Understanding Your Medical Bill
Easy steps to decode your bill and charges
Understanding your medical bill is key to managing your healthcare costs. At OhioHealth, we want to make it simple for you. Learn how to read your bill, understand common terms and find out what to do if you have questions or spot mistakes.
Let’s break down your medical bill
Payment
Methods and instructions for making a payment.
Patient information
Patient information like your name, address and account number.
Billing inquiries
Phone numbers and email addresses for billing inquiries.
Provider information
Provider information like the name and address of the healthcare provider.
Service dates
Service dates for when you received medical care.
Descriptions
Description of services, procedures or supplies you received.
Insurance
Insurance payments, allowed amounts and your responsibility.
Costs
Total charges, adjustments and final amount.
Common billing terms you might encounter
- Account number: Your account number is also known as the guarantor number. This number groups together multiple accounts under one main account holder, making it easier to manage all related accounts in one place.
- Allowed amount: The maximum amount an insurance company will pay for a covered service.
- Coinsurance: The percentage of costs you pay after meeting your deductible.
- Copayment (copay): A fixed amount you pay for a covered healthcare service, usually at the time of service.
- Deductible: The amount you pay out-of-pocket for healthcare services before your insurance starts to pay.
- Explanation of benefits (EOB): A statement from your insurance company detailing what costs it will cover for medical care or products you’ve received.
- Guarantor: The person responsible for paying the bill.
- Out-of-pocket maximum: The most you have to pay for covered services in a plan year. After you spend this amount on deductibles, copayments and coinsurance, your health plan pays 100% of the costs of covered benefits.
- Preauthorization: Approval from your health plan before you receive a service, ensuring it will be covered.
- Provider: Any healthcare professional or facility that provides medical care.
Need help paying for your care?
If you're uninsured, underinsured or experiencing financial difficulties, the OhioHealth Financial Assistance Program offers various options to help you handle your medical costs.