Help center
How can we help?
Ahem does five things: you add your bill, it checks every line, it writes your letter, it tracks their deadline, and it tells you what to do next. Search below or pick a topic.
- 1Add your bill
- 2We check it
- 3Send your letter
- 4Get an answer
- 5Done
What happens when I use Ahem?
Five steps. 1) You add your bill. 2) Ahem checks every line. 3) Ahem writes your letter; you read, sign and send it. 4) They have to answer in writing, and Ahem tracks the deadline. 5) You log what changed. Plan on about 15 minutes for the first three.
Getting started
What should I upload?
Your hospital or doctor bill. A phone photo works. Best of all is the itemized bill (every line with a date and code) plus your insurer's EOB. You don't need to say which is which; Ahem figures it out.
Getting started
What's an EOB and where do I get it?
An Explanation of Benefits is your insurer's receipt for a visit. It is not a bill. It shows what you actually owe. Find it in your insurer's app or website under Claims, or in the mail. It's the single best document for catching an overcharge.
Getting started
I only have a summary bill. Is that enough?
It's a start. Ahem will check what's there and suggest a letter asking for the itemized bill. Hospitals have to give it to you. Most overcharges hide in the line items.
Getting started
Why does Ahem ask about insurance and household?
Two reasons. Insurance details go into your letter so it reaches the right desk. Household size and income tell Ahem if you likely qualify for free or discounted care. Skip anything you don't know; you can add it later.
Getting started
Can I try it without my own bill?
Yes. On your bills page, choose Load sample case. It's a made-up ICU stay with real-looking mistakes so you can see every step.
Getting started
What are these findings?
Each one is a specific line on your bill that breaks a rule or doesn't match your insurer. Ahem shows the exact line it's talking about. Plain rules decide what to flag, not AI guesses.
What Ahem found
What's the difference between "Looks wrong" and "Worth asking"?
Looks wrong: the papers show it plainly, like the same charge listed twice. Worth asking: there may be a reason for it, but you have every right to ask. Both are fair to put in a letter. Asking is not accusing.
What Ahem found
What do "Clear on your papers", "Worth checking" and "Long shot" mean?
How clearly your papers show the problem. Clear on your papers: it's right there on the page. Worth checking: likely, but look at the line. Long shot: Ahem leaves it out of your letter unless you add it.
What Ahem found
Why is a finding already "in your letter"?
To save you work. Strong findings go in automatically. If you know one is fine (say, you really did stay that extra night), tap Take it out. You can put it back any time.
What Ahem found
Ahem found nothing. Is my bill right?
Not necessarily. Ahem can only check what's on the page. Upload the itemized bill and your EOB and it can check a lot more. You can also ask about financial assistance at any nonprofit hospital, error or not.
What Ahem found
What's the "amount you're questioning"?
The dollars tied to what Ahem found. It's not a promise of savings. When the hospital or insurer confirms a change in writing, log it and the bar shrinks.
What Ahem found
Which letter should I send?
Use the one under Next step. Ahem picks it from what it found. The other letters are there for later, for example if they don't answer or send you to collections.
Your letter
Can I change the letter?
Yes, it's yours. Edit anything. Fill in any [brackets] (like the billing address on your bill). Keep it calm and short; the facts do the work.
Your letter
How do I sign it?
Type your full name where it asks. That's your signature on the PDF. If you're writing for a family member, Ahem adds the authorization form they need to sign.
Your letter
How do I send it?
Best: download the PDF and send it by certified mail so you have proof of delivery. Many hospitals and insurers also take letters through their patient portal or by fax; that works too. Whatever you choose, keep a copy and the receipt, then tap Mark as sent. Or tap Mail it for me and Ahem prints, mails and tracks it for you.
Your letter
Should I pay the bill while I wait?
Pay what you don't dispute if you can, and ask the hospital to hold the disputed part from collections while they review it. Your letter asks for that hold.
Your letter
What are the deadlines?
Rules give them a set time to answer you, and give you a set time to appeal or apply for help. Ahem shows each date and its source. Add them to your calendar with one tap.
After you send
What if they don't reply?
Ahem notices when the deadline passes and puts a follow-up letter as your next step. If they still go quiet, it shows you the next place to go, like your state insurance department.
After you send
They replied. Now what?
