Tool
Good Faith Estimate checker
Your bill came in higher than the estimate. Copy the lines from one provider or facility's Good Faith Estimate and the lines from that same provider's final bill. The checker totals both, flags every line that changed, was added, or is missing, and tells you whether the difference reaches the $400 threshold for the federal dispute process. It holds only numbers you type in. It looks nothing up.
Your data stays in your browser. This checker runs on this page only. Your entries are saved on this device so you can come back to them, and they are never sent, saved on a server, or shared. Use the print button to keep a copy, and clear the entries when you are done on a shared computer.
Short answer: the test is $400, per provider or facility.
Under the No Surprises Act, if you were uninsured or self-pay and one provider or facility billed you at least $400 more than its own Good Faith Estimate for the same items and services, you may be able to use the federal patient-provider dispute process. The rule, the eligibility conditions, and the steps are published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on its Dispute a medical bill page. The Good Faith Estimate guide on this site explains the same rule in full.
One check covers one provider or facility, because the $400 test applies to each provider's own estimate and bill. If a hospital and an anesthesiologist billed you separately, run the checker once for each.
3. The comparison
Lines with the same name on both documents are matched and compared. Lines are matched by name, so copy each name the same way on both sides. If the same name appears twice on one document, those lines are combined into one comparison row.
| Item or service | On the estimate | On the bill | Difference | What the checker found |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enter at least one line on each side and the comparison appears here. | ||||
Your result
Enter the estimate lines and the bill lines above. The totals and the $400 test appear here as you type.
This result is arithmetic on the numbers you typed, checked against the $400 threshold CMS publishes. It is general information, not legal advice, and it is not a decision on any dispute. CMS and the dispute reviewer decide eligibility on the actual documents.
Who the federal dispute process is for
CMS states the conditions on its dispute page. The patient-provider dispute process is for people who paid for their own care, and all of the following have to hold:
- You did not have health insurance for the care, or you had insurance and chose not to use it.
- Before the care, you told the provider or facility that you were not using insurance to pay for it.
- You received the care on or after January 1, 2022.
- You received a Good Faith Estimate from that provider or facility before the care.
- Your initial bill from that provider or facility is dated within the last 120 calendar days.
- That provider or facility charged at least $400 more than its own Good Faith Estimate, which is the number this checker tests.
If you used your insurance for the care, this process generally does not apply. Billing disagreements on an insured claim go to the health plan first. The estimate and dispute rules here are the uninsured and self-pay side of the No Surprises Act, covered in full in the Good Faith Estimates and the No Surprises Act guide.
If the bill is $400 or more over the estimate
- Check the bill for errors first. Duplicates, services you did not receive, and wrong quantities are common and are the provider's to fix. The itemized bill guide is the step-by-step procedure.
- Call the provider's billing department. Ask them to match the estimate or to explain each changed, added, or missing line, and write down the date, the name of the person you spoke with, and what was promised. Many differences end here.
- If it is still unresolved, start the dispute with CMS. You start the patient-provider dispute process within 120 calendar days of the date on the initial bill. CMS lists what you need on its Dispute a medical bill page: a copy of the estimate, a copy of the bill, the provider's contact information, and a $25 administrative fee. The fee is not refundable, and if the review is decided in your favor, CMS says the $25 is deducted from the amount you owe.
- Know what happens while the dispute is open. The provider cannot move the disputed bill into collection or threaten to, and late fees on the disputed amount must pause until the process ends. An independent reviewer then decides the amount: the estimate amount, the billed amount, or a different amount. One outcome CMS names is that care the provider could not reasonably have anticipated may be found appropriate and the bill left as it is, so keep the clinical explanation for any added line with your papers.
This page is general information about a federal process, not legal advice, and MyCarePrice does not file disputes or contact providers on your behalf. For the current rules, forms, and deadlines, use the CMS pages linked here or a qualified advisor.
Why the checker runs one provider at a time
One procedure often produces several bills: the facility, the clinician, anesthesia, pathology. The Good Faith Estimate you received should have listed each layer, but the $400 test is applied provider by provider: CMS asks whether one provider or facility charged at least $400 more than that provider's estimate. A small overage spread across three providers does not combine into one dispute, and one provider $400 over is enough on its own. Run this checker once for each provider or facility that sent you a bill, using that provider's lines from the estimate and that provider's itemized bill.
What this checker does not do
It does not look up prices, read your documents, contact the provider, or file anything. Every figure on this page was typed by you, and the only outside number is the $400 threshold from CMS. It also does not judge whether a changed line was clinically justified. It shows you the arithmetic and the flagged lines, which are the two things you need in hand before the billing call.
Frequently asked questions
Is the $400 measured on my whole episode of care?
No. CMS applies the test to each provider or facility separately: one provider's billed charges against that provider's Good Faith Estimate for the same items and services. That is why this checker takes one provider or facility at a time.
My bill is over the estimate, but by less than $400. Can I still do anything?
Yes. The $400 figure is only the entry point for the federal dispute process. You can still check the bill for errors, ask the billing department to explain or correct each changed line, and ask for a lower amount or a payment plan. Ask for any agreement in writing.
The bill has a line that was never in the estimate. How is it counted?
It counts toward that provider's bill total, and the checker flags it as billed but not estimated. A line can be added because the clinical plan changed on the day, and CMS says a reviewer may find unanticipated care appropriate. The line still has to be explainable, so ask for the reason and the code in writing.
The estimate has a line the bill does not. Does that matter?
It lowers the bill side of the comparison, which the checker shows as a flagged line. It can also be a sign the bill is incomplete or that part of the care will be billed separately later, so ask the billing department whether another bill is coming.
Does the checker send or store my numbers anywhere?
No. The checker runs in your browser. Entries are stored only in this browser on this device so you can return to them, and the Clear button removes them. Nothing is transmitted to MyCarePrice or anyone else.
Sources
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dispute a medical bill (eligibility conditions, the $400 per-provider threshold, the 120 calendar day window, and the $25 administrative fee) and Know your medical bill rights when not using insurance, CMS Medical Bill Rights pages under the No Surprises Act, checked October 16, 2026. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, FAQs About Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 Implementation, Good Faith Estimates for Uninsured (or Self-Pay) Individuals, Part 4 (collections and late-fee pause during a dispute), checked October 16, 2026.