How can I help a parent with a hospital bill?

Short answer: start with permission. The hospital may need your parent's signed permission form, or proof that you're their legal representative, before it talks with you about the bill.Source: hospitalbillchecker.com/your-rights, section 1

Steps

1. Get permission on file. Ask the hospital's billing office which form it uses, and have your parent sign it.
2. Ask for an itemized bill.
   • It lists each charge separately, usually with the date, a billing code, a quantity and a price.
   • Federal health privacy rules give a patient the right to access their own billing records. A provider generally must respond within 30 days, with one possible 30-day extension.
   Source: hospitalbillchecker.com/your-rights, section 1 (federal health privacy rules)
3. Ask about financial assistance.
   • Many hospitals offer free or discounted care based on income.
   • Nonprofit hospitals must have a written financial assistance policy under IRS Section 501(r), and must accept applications for at least 240 days after the first billing statement following discharge.
   • Your parent can apply even after receiving a bill, and even with insurance. Whether you qualify depends on the hospital's policy.
   Source: IRS Section 501(r), via hospitalbillchecker.com/your-rights, section 2
4. If your parent was uninsured or self-pay and got a Good Faith Estimate, check whether the bill is at least $400 more than the estimate. If it is, see "How do I dispute a bill that's $400 or more over my Good Faith Estimate?"Source: No Surprises Act, CMS, via hospitalbillchecker.com/your-rights, section 3
5. Know where to get help:
   • the hospital's billing office and financial counselors
   • your parent's insurer
   • your state's insurance department or attorney general's consumer protection office
   Source: hospitalbillchecker.com/your-rights, "Where to get help"

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