Bill PushbackBill Pushback / Over the estimate
Uninsured or self-pay, and the bill is far above the estimate
If you were uninsured or chose to pay yourself, you may have been owed a written estimate before care. CMS explains when a bill far above it can be disputed.
General information, not legal, medical or financial advice. Ask a lawyer before acting on it.
Read CMS's page first
CMS describes good faith estimates and the dispute process for people without insurance, or not using it, on its medical bill rights page, including how far over the estimate a bill must be and how long you have to start.
Gather this first
- The written estimate you were given, if any.
- The bill and the itemized bill.
- The dates you received each.
Ask about financial assistance
Many hospitals have a financial assistance or charity care policy. The itemized bill letter asks for a copy of it.
For the phone calls
The Medical Bill Fight Kit
A 9-page PDF you print: the order of steps, word-for-word call scripts for the billing office, your insurer, financial assistance and a collection agency, five letters with blanks (the three free ones here, plus a financial assistance request and a payment agreement confirmation) and a call and mail log.
$9 Buy the kit
If the file doesn't work or isn't what this page describes, write to us within 14 days for a full refund.