Medical Bill Check Kit: Itemized Bill, Billing Error and Financial Assistance Letters, Bill Tracker
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Got a medical bill that looks too high? This kit helps you check it before you pay it, find mistakes, and ask for the help you may qualify for.
Free copies available. Medical paperwork often lands when money is already stretched. That's not your fault. If paying isn't possible right now, email thedenialdesk@gmail.com with the subject "Free kit" and tell us which kit. You don't need to explain why. Please don't include medical details, diagnoses, bills or insurance numbers. Limit one free kit per email address.
Free updates: when a rule or date changes, your download link gets the updated file.
You can ask any provider for an itemized bill that lists each charge. If you have Original Medicare, you can ask the provider in writing for an itemized statement of services Medicare paid for, and they must send it within 30 days. Under HIPAA, you also have a right to a copy of your billing records from your provider or health plan. They may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee and usually have 30 days to respond. And if your bill is from a tax-exempt nonprofit hospital, IRS rules say it must have a written financial assistance policy for emergency and other medically necessary care. Many patients are never told about it: in a 2024 Dollar For review of more than 1,600 patients, about half got no financial assistance information.
WHAT YOU GET
- Start here guide (PDF, 8 pages). Match your bill to your EOB, get an itemized bill, use the error checklist, apply for hospital financial assistance, ask for a discount or payment plan, and handle a bill in collections. Includes what to say on the phone and where to get free help.
- 7 bill letters (Word, opens in Google Docs). Change the yellow parts, delete what does not apply, sign, and send.
- Bill tracker (Excel, opens in Google Sheets). A bill log that shows when your bill is higher than your EOB, a line-by-line checker that adds up the charges you are questioning, a call log, and a checklist.
THE 7 LETTERS
- Request an itemized bill
- Dispute billing errors
- Ask for financial assistance
- Hold my account from collections
- Offer to pay a reduced amount
- Ask for a payment plan
- Dispute a medical debt with a collector
WHO IT IS FOR
Anyone with a medical bill, with or without insurance.
HOW IT WORKS
This is an instant digital download. Nothing will be shipped.
This kit is self-serve. It doesn't include personal help with your case. For free one-on-one help, see Who will help me for free?
The guide (PDF) reads fine on a phone. The letters and tracker are easiest on a computer, or open them free in Google Docs and Sheets. You will get three files you can open in Word, Excel, Google Docs, Google Sheets, or any PDF reader.
PLEASE NOTE
These are educational templates, not legal or financial advice. Rules vary by state, so always follow the instructions on your own bills and notices. The Denial Desk is not affiliated with any hospital, insurer, collection agency, or government agency. The Personal option is for you and your family. The Pro and Team options let one advocate, or one organization, use the kit with the people they serve, as described above.
Sources: Nonprofit hospital financial assistance rules: IRS Section 501(r). Financial assistance information gaps: Dollar For, 2024. Itemized statements for Medicare patients: Social Security Act sec. 1806(b). Billing records access: HHS, HIPAA right of access.
AI disclosure: Templates were drafted with help from AI tools, then reviewed and fact-checked by our founder, a certified medical coding professional.
