The Self-Help Guide
to Medical Bills
Understand Your Medical Bills Before You Pay Them.
Medical bills can involve far more than the statement that arrives in your mailbox. Patient Guards created this free guide to help you understand the documents, terminology and processes that can affect what you are being asked to pay.
Understand What You Owe
Learn what documents can help explain how a bill was calculated.
Look for Potential Problems
Learn where billing, coding and claim-processing issues may occur.
Ask Better Questions
Understand what information may be needed before challenging a bill.
Know Your Rights
Learn about access to medical, billing and claims information.
What You'll Learn
The guide walks through several of the pieces that may need to be reviewed when determining whether a medical bill is accurate.
The Bill You Received
Why the patient bill is only one piece of the larger medical billing puzzle.
Explanation of Benefits
How the EOB can help show what insurance processed, paid, denied or assigned to you.
Medical Records
Why documentation matters and how the medical record supports the services that were billed.
Medical Codes
An introduction to ICD-10-CM, CPT, HCPCS and ICD-10-PCS coding systems.
Claim Forms
Understand the role of the CMS-1500 and UB-04 claim forms used in medical billing.
Insurance Details
Why network status, coverage terms, benefits and medical necessity may affect payment.
Preventing Billing Problems
Steps patients can take before and after treatment to reduce the chance of billing surprises.
Access to Your Records
Learn about access to health, billing, payment and claims information under HIPAA.
Why Billing Gets Complicated
Understand why errors may arise from providers, coding, documentation, insurers or claim processing.
A Medical Bill Is Only One Piece of the Puzzle.
The guide explains that properly reviewing a medical bill may require comparing multiple documents rather than looking at the bill in isolation.
- The Bill You Received
- Your Insurance Plan Summary and ID Card
- The Medical Record
- The Claim Form
- The Explanation of Benefits
Read the Guide Online
Browse the complete Patient Guards Self-Help Guide below.
Medical Billing Is Complicated.
You Don't Have to Become an Expert.
The guide can help you understand the process and identify questions worth asking. But sometimes you simply want someone who understands medical billing to look at the situation with you and explain what it means.
One simple annual price.
Unlimited questions.
Have a Question?
Ask Patient Guards.
Get experienced medical billing guidance whenever something doesn't make sense.
- Unlimited medical billing questions for one full year
- Answers available 7 days a week
- Phone, web conference, text or email
- Clear explanations in plain English
- Patient-focused medical billing guidance
Experience Behind the Answers
Patient Guards is built on professional knowledge of medical billing, coding, claims review, reimbursement, compliance and healthcare administration.
Medical billing questions can involve far more than the total appearing on a statement. Documentation, coding, insurance benefits, claim processing and payment rules may all affect the outcome.
Patient Guards helps consumers better understand those pieces and the questions they may need to ask.
Start With the Free Guide.
Get Expert Help Whenever You Need It.
Patient Guards — helping make medical bills easier to understand.