Without real price transparency in healthcare, Americans are expected to pay with a blank check for visiting a doctor or hospital for both routine and emergent care. Only weeks or months later when we receive the bills, do we find out the price.

That’s why one in five Americans have medical debt in collections and one third of the population is in debt due to medical expenses.

Every medical bill is disputable. Learn how you can prevent and fight outrageous medical bills by following our tips below:

1. Prior to your visit, research your insurer’s coverage and billing codes:

Call your insurer to ask which tests and services are covered, along with their associated billing codes. You can also get preauthorization from your insurance company to ensure coverage.

2. Shop around for medical tests and procedures and find a fair market price:

Look up what Medicare and commercial insurance companies pay for the service that you need. Healthcare price checking platforms such as Healthcare Bluebook and Clear Health Costs are also available to help patients’ find the best price.

For surgical procedures, you can also look up the price with other transparent surgical centers such as The Surgery Center of Oklahoma and Texas Free Market Surgery. You can then use those prices to negotiate.

3. Ask for the cash price:

If a doctor’s office or hospital accepts the Medicare allowable amount, before your visit or procedure, offer to pay in cash. In many cases they will offer significant discounted rates for upfront, cash payments.

4. Refuse to sign any paperwork:

The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) requires hospital emergency rooms to treat anyone needing emergent care and ensures public access to emergency services regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. If a hospital insists that you sign a form for financial paperwork, refuse by citing the EMTALA law, or sign it “DID NOT READ” instead of your signature.

5. Ask the physician or hospital to only use labs and providers that are in-network:

Make it very clear to your doctor that you want to stay in-network to avoid out-of-network charges. You can also call your insurance company to help you find nearby in-network labs and facilities.

If you receive balance bills, follow the steps below to waive or lower the cost:

1. Request an itemized bill and dispute inaccuracies:

Ask the provider or hospital for an itemized bill. Because 80% of medical bills contain an error, you may find duplicate or incorrect charges.

Use this medical coding tool to translate medical procedure codes and medical diagnosis codes to understand each charge. If there are any discrepancies, immediately dispute them.

2. Ask to see the contract:

If debt collectors are calling insisting on payment for an unfair bill, demand they provide you with the contractual agreement in which you are obligated to pay. With no written agreement, you have no legal obligation to pay.

3. Address out-of-network services and refuse to pay for inappropriate care:

Many patients are unaware that they can receive an out-of-network charge at an in-network hospital for non-urgent care, resulting in 57% of Americans receiving an unexpected bill. If you received unnecessary care or had an avoidable complication, call the hospital or provider and demand that you not be charged for these services.

4. Research the fair market price and use that to negotiate:

For surgical procedures, you can also comparer your charges with the transparent prices at The Surgery Center of Oklahoma and Texas Free Market Surgery. You can then use those prices to negotiate.

5. Call your insurance company:

If you have insurance, check your explanation of benefits (EOB) to determine if the service or procedure is covered. Call your insurer’s customer service line if your health plan isn’t covering something you thought would be covered. If the bill should be covered according to your EOB and the insurance company is refusing to pay, contact the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. You can also contact your state and file an appeal.

6. Call your employer’s head of Human Resource department:

If you have health insurance through your employer, you can ask your Human Resources Department to advocate on your behalf.

7. Call your hospital’s leadership:

If none of the steps above have produced results and you have been unfairly charged for services not rendered or egregiously overcharged for services received, write to the hospital’s CEO’s and CFO. You can also contact the hospital’s board members through their offsite office and inform them of the hospital’s predatory billing practices.

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