Start with an itemized bill - every charge line-by-line with codes - because summary bills hide common errors: duplicates, wrong quantities, services never delivered, wrong insurance billed.
Then match the bill to your insurer's EOB (a mismatch is a phone call, not a payment), call the billing office with specific line numbers and ask for correction or self-pay repricing, and if it stands, use your formal rights: internal appeal with the insurer (typically up to 180 days, then external review), and the No Surprises Act for surprise out-of-network bills at in-network facilities - CMS explains the protections and complaint line. In parallel, ask about charity care and payment plans. Do not pay the questioned part mid-dispute. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, and can help you draft the calls.
What to do
Common questions
How do I dispute a medical bill?
Dispute in this order, and do not pay the questioned part while it runs. Step one: request an itemized bill - every charge line-by-line with codes - because summary bills hide the errors, and errors are genuinely common: duplicate charges, wrong quantities, services never delivered, wrong insurance billed. Step two: match the bill against your insurer's Explanation of Benefits (EOB) - the amounts the insurer recognized, allowed, and says you owe; a bill that does not match the EOB is a phone call, not a payment. Step three: call the billing office with specific line numbers - polite, documented, with names and dates - and ask for correction or the self-pay/financial-assistance repricing that hospitals rarely volunteer. Step four, if it stands: insured patients appeal to the insurer (federal rules give you internal appeal rights, typically up to 180 days, then external review); surprise out-of-network bills from in-network hospitals fall under the No Surprises Act - CMS's medical-bill-rights page explains the protections and the complaint line. Step five: ask about charity care and payment plans in parallel. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can help you draft the calls.