Help with medical bills

Medical bills are the most negotiable bills in America — and the most error-prone. Before you pay or panic, work through these steps.

1. Ask for the itemized bill

Request a fully itemized statement and read every line. Duplicate charges, services never received, and wrong billing codes are common. Dispute errors with the billing department in writing and ask them to pause collections while the dispute is open.

2. Apply for the hospital's financial assistance policy

Nonprofit hospitals are required to have Financial Assistance Policies (often called charity care) that reduce or forgive bills for patients under income thresholds — and many for-profit hospitals and clinics run similar programs quietly. Ask the billing department for the application directly; assistance can apply even if you have insurance, and even retroactively after a bill has gone to collections.

3. Negotiate and set a plan

If assistance doesn't cover it, ask about prompt-pay discounts for lump sums and interest-free payment plans for the rest. Get any agreement in writing, and ask whether the account is with the provider or a collections agency — who owns the debt changes who can negotiate.

4. Post your medical bill on DueDone

On DueDone, you post the bill with its document, a human verifies it, and donors pay the provider or biller directly. Your public listing is redacted and can be semi-anonymous or fully anonymous — diagnoses and treatment details are yours to keep private; share only what you're comfortable with in your story. Confirmed payments stamp the bill PAID ✓.

DueDone is not a charity and gifts are not tax-deductible. See how it works and the FAQ.