Federal law overview
The No Surprises Act (effective Jan 1, 2022) limits surprise out-of-network billing and requires good-faith cost estimates. Hospitals receiving Medicare/Medicaid funding must provide itemized bills on request under CMS rules.
Generic AI prompt template
I received a medical bill from [FACILITY NAME] for $[AMOUNT] dated [DATE] for services on [DATE OF SERVICE]. I believe it contains errors. Draft a formal letter requesting: (1) an itemized statement of all charges with CPT codes, (2) an explanation of any charge exceeding the good-faith estimate I received, and (3) a written explanation of any surprise billing under the No Surprises Act. My insurance is [INSURANCE NAME], policy [NUMBER]. My contact information is [NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE].
State-specific guides — Medical Bill Negotiation
5 states live now. All 50 states in progress — updated annually.
- Alabama (coming soon)
- Alaska (coming soon)
- Arizona (coming soon)
- Arkansas (coming soon)
- California
- Colorado (coming soon)
- Connecticut (coming soon)
- Delaware (coming soon)
- Florida
- Georgia (coming soon)
- Hawaii (coming soon)
- Idaho (coming soon)
- Illinois
- Indiana (coming soon)
- Iowa (coming soon)
- Kansas (coming soon)
- Kentucky (coming soon)
- Louisiana (coming soon)
- Maine (coming soon)
- Maryland (coming soon)
- Massachusetts (coming soon)
- Michigan (coming soon)
- Minnesota (coming soon)
- Mississippi (coming soon)
- Missouri (coming soon)
- Montana (coming soon)
- Nebraska (coming soon)
- Nevada (coming soon)
- New Hampshire (coming soon)
- New Jersey (coming soon)
- New Mexico (coming soon)
- New York
- North Carolina (coming soon)
- North Dakota (coming soon)
- Ohio (coming soon)
- Oklahoma (coming soon)
- Oregon (coming soon)
- Pennsylvania (coming soon)
- Rhode Island (coming soon)
- South Carolina (coming soon)
- South Dakota (coming soon)
- Tennessee (coming soon)
- Texas
- Utah (coming soon)
- Vermont (coming soon)
- Virginia (coming soon)
- Washington (coming soon)
- West Virginia (coming soon)
- Wisconsin (coming soon)
- Wyoming (coming soon)
Frequently asked questions
Can I request an itemized bill from any hospital? +
Yes. Hospitals that accept Medicare or Medicaid are required to provide an itemized bill on request. Most states have additional laws extending this right to all licensed facilities.
What is the No Surprises Act? +
The No Surprises Act, effective January 1, 2022, protects patients from unexpected out-of-network charges in emergency situations and from certain non-emergency out-of-network care at in-network facilities. See cms.gov/nosurprises.
Will a negotiation letter actually work? +
Many hospitals have financial assistance programs and will accept reduced payments from uninsured or underinsured patients. A written request opens the formal process — verbal requests are easier to ignore.
Is this legal advice? +
No. This is informational content only. AI tools cannot substitute for a licensed attorney or medical billing advocate. Consult your state bar's lawyer referral service before taking legal action.
https://clearvaluelending.com/paperwork/medical-bill-negotiation