Medical bill guides
What to check, who to call, and what to say. Written for people looking at a bill right now.
Before you pay
Check the bill, get what you need, and ask for what you're owed.
How to dispute a hospital bill
The order to do things in, who to call first, and how to ask them to hold the account from collections while you sort it out.
How to request an itemized hospital bill
Why the summary statement isn't enough, what an itemized bill should include, and a request you can copy.
EOB vs. medical bill: how to compare them
Your insurer's Explanation of Benefits says "this is not a bill." Here's why it's still the most useful document you have.
Hospital financial assistance (charity care): who qualifies and how to apply
Nonprofit hospitals are required to have a financial assistance policy. Many people who qualify never ask.
How to get a refund when you overpaid a medical bill
Prepaid before insurance finished? Have a credit on your account? How to tell if you're owed money back and how to ask for it.
Bill higher than your Good Faith Estimate? How to dispute it
If you're uninsured or paying yourself, and a provider's bill is $400 or more above its estimate, there's a federal dispute process with a 120-day deadline.
Insurance problems
Surprise bills, denials, Medicaid and second plans.
Surprise medical bills and the No Surprises Act
If you got an out-of-network bill for emergency care, or from a doctor you didn't choose at an in-network hospital, federal law may protect you.
Your health insurance denied a claim: what to do
Most denials come down to paperwork: a missing authorization, a code, or an other-insurance question. How to find out why, who fixes it, and how to appeal.
Getting a medical bill while on Medicaid
Providers that accept Medicaid generally can't bill you for covered services beyond small copays. What to check and who to call.
Have two health insurance plans? Make sure both were billed
When you have two plans, the second often pays some or all of what the first leaves. Here's how to check it was billed.
Collections and credit
What to do when a bill has gone too far.
Got a collection letter for a medical bill? What to do first
Don't pay or agree to anything on the phone yet. How to make the collector prove the debt, get it back to the hospital, and protect your credit.
Does medical debt go on your credit report?
The current rules: small medical collections aren't reported, there's a one-year wait, and paid ones come off. What to do if one is on your report.
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