Financial Assistance • Billing Errors • Medical Debt
FairMedicalBills explains hospital charity care and financial assistance, how to find billing errors, what surprise billing protections cover, and what your options are when a bill goes to collections — with links to the hospital or agency that actually decides.
October 26, 2026
Neurosurgeons can bill up to 19 times Medicare's standard rate when out-of-network, and the dispute process often sides with high bills, not patients.
Read the full story →We work from hospitals’ own published financial assistance policies, state and federal rules, and agency guidance — so you can see who qualifies, what the limits are, and where to apply.
Financial assistance and charity care policies as the hospitals themselves publish them, with a link to the original document and the date we last checked it.
Who a program covers, the income guidelines where they are published, what documents are required, and any deadline that applies.
Federal and state protections on surprise billing, itemized bills, medical debt collection and credit reporting, in plain English.
FairMedicalBills is an independent consumer information website about medical bills. We explain hospital financial assistance and charity care, how to check a bill for errors, what surprise billing protections cover, how medical debt and collections work, and when a refund may be owed back to you.
Yes. You do not have to pay us to read anything on this site, and we never charge to look up a hospital’s financial assistance policy.
No. We are not a hospital, insurer, billing company or debt settlement company, and we have no ability to change what you owe.
What we can do is explain the programs and protections that exist, what the eligibility rules say, and how to apply or dispute — so you can deal with the hospital or provider directly.
No. Only the hospital or program can decide that. Eligibility depends on your household income, family size, assets in some programs, the date of service and the hospital’s own policy. We publish the criteria where the hospital has published them, and link to the official application.
Wherever possible, from the hospital’s own published financial assistance policy, plain-language summary and application form, plus filings and other authoritative sources. Each hospital page links to those documents and shows the date the information was last checked.
No. This site is general information for a general audience, not individualised legal, medical or financial advice. If your situation involves a lawsuit, a large debt, bankruptcy or a dispute you cannot resolve, consider speaking with a licensed professional or a nonprofit patient advocate.
No. We are an independent publication. We are not a hospital, health system, insurance company, medical provider, government agency, law firm or debt settlement company, and we are not endorsed by any of them.
Yes, always. Financial assistance policies, income limits, application deadlines and billing rules change, and they differ between hospitals and states. Confirm the current requirements with the hospital, provider, insurer or the relevant state agency before relying on them.
FairMedicalBills may earn revenue through advertising and other forms of website monetization. Our editorial coverage is kept separate from advertising, and we do not take payment to list, rank or describe a hospital.
Through the Contact page linked in the website footer. Corrections are especially welcome — if a hospital’s policy, income limit or application link has changed, tell us and we will check it.
