{"id":18481,"date":"2023-02-19T17:07:07","date_gmt":"2023-02-19T22:07:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thepapergown.zocdoc.com\/?p=18481"},"modified":"2023-03-06T11:24:48","modified_gmt":"2023-03-06T16:24:48","slug":"how-to-read-your-medical-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/how-to-read-your-medical-bill\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Read Your Medical Bill"},"content":{"rendered":"

Receiving a medical bill can elicit anxiety, especially since it can be hard to predict what you’ll be charged for a doctor’s visit, a procedure or any other medical service. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you get an alarmingly high bill<\/span>, you might feel too overwhelmed to deal with it. If it’s a small bill, you might be tempted to pay it without giving it a once-over, just to make it go away. But it’s worth scrutinizing every bill you receive, given that <\/span>up to 80 percent of medical bills potentially contain errors<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

An Equifax audit<\/span><\/a> found that hospital bills of $10,000 or more contained an average of $1,300 of billing errors; a <\/span>study<\/span><\/a> published by the American Medical Association showed that after visiting an in-network hospital, 4 in 10 patients faced <\/span>surprise bills<\/span><\/a>. In 2016, the average price of a surprise bill was $628, up from $220 in 2010, according to the study.<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019re entitled to an itemized bill, but you usually have to request it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cPeople don\u2019t like to look at their medical bills,\u201d says Jon Hess, CEO of Athos Health, a Minnesota-based company that helps people decipher medical bills. \u201cIf a bill is within reason, people want to trust their doctor or their hospital. But many times, they\u2019re paying more than they have to.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

You should comb every bill carefully for errors, Hess says. It\u2019s understandable if the idea of examining lists of billing codes doesn\u2019t excite you. But the task will seem less daunting if you understand what’s included on your bill \u2014 and how to look for things that shouldn’t be there. <\/span>So we broke down the process for you. Read this guide before you read your next medical bill.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When will you get a bill?<\/h2>\n

There aren’t regulations that dictate how long after a visit or a procedure you should receive a bill. It could be two weeks, or it could be a year. After a visit, a provider submits a claim to a patient’s insurance company. Then the claim needs to be processed, which can take time. Hospital billing procedures also vary. One facility might send bills immediately following care, while another waits to send them in batches. If it’s been two months and you haven’t received a bill yet, you may want to call your provider’s office and ask for it, says Caitlin Donovan, <\/span>senior director of public relations at the National Patient Advocate Foundation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How are medical bills set up?<\/h2>\n

Most doctors or hospitals will send you a summary medical bill that states how much money you owe, with very few details about the services you received.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019re entitled to an itemized bill, says Donovan, but you usually have to request it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you get a summary bill, ask for an itemized one so you know what you\u2019re being charged for. An itemized bill will include a line for each service and medical supply you received, with the dollar amount for each one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your bill will come directly from your doctor or the hospital where you received care. It\u2019s not to be confused with an <\/span>explanation of benefits form, or EOB,<\/span><\/a> which is a letter from your insurance provider explaining what services and supplies your health plan covered. An EOB says \u201cnot a bill\u201d on it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What should you know about all the codes on bills?<\/h2>\n

In recent years, <\/span>the number of medical billing codes<\/span><\/a> has jumped, from about 17,000 to 150,000. With such a massive number of codes, you can\u2019t expect to know every single one you come across. But understanding how codes work and how to look them up can help you spot potential errors.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are a few types of codes:<\/span><\/p>\n