For patients · Federal + state

Check the bill before you pay it

Hospital bill that looks wrong, or already heading to collections? The letter cites NSA, 501(r), HIPAA, and charity care rules where they apply. Covers surprise billing, itemization requests, and the negotiation script for what comes next.

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Letters from $9 · 60-day money-back guarantee

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Fairness Score

Fairness Score
–
/ 100

100 means in line with the benchmark. The lower the score, the further the bill sits above it.

Benchmarked against 2026 national-average Medicare rates by service category. Have CPT codes? Run the full Fairness Score →

Two ways to buy. Flat fees only.

Start with the $9 guide if you want to DIY. Grab the $29 dispute letter if you want it done.

Guide
$9/once

For people who want to learn the system and do everything themselves.

  • 12-chapter bill dispute playbook
  • Negotiation scripts
  • Charity care checklist
Buy Guide · $9
Most Popular
Dispute Letter
$29/once

A ready-to-send letter customized to your bill, with the right citations.

  • One personalized letter
  • Cited to NSA / 501(r) / state law
  • PDF download + copy-ready text
  • Includes the $9 playbook
Buy Dispute Letter · $29
What's included at each tier
Feature Guide$9 Dispute Letter$29
12-chapter playbook + 15 phone scripts✓✓
Charity care (IRS 501(r)) checklist✓✓
Personalized dispute letter for your bill–✓
Cited to NSA / 501(r) / HIPAA / state law–✓
PDF download + copy-ready text–✓
90-day follow-up plan (in the playbook)✓✓

Every tier is backed by our 60-day money-back guarantee. Email hello@claimsmaximizer.com within 60 days of purchase; that's the whole process.

Bill is $1,500+? Want it done for you?

Hand us the bill and we'll handle the whole thing: letters, calls, charity-care apps, escalation. $299 flat. You keep 100% of what we save.

See the Done-For-You option →

Not legal advice. This is a DIY tool. If your bill is being actively sued or referred to collections, consult an attorney.

$29 flat. No cut. No subscription.

The industry charges a percentage of your savings, which means the less they help, the less they earn. The incentives are broken. We charge a flat fee and walk away. You get the tools; you keep the money.

Claims Maximizer Goodbill Resolve DIY free guides
Pricing model $29 flat ~20% of savings $250–$499 deposit + 10–25% of savings Free
You keep 100% of savings Yes No No Yes
On a $5,000 savings, they take: $29 ~$1,000 $1,000+ (minimum fee) $0
Lawyer-style letter with citations Yes Yes Yes Depends
Covers NSA, 501(r), HIPAA paths Yes Partial Partial Scattered
Speed to letter < 10 min Days Days You build it

Competitor pricing reflects publicly stated models as of September 2026. Confirm at the source before relying.

Not ready to decide? Take the free checklist.

The 5 steps hospital billing departments actually respond to, including the 7 most common coding errors. One email, no spam.

Build your dispute in 8 steps

Free to preview. Pay only when you want the finished letter as a PDF.

What kind of bill is this?

01 / 08

How much is the bill?

02 / 08
The full number on the bill, before any insurance adjustment.
If insurance already adjusted it, this is your "patient responsibility."

Insurance status

03 / 08

Was this provider in your insurance network?

04 / 08
No Surprises Act protections depend on this.

What state is the provider in?

05 / 08

Is the hospital a nonprofit?

06 / 08
Nonprofit hospitals must offer charity care under IRS 501(r). Most U.S. hospitals qualify. If unsure, try "I don't know."
For charity care eligibility check.

What looks wrong with the bill?

07 / 08
Pick all that apply. Not sure? Pick "I haven't gotten an itemized bill yet." That's where every dispute should start.

Your details for the letter

08 / 08
All of this stays on your device. We don't collect or store any of it.

Your draft dispute letter

This letter is customized to your situation. Review, edit if needed, then download the PDF.

Sample output
Marcus Hale
640 Poplar Ct
Tacoma, WA 98402
Harborview Regional Billing Services
Attn: Patient Accounts
Re: Account 8841-22, date of service Feb 6, 2026

This is a formal dispute of the above balance. I request a fully itemized statement with CPT and revenue codes under 45 CFR 164.524, and notice that the emergency services billed are subject to the balance-billing protections of the No Surprises Act.

Collection activity must be suspended while this dispute is pending…

What to attach

If they don't respond

  • Day 30Second request, copied to the compliance officer
  • Day 45CMS No Surprises Act complaint
  • Day 60State AG and credit bureau dispute

Names, accounts, and dates are illustrative. Your letter pulls in your actual case details.

