How to Review Your Medical Bill

After you visit a provider, you can get an invoice. Providers can include doctors, hospitals, and others who provide health services. The amount you owe will depend on a number of things. They can include whether you have insurance Medical Billing Services, as well as the type of plan and its cost-sharing requirements. It can also include whether you received services in or out of your plan's network.

Medical expenses may be different, but they all include the same basic information. Your bill indicates the services you received and the date you received them. It also sets the cost of each service and the total amount you owe.

More often, you will get a separate account for each type of specialty care. For example, when you visit a hospital, you can get a bill from your surgeon and you can also get a separate bill from the radiologist who read your X-ray.

• Before your visit, ask your doctor what services you will get. Ask how much you have to pay for each one.
• When you receive an invoice, make sure it is correct. Look for overcharges, wrong dates, and double billing for services. Ask for any code you don't understand. If you think there are errors, even minor ones, contact your provider.
• If each procedure or service is not listed separately, ask for an itemized invoice.
• Make sure the procedures and total payment amounts on your bill match your explanation of benefits (EOB). If the EOB is not correct, contact your insurance company.
• Use the FH Consumer Cost Lookup to compare the charges on your bill with what providers typically charge for the services you received.
• Keep records! Keep all receipts as proof of payment. Write down your health visits and services received. Record the names of suppliers, invoices and the amounts you have paid with the payment dates. This helps avoid confusion if there is a question about whether you have paid a bill.
• If you can't pay, you have to act fast. Contact your provider to discuss lower rates or opt for payment options.

Before You Get Care: Know What You Owe

Medical bills can be complicated. It's easier to review and understand them if you have an idea of what you'll need to pay before your bill arrives in the mail. Communicating clearly with your doctor in advance and keeping detailed records can help you minimize billing errors and avoid surprises.

Before your visit: Ask your doctor what specific services you will receive and how much you will have to pay for each one. Determine which providers will be involved in your care and if they are in your plan's network. Remember, even if a hospital is in your plan's network, the doctors involved in your care may not be, so be sure to check. Learn more about out-of-network doctors at in-network hospitals.

During your visit: If the visit is in-network and you pay a copayment or coinsurance, make sure you get a receipt. Please keep this proof of payment for your records. Write down any services you receive and the dates you receive them.

When you receive your invoice: read, review and ask questions

What information will I see?

Medical bills may look different, but they all include the same basic information. Your bill tells you the services you received, the dates you received them, the cost of each service, and the total amount you owe.

Usually, you will receive a separate bill for each type of specialty care you receive. For example, when you visit a hospital, you will receive a bill from each provider who had a role in your care. This includes doctors you may not have known; such as the pathologist who studied a tissue sample from a biopsy or the radiologist who interpreted your X-rays. If you have any questions about any of the services on your bill, it's a good idea to contact that doctor.

Hospitals bill the charges to the individual patient's account. If you have already received treatment at a certain hospital, you can ask the billing department to verify if you have an existing account there. If you prefer, you can request that all your invoices be kept under one account. This can help reduce your bills and prevent you from missing one by mistake.

Let's look at a sample invoice here. Some items you might see are: