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The free tool below runs entirely in this browser — no account, nothing stored or transmitted. Redact anything you would not want kept before you type it.
Open the companion tool →Why these bills still arrive
Billing is automated, and an out-of-network line item can be generated before anyone checks whether the protection applies. The patient's job is to ask the question with the documents attached.
The protection turns on what was billed and where the care happened, not on what you signed at check-in — so the check is documentary, and the documents decide it.
The protocol
- Write down the facility, the clinician, the dates, and whether the care was emergency or scheduled.
- Collect the Explanation of Benefits and the provider bill side by side.
- Identify which part was billed out of network and what the plan allowed.
- Ask the plan and the provider, in writing, how the charge was processed against surprise-billing rules.
- If it should be protected, request reprocessing and keep the reference.
What the tool does
Build a surprise-bill balance check It runs locally in this browser and sends nothing.
Limit first: This is a preparation aid, not medical, legal or insurance advice. It cannot force a payer to pay, guarantee an appeal outcome, or tell you which care is right for you.
Open the companion tool →Cost and free path
Cost: Free: one complete run in this browser, no account. Optional $4 one-time unlock allows unlimited runs of this tool on this browser. The free path and safety guidance never require payment.
Rule status (mixed route): Status, 2026-10-03: the federal surprise-billing protections and independent dispute resolution process are in force; some plans remain state-regulated, and the notice that came with the bill names the process that applies.
Automated decision this documents: automated out-of-network claim adjudication
Free path, in order (no cost):
- The independent dispute resolution process described on the notice — free to the patient
- Your state insurance department's consumer help line
- A hospital or clinic patient advocate, who can reprocess the claim
What this cannot do: It cannot force a payer to pay, guarantee an appeal outcome, or tell you which care is right for you.
Sources checked 2026-10-03 · source bank reviewed against the live pages listed in metadata.
One human next step
Send the written question to both the insurer and the provider, and if they disagree, use the federal or state independent dispute resolution process described on the bill or the denial notice.
Research log and safety checks
AI-assist path: not used for a verdict. This builder organises the reader's own documents and names an independent source; it does not infer authenticity, eligibility, or legal rights. §6.9/§6.10/§6.11 disclosed in the batch report; §6.12 status line carried in metadata as `status_line`.
§0.5 protection result: category is insurance-and-medical-costs; crisis-adjacent: no; fear/urgency/scarcity toolkit used: no. The protective function is free and the paid feature is convenience only.