How to Dispute a Surprise Medical Bill

After seeking care at a hospital, primary care provider, or urgent care facility, you could end up receiving a surprise medical bill in the mail. These bills are typically for costs because of a misunderstanding about your insurance deductible or because you were unaware of how much the care would cost. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to negotiate or dispute these bills. 

With Mira, members pay a monthly fee and get access to several urgent care facilities in their area, lab testing sites, and savings on prescriptions. Mira members are less likely to receive a surprise bill because of the straightforward costs of each visit (typically just $99 for an urgent care visit). Sign up for a membership today. 

How To Avoid Getting a Surprise Medical Bill 

The best way to not have to deal with surprise billing is to cut off the opportunities to incur additional or unknown charges while you’re at the facility. Here are some tips you can follow to avoid getting an unpleasant bill from your doctor or healthcare facility:

1. Read and understand your health insurance policy. Every insurance plan has limitations so it is important to understand exactly what services your policy will and will not cover.
2. For non-life-threatening conditions, urgent care and retail clinics may be significantly cheaper options. The emergency room will be significantly more expensive than a PCP or urgent care for basic conditions or minor injuries.
3. Always ask for a receipt after each visit to make sure you have the final visit fee on record and no mistakes have been made. This is a good time to dispute a charge that no one communicated to you, while the conversations you’ve had are fresh on everyone’s minds.
4. Make sure that blood work and lab tests are being done in-house. If the tests are being sent to an outside lab, make sure that your insurance will cover that lab.
5. If you do not have insurance or have a high deductible health plan where you’re paying out-of-pocket, Mira could be a great option for you to get guaranteed prices for urgent care, savings on prescriptions, and lab tests.