Start with an itemized bill and your latest Explanation of Benefits (EOB), if insured. Check dates, repeated charges and quantities, then write down the exact lines you want billing to explain. An unfamiliar code or a high price is a reason to ask a question, not proof that the bill is wrong.
Quick answer
Get the documents before checking the total
- Request an itemized bill with dates, codes, descriptions, units, charges, payments and adjustments.
- If insured, download the latest EOB for the same provider and dates. Use our bill-versus-EOB checklist if the balances differ.
- Keep visit records, receipts and any written estimate alongside the bill. Request a separate statement from each billing organization.
HHS explains your access rights for medical and billing records. Ask the provider how to request them securely and whether copying fees apply.
Seven medical billing errors to check
Duplicate charges
The same service may have been entered more than once.
Incorrect quantity
The billed units may not match the service or medication documented.
Upcoding
A code may describe a higher level of service than the record supports.
Unbundling
Related services may have been charged separately when the applicable coding rules group them together.
Services you did not receive
A canceled test or an unfamiliar service may need checking against the record.
Date-of-service errors
A charge may show a date outside your visit or admission.
Insurance processing mismatches
The provider's balance may differ from the insurer's latest patient-responsibility amount.
For detailed checks, see duplicate charges and upcoding and unbundling. A separate facility fee also needs an explanation, but is not automatically an error.
Everything above is the general version. To see what applies to your own bill, upload it to a free mediloop account. An automatic first look reads the charges and shows what looks worth questioning, usually in about a minute. If you want a specialist to take it from there, it is a flat $129, refunded in full if the bill isn't lowered by at least $129.
Check my bill for freeA 10-minute first pass through your bill
This is a starting checklist, not a complete coding review. Keep a copy of the bill and mark:
- Identity and dates: the patient, provider and dates should match your records.
- Repeated lines: circle matching codes and ask whether they represent separate services.
- Units: flag quantities you cannot reconcile and ask what each unit measures.
- Unfamiliar services: request the description and the record supporting the charge.
- Insurance and payments: check that the latest adjustments and everything you already paid appear.
- Follow-up: list each question with its line number, code, amount and supporting document.
Ambulance bills need checks on transport codes and mileage; use the ambulance review and financial-assistance guide. For separate surgeon, hospital and anesthesia statements, use the surgery-bill checklist.
Compare prices for the same service
A high charge can be accurate and still be worth discussing. Hospitals publish price information under CMS price-transparency rules. Match the service code, location, units, date and included services before comparing a published price with your bill. A cash price and an insured patient balance are different figures.
- Hospital prices: save the relevant cash or plan-specific price and ask billing whether it applies to your care.
- Other benchmarks: FAIR Health estimates and Medicare rates can inform a question, but do not establish what your provider must charge you.
- Written estimate: if you did not use insurance and one provider charged at least $400 above its Good Faith Estimate, check CMS dispute eligibility. The process has additional requirements and a 120-calendar-day initial-bill deadline.
Follow the hospital-price lookup walkthrough to find and record the comparison.
Send billing a specific review request
“Please review account [number], for care on [date]. Line [number/code] shows [charge or quantity]. My [EOB/receipt/visit record] shows [difference]. Please explain the charge and correct it if it is inaccurate. Please send the result and updated balance in writing. Can you place the account on hold while it is reviewed and confirm the hold end date and any fees or collection activity?”
Use a secure patient portal or the provider's approved submission channel. Keep copies and note when to follow up. A request for review does not automatically pause deadlines. For a longer template, use the provider dispute letter. A dispute about an insurer's coverage decision belongs in its appeal process.
Once the amount is verified, use the hospital negotiation guide to ask about assistance or payment options. Correcting an error and negotiating an accurate balance are separate requests.
If you already paid the bill
Ask billing to review the charge and explain whether a correction creates a credit or refund. Include proof of payment and request the outcome in writing. Timing and any settlement terms can matter; our refund-request guide covers the next steps.
Questions about disputes
Does a repeated charge prove I was billed twice?
No. Check the provider, date, code, units and description. A hospital and a physician may bill separately, and a test may have been repeated. Ask billing to explain the two lines before requesting a correction.
Does asking for a review stop payment deadlines?
Do not assume it does. Ask whether billing will place the account on hold, when that hold ends, and whether fees or collection activity will continue. Get the answer in writing and keep track of any separate insurer, collector or court deadlines.
What if billing says the charges are correct?
Ask for a written explanation and the records supporting the disputed code or quantity. If the issue is the insurer's coverage decision, use its appeal process. If the balance is correct but unaffordable, ask about financial assistance and payment options.
When you want help reviewing the bill
A mediloop specialist reviews your bill and EOB, if available. AI-powered investigation supports the document checks, with a human advocate on every case. Only a human contacts the provider.
Pay Per Bill is a flat $129, never a percentage of savings. If we don't lower the bill by at least $129, the fee is refunded in full the day your case closes. See the offer terms and supported cases before purchasing.
Sources
- HHS Office of Inspector General, Physician relationships with payers
Submitting a claim certifies the payment was earned. Improper claims include billing for services not rendered and upcoding, meaning codes reflecting a more severe illness or more expensive treatment than was actually provided.
- HHS Office for Civil Rights, Your medical records
HIPAA gives you the right to inspect and receive a copy of your medical and billing records, and a provider may not withhold copies over an unpaid bill or charge search and retrieval fees.
- CMS, Hospital price transparency
Since 1 January 2021 every US hospital must publish a machine-readable file of all items and services, plus a consumer-friendly display of shoppable services.
- CMS, Dispute a medical bill (patient-provider dispute resolution)
You can dispute if a provider or facility charged at least $400 more than their good faith estimate and the initial bill is dated within the last 120 calendar days; filing costs a $25 non-refundable administrative fee, deducted from what you owe if the dispute resolves in your favor, and the provider cannot move the bill into collections or threaten to do so while the dispute is pending.
Sources last checked 18 October 2026. Medical billing rules change, so if you spot something out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
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