There is an order to dealing with a hospital bill

Most people start by trying to negotiate. That is usually the wrong first move — financial assistance can reduce a bill to nothing, and a negotiated figure never does. These tools work through the options in the sequence that saves the most.

Medical bill calculator Where you stand against the poverty guideline, whether financial assistance is likely, how long you have to apply, and what a payment plan would look like. Start here
Do I qualify for help with a hospital bill? The quick version. Household size and household income, in large type, and one answer: where you sit against the guideline hospitals use. Simple version
Reading an itemised hospital bill How to request one, what each section means, and the errors that turn up most often. Guide
Hospital financial assistance explained What nonprofit hospitals are required to offer under IRS section 501(r), and how to apply. Guide
The No Surprises Act in plain English When federal law limits what you can be charged for emergency and out-of-network care. Guide
All guides Eight guides covering financial assistance, the hospital financial counsellor, itemised bills, good-faith estimates, insurance appeals, settlement and the statute of limitations. Index

Why this site exists

Hospitals bill you first and mention financial assistance second, if at all. The result is that people agree to pay amounts they were never required to pay, and often would have qualified to have written off entirely.

Search for help and most of what you find is published by companies that want to enrol you in a paid programme. We do not sell anything, do not take your details, and have nothing to gain from which way you decide. Every figure here is worked from numbers you enter, the rules being applied are named and cited, and the limitations are printed alongside the result.

If you are in genuine difficulty, speak to the hospital's financial counsellor directly. They exist, the conversation is free, and it is usually more productive than anything you can do alone.