Every year, tens of millions of Americans receive medical bills that are inaccurate, inflated, or entirely unexpected. Many of these bills contain medical billing errors that patients either don’t notice or don’t know how to dispute.

If you don’t take action, these mistakes can turn into medical debt that follows you for years—damaging your credit, draining your finances, and causing unnecessary stress.

Patient Fairness' mission is to help you understand your patient rights in medical billing and give you the tools to dispute medical billing errors affordably and effectively—without paying thousands for an attorney or billing advocate.

What Are Medical Billing Errors?

Medical billing errors happen when the charges on your bill don’t match the care you received, are priced far above fair market rates, or violate state or federal consumer protection laws.

Common examples include:

• Charges for services you never received – Sometimes due to clerical errors or mix-ups in patient records.
  
  
• Duplicate billing – Being charged twice for the same procedure or service.
  
  
• Upcoding – Billing for a more expensive procedure than the one actually performed.
  
  
• Incorrect patient or insurance details – Even small coding mistakes can lead to large charges.
  
  
• Excessive pricing – Bills that list charges five to ten times higher than Medicare rates or the provider’s actual cost.
  
  
• No Surprises Act violations – Being billed for out-of-network care at an in-network facility without proper notice.
  
  

These errors are more common than most people realize—yet many patients end up paying them simply because they don’t know their options.

Why Patients End Up Paying Unfair Bills

Some patients assume their insurance company will handle billing disputes automatically. Others feel overwhelmed by the complexity of medical bills and choose to ignore them, hoping they’ll be resolved.

Unfortunately, ignoring a problem bill often leads to:

• The bill is being sent to collections
• Damage to your credit score
• Accumulating late fees and interest
• Paying for services you didn’t agree to or at inflated prices

Taking quick, informed action is your best defense.

Your Rights in Medical Billing

Knowing your rights is the first step to protecting yourself from unfair charges:

1. Right to an Itemized Bill

You can request a detailed statement breaking down every charge so you can verify its accuracy.

2. Right to Price Transparency

Hospitals must publish their prices under federal law. In some states, providers who fail to comply may be restricted from pursuing collections.

3. Right to Dispute Medical Billing Errors

You can formally challenge incorrect or unfair charges, and the provider must respond.

4. Protection Under the No Surprises Act

If you received out-of-network care at an in-network facility without proper notice, you may be protected from large surprise bills.

5. Right to a Fair Price

You can compare your charges to Medicare and other benchmark rates to see if they’re reasonable.

How to Dispute Medical Billing Errors

Disputing a medical bill can feel intimidating, but it’s a process you can handle step-by-step:

1. Review the Bill – Request and check an itemized bill for errors or unexplained charges.
   
   
2. Compare Costs – Research what Medicare or other payers would pay for the same services.
   
   
3. Request Clarification – Contact the provider in writing to ask for explanations or corrections.
   
   
4. Submit a Formal Dispute – Send a detailed dispute letter outlining your concerns.
   
   
5. Negotiate or Escalate – Work toward a settlement, or escalate to regulators or legal channels if necessary.
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The Patient Fairness Process: 3 Simple Steps

At Patient Fairness, we believe fighting a medical bill shouldn’t be overwhelming or expensive. Our process is straightforward, affordable, and puts you in control from start to finish.

Step 1: Examine the Bill & Identify Concerns

Upload your problem medical bill and related documents to our secure website. Complete our free Problem Medical Bill Assessment, where you share details about your services, any insurance coverage, and how your bill was presented.

We review your information to identify possible dispute reasons—such as surprise bills, balance-billing, undisclosed pricing, or violations of the No Surprises Act or state-level protections.

Step 2: Dispute the Bill

After reviewing your assessment, we create a custom Letter of Dispute tailored to your case. This letter formally raises your concerns with the provider, requests a response within 30 days, and asks for more detailed billing information.

Once you approve the letter, we send it on your behalf, track delivery, and monitor for responses. If there’s no reply, we follow up with a second letter to ensure your dispute is on record.

Step 3: Pursue Resolution

You remain in charge of the outcome. We help you understand the provider’s response and give you pricing benchmarks—comparing your charges to Medicare rates and estimated provider costs—so you can decide what’s fair.

If you choose to settle, we provide template agreements to document the terms. If no agreement is reached, you’ll still have a formal record of your dispute to protect your position.

Why Acting Quickly Matters

The sooner you challenge a questionable bill, the more leverage you have. Quick action can:

• Prevent the bill from going to collections
• Protect your credit score
• Keep you in a stronger negotiating position
• Preserve all relevant documentation

Even if your provider doesn’t agree right away, placing your bill in formal dispute status can stop aggressive collection efforts while you work toward a resolution.

Affordable, Transparent Pricing

Hiring an attorney or billing advocate can cost thousands. Patient Fairness starts your case with a low $49 initial payment and offers fixed total pricing based on your bill amount—so you never overpay to fight a bill.

We also offer a satisfaction guarantee: if you’re not happy within 60 days, you can close your case without owing the remaining balance.

Take Back Control of Your Medical Bills

You don’t have to be an expert in medical billing to protect yourself. With Patient Fairness, you get:

• Clear guidance to understand your bill
• Tools and templates to challenge unfair charges
• Proven strategies to reduce or eliminate what you owe
• Affordable, predictable pricing
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When it comes to medical billing errors, doing nothing costs more than taking action. By knowing your patient rights in medical billing and learning how to dispute medical billing errors, you can protect your finances and your peace of mind.



Start your free Problem Medical Bill Assessment today and take the first step toward a fair resolution.