Reading a medical bill

Identify the bill

• Provider or facility name
• Patient name
• Date of service
• Account number
• Services or descriptions
• Charges
• Insurance payments or adjustments
• Amount due
• Payment deadline and contact information

Compare with insurance

If insurance was used, compare the provider bill to the corresponding processed claim or EOB. Timing matters because a bill can be generated before insurance processing is complete.

Before paying

• Confirm the bill is for the correct person and date
• Confirm insurance was submitted when expected
• Compare patient responsibility with the EOB
• Check for duplicate services or payments already made
• Ask for an itemized statement if more detail is needed
• Ask about payment plans or assistance before using high-cost credit

Keep records

• Original bill
• EOB
• Receipts
• Correspondence
• Reference numbers
• Updated statements