On your bill page, tap what they said: They fixed it, Fixed part of it, They said no, or Something else. Ahem picks your next step from that, whether it's entering the amount they took off or the next place to take it.
After you send
What if it goes to collections?
Use the Debt validation letter. A collector has to prove the debt before they keep collecting. Also: paid medical collections and ones under $500 no longer show on credit reports.
After you send
Can my family help with a bill?
Yes. Under Family helpers on a bill, invite someone by email. They only see that one bill, nothing else in your account. Remove them any time.
Account & privacy
What are points and ranks?
Points track the steps you take: adding a bill, sending a letter, following up. They never depend on the outcome, which isn't in your control. Bills get fixed by people who keep going, and points make that visible.
Account & privacy
Who can see my bill?
Only you and anyone you invite to that bill. No ads, no trackers, and your files stay in private storage. You can delete a bill and its files any time.
Account & privacy
Does Ahem send anything for me?
Only if you ask it to. On any finished letter you can choose Mail it for me: you confirm the addresses and pay, and Ahem prints and mails it (Certified Mail with tracking, or First-Class). Otherwise nothing goes anywhere without you.
Account & privacy
Is Ahem giving me professional advice?
No. Ahem is a self-help tool. It shows you the rules, points to the source, and drafts letters you choose to send.
Account & privacy
Words on your bill
Glossary
- EOB (Explanation of Benefits)
- Your insurer's receipt. It's not a bill. It shows what was billed, what the insurer allowed, what it paid, and what YOU owe. That last line is the number to match against the hospital bill.
- Patient responsibility
- What you actually owe after insurance. If the hospital bills more than this, that's a red flag.
- Allowed amount
- The price your insurer agreed to. In-network providers can't bill you the difference between their sticker price and this.
- Chargemaster
- The hospital's sticker-price list. Almost nobody with insurance should pay these prices.
- Itemized bill
- The line-by-line version of your bill. Always ask for it.
- CPT / HCPCS code
- 5-character codes for what was done (a scan, a visit, a drug). The wrong code means the wrong price.
- Revenue code
- 4-digit hospital department code (for example, 020x = ICU room). It helps you check room days and supplies.
- ICD-10 code
- Diagnosis code. It explains why care was given and drives medical-necessity decisions.
- UB-04 / CMS-1500
- The claim forms hospitals (UB-04) and doctors (CMS-1500) send your insurer. Ask for a copy.
- Deductible
- What you pay each year before most insurance kicks in.
- Coinsurance / copay
- Your share after the deductible: a percent (coinsurance) or a flat fee (copay).
- Out-of-pocket max
- The most you pay in a plan year for covered in-network care. After that, your plan pays 100%.
- In-network / out-of-network
- Whether the provider has a contract with your plan. The No Surprises Act protects you in many out-of-network situations.
- Balance billing
- Billing you for the gap between the sticker price and what insurance paid. Often banned.
- Prior authorization
- Insurer pre-approval. A missing prior auth is a common reason for denials, and those denials are often fixable.
- Medical necessity
- Whether care was needed. Denials for this reason are often overturned with a doctor's letter.
- Unbundling
- Billing separately for parts of a procedure that should be one charge.
- Upcoding
- Billing a more expensive code than the care given.
- NCCI / MUE edits
- Medicare's rules for code pairs that shouldn't be billed together and the maximum units per day. Useful red flags, though commercial plans differ.
- Observation status
- You can be in a hospital bed and still be 'outpatient.' It changes what you owe, especially on Medicare. Ask: was I admitted or under observation?
- FAP / charity care
- A hospital's Financial Assistance Policy. Required at nonprofit hospitals.
- AGB (Amounts Generally Billed)
- If you qualify for financial assistance, a nonprofit hospital can't charge you more than what insured patients are generally billed.
- ECA (Extraordinary Collection Action)
- Credit reporting, lawsuits, liens, wage garnishment, selling your debt. Restricted while a charity-care application is pending.
- GFE (Good Faith Estimate)
- A written price estimate you're owed if you're uninsured or paying cash for scheduled care.
- PPDR
- Patient-Provider Dispute Resolution. Lets uninsured or cash-pay patients dispute a bill that's $400+ over the GFE.
- External review
- An independent reviewer, outside the insurer, who can overturn a denial. Only about 40% of people know it exists.
The rules behind each finding, with sources: Your rights.