On average, a three-day hospital stay is going to cost you upwards of $30,000. That is obviously a lot of money to pay for a relatively short stay, especially if you aren’t expecting it.

Fortunately, most people in this country have some form of health insurance. It can make medical bills a lot more affordable and, in some cases, it can even eliminate them altogether.

However, there may come a time when you get a medical bill that you don’t agree with. Because of this, you should understand how to dispute a medical bill.

Disputing a medical bill can help you get it lowered or thrown out completely. It can prevent an unexpected medical bill from putting you into financial ruins.

Today, we’re going to show you what to do when you want to dispute a medical bill. It should make going through a medical bill dispute so much easier than it would be otherwise.

Here are the steps you should take.

Begin by Taking a Good Long Look at a Medical Bill

Before you begin trying to figure out how to dispute a medical bill, you should make sure that you’ve read through a medical bill from top to bottom. It’ll give you a much better understanding of the bill and what you owe.

Your medical bill might actually be much lower than you would think after only looking at the top half of it. The numbers at the top of your bill might not reflect the portion of the bill that your health insurance company will be covering.

With this in mind, you should work your way through an entire medical bill prior to doing anything else. It’ll ensure that you don’t start trying to dispute a medical bill that doesn’t actually need to be disputed.

Contact a Medical Provider to Speak With Someone About a Medical Bill

If you look through a medical bill from top to bottom and still don’t agree with what it says you owe, you should then get in contact with your medical provider. They should be able to give you a better idea as to why you owe so much money to them.

They should also be able to review your medical bill with you to make sure it’s accurate. There are times when medical providers will make mistakes. With a little luck, you might simply be the victim of one of these mistakes and not owe as much money as your bill says.

Touch Base With a Medical Bill Service About a Medical Bill

One thing worth noting is that not all medical providers do their own billing. Many of them rely on medical bill services to get the job done.

If your medical provider does this, you might need to touch base with a separate medical bill service about the bill you received. A good medical billing company will be able to shed some additional light on your bill and help you get a good grasp of it.

Reach Out to Your Health Insurance Company About a Medical Bill

If you’re lucky enough to have health insurance, you will want to give your insurance company a call at some point about a medical bill dispute. They’ll be able to tell you why they weren’t able to cover more of the bill that was sent your way.

They’ll also give you the opportunity to file a formal appeal if you believe that they should have covered more of your bill. Many health insurance companies have easy appeal processes that can work wonders for people.

It certainly couldn’t hurt to try to dispute a medical bill in this way. Your health insurance company could very well agree to pay more money to your medical provider to make your bill disappear.

Try to Track Down a Medical Advocate to Help With a Medical Bill

If you get to this point, and you still aren’t having any luck with a medical bill dispute, you might want to look into finding a medical advocate. A medical advocate can help you dispute a medical bill, oftentimes for free.

Your medical provider might have their own medical advocate that will work on your behalf to dispute a bill. Even though they’ll have a connection to your medical provider, their job will be to find a good resolution to your medical bill dispute.

Attempt to Negotiate a Medical Bill Down With a Medical Provider

There is a chance that your medical bill dispute might be unsuccessful in the end. Everyone involved might tell you that you have no choice but to pay a medical bill.

In this case, you might be able to negotiate with a medical provider to reduce your bill. Many medical providers will work with those who are unable to pay their bills to make these bills more manageable.

Your medical provider might ask you how much you would feel comfortable paying each month to get a medical bill squared away. It’ll help you come up with a repayment plan that you both feel comfortable with.

Knowing How to Dispute a Medical Bill Is So Important

If you ever receive a medical bill that says you owe a lot of money to a medical provider, it can be very scary. You might feel like you won’t have any other option but to file for bankruptcy.

But as long as you know how to dispute a medical bill, you should be in the clear. You’re going to be able to work out some kind of solution with a medical provider when everything is all said and done.

Do you want to get some other financial tips that will help you hang onto more of your money? Get them by browsing through our other blog articles.