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Your Quick Guide to Medical Bill Negotiation
Medical bills are often wrong—and almost always negotiable.
Studies show up to 80% of medical bills contain errors. Most people overpay simply because they don't know what to look for or how to negotiate.
5 Red Flags to Check on Every Medical Bill
- Duplicate Charges - Same service billed twice
- Upcoding - Billed for more expensive service than you received
- Balance Billing - Out-of-network providers billing you extra (often illegal)
- Mystery Charges - Services you never received
- Wrong Quantities - Billed for 3 X-rays when you had 1
What You Can Do Right Now
Request an itemized bill - Never accept a summary
Compare to your EOB - Look for discrepancies
Ask for the self-pay rate - Often 30-60% less
Request financial assistance - Most hospitals have programs
Propose a settlement - Offer 30-50% as lump sum payment
Simple Negotiation Script
"I want to pay this bill, but the amount is more than I can afford. What discount or payment plan options do you have available?"
When to Get Expert Help
Whether your bill is $500 or $50,000, professional advocacy can make a real difference. We help with:
- Bills of any size
- Single or multiple providers
- Insurance disputes and denials
- Medical coding errors
- Balance billing issues
Professional advocates like BillAlly can often reduce bills by 40-60% or more. We find errors you'd never spot and negotiate rates you can't access on your own.
We charge $100 per successful appeal—you only pay if we win (complex cases may incur additional charges).