You have a bill. Now what?
A number without a next step is trivia. Here are the steps, in the order that works.
1. Ask for an itemized bill
The summary bill hospitals send first often hides what you were actually charged for. You are entitled to an itemized bill listing every billing code, its plain-language description, and its charge. Errors and surprise add-ons show up here — this is where most successful bill fights start.
What to say: “Please send me a fully itemized bill for account [number], listing each CPT/HCPCS code, its description, and its charge.”
Then paste it into our bill checker — we'll benchmark every line we can against that hospital's own posted prices.
2. If you were self-pay or uninsured: your Good Faith Estimate rights
Under the federal No Surprises Act, providers must give uninsured and self-pay patients a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) of expected charges — in writing, before scheduled care. You're entitled to a written GFE if you ask for one, or automatically once your care is scheduled 3 or more business days out. If you didn't get one, ask why. If you did, dig it out: it's the yardstick your bill is measured against. Details: cms.gov/medical-bill-rights.
3. If the bill is far above the estimate: the federal dispute process
If you were self-pay or uninsured and your bill is at least $400 above your Good Faith Estimate, you can use the No Surprises Act patient-provider dispute resolution process: an independent reviewer decides what you owe. Filing costs $25 — non-refundable to start, but deducted from what you owe if you win. You must start the process within 120 calendar days of the initial bill's date. While the dispute is pending, the provider can't send the bill to collections, threaten to, charge late fees, or retaliate against you — and if collections already started, they have to pause it. Details and filing: cms.gov/medical-bill-rights.
Our bill checker's dispute-letter generator cites this process automatically when your quoted-vs-charged gap qualifies.
4. Ask about financial assistance (charity care)
Nonprofit hospitals are required to have financial-assistance policies, and many patients qualify without knowing it. Ask for the policy and an application in writing — and ask whether you qualify before paying anything.
5. Negotiate with the hospital's own numbers
Hospitals post their cash prices and insurer-negotiated rates publicly — that's what this site shows. If your charge is far above the price the same hospital posts for the same code, say so, in writing, and ask them to match it. Look up your procedure and hospital here, or generate a pre-filled dispute letter from the bill checker.
Want help doing this?
We're gauging demand for a service that handles this process for you — requesting the itemized bill, checking every line, writing and tracking the dispute. If you'd want that, leave your email. That's the only thing sent, and we'll only use it for this.
This page explains rights that exist in federal law as of 2026, in plain language. It is a guide, not legal advice, and not a determination that any bill is incorrect. Verify current details at cms.gov/medical-bill-rights.