Medical bills and health insurance, explained in plain English
Free, practical guides written by a medical billing professional with 15 years of experience. Check your bill, choose a plan, or start a billing career.
New: How to choose a health plan for 2027 · Texas Open Enrollment 2027 · How to become a medical biller and coder · Billing and coding salary 2026 · Medicare Advantage plans leaving in 2027
Fix my bill
Check a confusing bill, read your EOB and know your rights.
Choose a plan
2027 Open Enrollment: November 1 to January 15 on HealthCare.gov (December 15 for January 1 coverage). Premiums are rising about 15%, so compare before you renew.
Start a billing career
No degree needed. Most people start in 4 to 12 months: train, pass one certification and land a first job. Certified coders average about $67,000, and about 65% of experienced coders in AAPC’s 2026 survey work fully remote.
Free tools
- Medical Bill Letter Generator: dispute, appeal or ask for charity care in 2 minutes
- Doctor Visit Checklist: a printable sheet of your symptoms, medicines and questions
- Bill and Appointment Tracker: keep every bill, due date and appointment in one private list
- Financial Assistance Checker: see if you could qualify for free or discounted hospital care
- Medical Bill Cost Calculator: see what you’ll owe after your deductible and coinsurance
- Good Faith Estimate Dispute Checker: uninsured or self-pay? Check the $400 rule in seconds
- Health Plan Cost Comparison: compare up to 3 plans by total yearly cost for Open Enrollment 2027
See all free tools · Phone scripts for medical bills · Guías en español
Free: Hospital Bill Audit Checklist
15 checks to run before you pay a medical bill, on one printable page. Enter your email and we’ll show the download right away.
Latest guides
- Entry-Level Medical Billing Resume Template and Interview Questions (With Answers)A free entry-level medical billing and coding resume template you can copy, plus 12 common interview questions with sample answers. Written by someone who has hired and trained billers.
- What to Say When You Call About a Medical Bill: Word-for-Word Phone ScriptsWord-for-word scripts for calling a billing office, your insurance company or a debt collector about a medical bill, plus the questions to ask before a doctor’s visit. From 15 years in billing.
- How to Get Medical Billing Experience With No Job: A Hands-On Plan That WorksEntry-level billing jobs ask for experience. Here is what hiring managers really want, how to build hands-on experience with a practice EHR, a 30-day plan and resume lines you can use.
- Medical Billing and Coding Salary in 2026: What You Can Really EarnThe BLS puts the median at $51,140 a year, and AAPC’s survey shows certified professionals earning about $67,000. Here’s how certification, experience, specialty and remote work affect what you’ll make.
- How to Become a Medical Biller and Coder: A Step-by-Step Path for BeginnersYou can start a medical billing and coding career in 4 to 12 months without a degree. Here’s the step-by-step path, what it costs, which certification to choose and how to land your first job.
- How to Choose a Health Insurance Plan for 2027: A Step-by-Step GuideChoosing a plan comes down to four things: your doctors, your medicines, how much care you expect, and the total yearly cost. Here’s a simple 7-step method that works for Marketplace and employer plans.
Why trust MedBillGuide?
- Written from real experience: 15 years inside US medical billing, from claims to denials to patient balances. Meet the author.
- Official sources: every guide links to CMS, HealthCare.gov, the IRS or the CFPB.
- Kept up to date: each article shows its last review date. See our Editorial Policy.
- Independent and free: we are not an insurer, hospital or government agency.
MedBillGuide is educational and does not provide legal, medical or financial advice. Read our disclaimer.