April 8, 2025
Many patients simply accept their medical bills without question. Review every statement carefully, and don't hesitate to ask for an itemized bill. Nurses, hospital administrators, and medical billing companies each have input on a patient’s final statement, and an itemized bill can allow patients or their advocates to check for duplicates, mistakes, and fees that should have been covered by insurance.
Mistakes happen, including billing for services not rendered or overcharging for procedures. Checking for errors on medical bills is important, as these can often occur and lead to billing disputes.
Read: How do you negotiate a hospital bill without insurance?
Many resources can help patients and their families limit the amount of money they pay for healthcare. Discuss outstanding balances and payment options with a hospital’s medical billing, member services, or patient advocacy departments to help knock off any unnecessary fees and correct any mistakes on an itemized bill. You can suggest a payment plan that fits your budget.
Many providers are willing to accept smaller payments over an extended period instead of the total amount upfront. Also explore external assistance from various organizations and non-profits that exist to help those struggling with medical debt.
It’s helpful to do some research on typical pricing for the services you received. This information isn’t always easy to pin down, since prices can vary widely by geographic area, provider, patient insurance status, and more.
But tools like Medicare’s price database can help give you a frame of reference. You can also try to find hospitals or health systems in your area that post their price lists online. You can use sites like Healthcare Bluebook to determine if a provider overcharged you for a service.
Call your provider’s billing department and ask whether they offer financial assistance, since many hospitals and health systems provide free or discounted care to certain patients. Eligibility for these programs can be surprisingly broad, sometimes including people whose incomes put them several times above the federal poverty level. Nonprofit hospital systems tend to have particularly robust charity-care programs.
The most important thing to remember when negotiating your medical bills is to start the process early. It’s much more challenging to negotiate payment terms when it’s close to being due rather than having weeks to work with. You should contact a billing department representative, your healthcare provider’s billing agency, and your health insurance company, if you have one, as soon as you receive a bill or an explanation of benefits (EOB).
Read: How do you negotiate medical bills after insurance to maximize savings?