What buyers say

Verified buyers across our tools. Medical bill results come first.

“Thank you, this was a life saver”
Julie H.
Medical Bill Guide · Greer, SC
“I would have been so stuck without this, I saved thousands and got what I was truly owed, thank you!”
Barry L.
Auto claim · Murray, KY
“It was approved, thank you for helping me”
Christopher M.
WA Property Tax Kit · Lakewood, WA

Quotes are from verified purchasers, published with permission and shown verbatim. Individual results depend on your facts, your state, and the other side.

Common questions

Is medical bill negotiation legal, and is this legal advice?

Negotiation is not only legal, it's a statutory right. The No Surprises Act (42 U.S.C. § 300gg-111), HIPAA Right of Access (45 CFR § 164.524), and IRS 501(r) all give you specific pathways to dispute bills and request records. The letters we generate cite these directly. That said, this tool is a self-help educational resource. It is not legal advice about your specific situation. If your bill is in active litigation or referred to collections, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

Will disputing my bill hurt my credit?

No. Disputing a medical bill before it goes to collections doesn't touch your credit at all. If it's already in collections, the FDCPA requires the collector to mark the debt as disputed on your credit file once you dispute in writing. Paid medical collections under $500 cannot be reported at all (as of 2023). Disputing generally helps your credit position, not hurts it.

How much can I realistically save?

Depends on the bill. If there are coding errors (duplicates, unbundling, upcoding), correcting them can cut the bill substantially. Uninsured patients who offer to pay promptly can often negotiate well below the hospital's list (chargemaster) price. For 501(r) charity care, eligible patients at nonprofit hospitals can have bills zeroed entirely. Bills already at reasonable rates may only move 10 to 20% through prompt-pay discounts.

How long does the whole process take?

Typically 30–90 days. HIPAA requires a response to itemized bill requests within 30 days. No Surprises Act disputes resolve in 30 days from notice. Charity care determinations are usually 30 days. Prompt-pay discounts settle same-day if the provider accepts.

What happens after I purchase?

You get an access code by email within a few minutes. Enter it to unlock what you bought: the $9 Guide opens at claimsmaximizer.com/medical-bill-tool/guide/, and the $29 Dispute Letter unlocks your personalized letter as a PDF (plus copy-ready text) and includes the Guide. Nothing is attached to the email. No account creation, no login, no subscription. You send this yourself: we draft the letter, you deliver it to the billing office, and you keep every dollar you save. If you'd rather we handle the negotiation and calls for you, that is the separate $299 Done-For-You service.

What if the hospital ignores my letter?

Most first letters get a response within 30 days because you've invoked specific statutory deadlines (HIPAA § 164.524 for itemized bills, 26 CFR § 1.501(r)-4 for charity care). If they ignore you: (1) re-send certified mail, (2) file a complaint with the CMS No Surprises Help Desk (1-800-985-3059) if it's a balance bill, (3) file with your state insurance commissioner or AG, (4) for 501(r) violations, IRS Form 13909.

What about collections?

If the bill has been sent to collections, the FDCPA (15 U.S.C. § 1692) gives you a 30-day dispute window. Every letter we generate includes FDCPA § 809 language requesting a hold on collection activity during the dispute. If a collector has already reported to credit bureaus, you can also dispute under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Can I negotiate a bill I've already paid?

Sometimes, yes. 501(r) charity care applies retroactively for up to 240 days after the first post-discharge bill. If you qualify and already paid, you're entitled to a refund of anything above Amounts Generally Billed (AGB). For straight negotiations on already-paid bills, leverage is lower but still possible if you documented coding errors or billing mistakes. The $29 letter handles both.

How is this different from Resolve or Goodbill?

Concierge services charge a share of what they save you (Goodbill 20%, capped at $1,000; Resolve 10 to 25% plus a deposit, with a $1,000 minimum fee), with weeks of turnaround. We charge a flat $9 or $29 once, you keep 100% of the savings, and the letter is in your hands the same session. The tradeoff: you send the letter yourself and handle any phone calls. For most straightforward bills, the DIY path is faster and cheaper.

Do you keep my data?

Building and previewing your letter happens entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere while you fill out the form, so you can preview the whole thing without giving us a single detail. Buying does not change that: the PDF is built on your device, and your answers are never sent to us. We never sell or share your case details, and we don't use them for anything beyond producing your document.

Free · 2-page checklist

Not ready to negotiate yet? Grab the free checklist.

The 5 steps hospital billing departments actually respond to: itemized bill requests, the 7 most common coding errors, Medicare rate anchoring, 501(r) charity care, and the paid-in-full letter that protects you afterward. In your inbox in a minute.

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