Washington 的医疗账单错误和您的权利

Washington 州法律

Washington health care charge estimate on request

Washington requires health care providers and facilities to furnish a patient, on request, an estimate of the fees and charges for a specific service, visit, or stay, along with information about other fees the patient may incur; a hospital may satisfy this with a statement and contact information.

您可以做什么： Request the estimate of fees and charges before care where possible, then reconcile each line item and code on the final itemized bill against the services received and the estimate provided.

引用： RCW 70.01.030 · 自 2009-07-26 起生效

联邦法律

No Surprises Act good-faith estimate & patient-provider dispute

Uninsured and self-pay patients are entitled to a good-faith estimate of expected charges before scheduled care. If the final bill from a provider exceeds the good-faith estimate by at least $400, the patient may initiate the patient-provider dispute resolution (PPDR) process.

您可以做什么： Compare the good-faith estimate to the final charges; where the bill exceeds the estimate by $400 or more, dispute the coding and charges and, if applicable, initiate the federal patient-provider dispute resolution process within 120 days of the bill.

引用： No Surprises Act, PHS Act § 2799B-6; 45 C.F.R. § 149.610–.620 · 自 2022-01-01 起生效

联邦法律

Section 501(r) financial-assistance & charity-care policy

Tax-exempt nonprofit hospitals must maintain a written financial-assistance policy (FAP), limit amounts charged to FAP-eligible patients to no more than amounts generally billed (AGB) to insured patients, and refrain from extraordinary collection actions before making reasonable efforts to determine FAP eligibility.

您可以做什么： Apply for financial assistance under the hospital's FAP within the application period (at least 240 days from the first post-discharge billing statement) and require charges be limited to amounts generally billed.

引用： 26 U.S.C. § 501(r); Treas. Reg. § 1.501(r)-4, -5, -6 · 自 2016-01-01 起生效

联邦法律

Fair Debt Collection Practices Act — debt validation

When a debt is with a third-party collector, the consumer may dispute the debt and request validation. On a timely written dispute, the collector must cease collection until it mails verification of the debt.

您可以做什么： Send a written debt-validation request disputing the debt; the collector must cease collection activity until it mails verification of the debt.

引用： Fair Debt Collection Practices Act § 809, 15 U.S.C. § 1692g · 自 1977-09-20 起生效

在 Washington 报告账单问题的位置

如果医院或保险公司不愿意更正违反上述规则的账单，您可以向执行这些规则的政府办公室报告。提交投诉是免费的，这些办公室即使无法解决单份账单也可以发现模式。报告不能保证任何结果，这是一般信息，不是法律咨询。

Washington 机构

• Washington Attorney General — File a Complaint
• Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner — File a Complaint

联邦帮助

• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) — submit a complaint about medical bills or debt collection
• No Surprises Act help (federal CMS) — surprise bills and good-faith estimates

认为法律本身应该更强？你可以 查找并联系您的 Washington 州立法者 分享您的经历。