on the road, and the slow honest search for a way home. No sales in it.

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