How to Read Your Doctors' Bills or Other Medical Bills

When you decide to take steps to control your health costs, knowing how to read your doctors bills and other medical bills will come in handy.

There are three pieces of paperwork you'll need to compare.

1. The list of services performed. This is handed to you when you leave the doctor's office or testing site.
   
   
2. The bill the doctor or health facility sends you. It is a list of the services from #1 above, and the charges for each service. That bill is addressed in this article.
   
   
3. The explanation of benefits -- EOB -- that comes from your payer (insurer, Medicare or other payer).

Among the three pieces of paper, you'll find terminology and codes that will help you be sure you are being billed only for the services that were performed.

We'll begin by looking at a basic medical bill, one you might receive from your doctor or another provider.