Best Medical Bill Negotiation Services Compared (2026)

An honest, side-by-side look at four medical bill negotiation services — what they charge, what they do, and which one fits your situation. CareRoute is one of these services, and we’ve done our best to present every option fairly.

Updated February 2026

Medical Bill Negotiation Services: Side-by-Side Comparison

	CareRoute Bill Defense	Goodbill	Resolve Medical Bills	Dollar For
Fee structure	25% of savings (18% for Premium members)	20% of savings	10–25% tiered based on savings amount	Free (nonprofit)
Upfront cost	$0	$0	$249–$499 deposit (refundable)	$0
Fee cap	$1,000 maximum	$1,000 maximum	No stated cap	N/A (free)
Minimum bill size	None	None stated	$5,000	None
Bill types covered	Hospital, physician, imaging, lab, and other medical bills	Hospital bills only	Primarily hospital bills	Nonprofit hospital bills only
What’s included	Error review, negotiation, financial assistance applications, appeals	Error review, negotiation, 501(r) charity care screening	Dedicated advocate, negotiation, appeals, financial assistance	Charity care applications only (no negotiation)
Average savings	30%+*	Not publicly stated	Claims ~60%	Up to 100% (charity care)
Typical timeline	4–8 weeks	A few weeks	Varies by case	Varies (charity care processing)
Best for	Any bill type or size, patients wanting a full-service platform	Hospital bills, budget-conscious patients	Large hospital bills ($5K+), patients in collections	Low-income patients at nonprofit hospitals

*Savings are not guaranteed and vary by individual circumstances. Competitor information is based on publicly available data as of February 2026 and may have changed.

How Medical Bill Negotiation Services Work

Medical bill negotiation services act as intermediaries between you and your healthcare provider. When you enroll, you authorize the service to obtain your billing records and communicate with the hospital or provider’s billing department on your behalf.

The process typically starts with a bill audit. Negotiators review your itemized bill for coding errors, duplicate charges, and services that were billed but not actually provided. Studies estimate that up to 80% of medical bills contain at least one error, and correcting these alone can significantly reduce what you owe.

Beyond error correction, most services also screen for financial assistance eligibility. Nonprofit hospitals are required by law (Section 501(r) of the Internal Revenue Code) to offer charity care programs, and many patients who qualify don’t know these programs exist. A good negotiation service will identify whether you’re eligible and handle the application for you.

Finally, services negotiate directly with the provider for reduced settlements, self-pay discounts, or payment plans. Professional negotiators have relationships with billing departments and understand what discounts hospitals are willing to offer versus what they advertise publicly. For a deeper look at how CareRoute handles this, see our Bill Defense service page.

Detailed Service Reviews

CareRoute Bill Defense

careroute.ai/bill-defense

CareRoute offers a full-service medical bill negotiation platform that handles error correction, financial assistance applications, insurance dispute resolution, and direct negotiation. Unlike most competitors that focus exclusively on hospital bills, CareRoute also negotiates physician bills, imaging center bills, lab bills, and other medical provider charges. It’s part of a broader health platform that includes a symptom checker, cost guides, and letter templates.

Strengths

• No upfront cost — $0 unless they save you money
• $1,000 fee cap regardless of bill size
• Full-service: errors + negotiation + financial assistance + appeals
• Covers all bill types: hospital, physician, imaging, and lab
• Connected platform with cost guides, letter templates, and FA guides
• No minimum bill size

Limitations

• 25% fee is higher than Goodbill’s 20% (18% for Premium members)
• Newer service compared to some competitors

Goodbill

goodbill.com

Goodbill reviews hospital bills for errors and negotiates reductions on your behalf. They also screen for 501(r) charity care eligibility. In addition to their consumer service, Goodbill operates a B2B platform for employers.

Strengths

• Lowest contingency fee at 20% of savings
• $1,000 fee cap
• No upfront cost
• Bilingual support available
• 501(r) charity care screening

Limitations

• Hospital bills only — does not cover physician, imaging, or lab bills
• B2B focus may mean less consumer-oriented support

Resolve Medical Bills

resolvemedicalbills.com

Resolve assigns a dedicated advocate who handles negotiation, appeals, and financial assistance applications. They use a tiered fee structure that starts lower on larger savings amounts, and they also work with bills that have gone to collections. Their website and case studies focus primarily on hospital bills, though they use broad “medical bills” language in marketing.

Strengths

• Claims average savings of ~60%
• Tiered pricing (10–25%) — lower rate on larger savings
• Handles bills in collections
• Dedicated personal advocate

Limitations

• $5,000 minimum bill requirement
• Requires $249–$499 upfront deposit (refundable)
• No fee cap — costs can be higher on very large bills
• Primarily hospital-focused — unclear coverage for standalone physician or imaging bills

Dollar For

dollarfor.org

Dollar For is a nonprofit that helps patients apply for hospital charity care programs. They’ve helped forgive over $131 million in medical debt. Unlike the other services listed here, Dollar For focuses exclusively on charity care applications — they don’t negotiate bills or correct billing errors.

Strengths

• 100% free — no fees whatsoever
• $131M+ in medical debt forgiven
• Specializes in charity care applications
• No minimum bill size

Limitations

• Charity care only — does not negotiate or correct billing errors
• Only works with nonprofit hospitals
• Must meet income eligibility for charity care programs

Prefer to Negotiate Your Bill Yourself?

Not ready to use a service? You can negotiate your medical bill on your own. It takes more time and effort, but it’s absolutely possible. Here are free resources to help you get started:

Itemized Bill Request Letter

Free template to request a line-by-line breakdown of your charges. This is always the first step.

Financial Assistance Guides

Find your hospital’s charity care program, eligibility requirements, and how to apply.

Negotiation Scripts

Word-for-word scripts for calling the billing department and negotiating a lower bill.

Tip: Even if you plan to negotiate yourself, start by requesting an itemized bill. Up to 80% of medical bills contain errors, and you can’t spot them without seeing every charge. You can also use our cost guides to understand what your procedure should typically cost.

How to Choose the Right Service for Your Situation

The right service depends on what kind of help you need, not just your bill size. Here’s how to think about it.

You need full-service negotiation (error review + financial assistance + negotiation)

CareRoute or Goodbill both offer this with no upfront cost, no minimum bill size, and a $1,000 fee cap. Goodbill’s 20% fee is lower than CareRoute’s 25% (18% for Premium). CareRoute covers a wider range of bill types (physician, imaging, and lab bills in addition to hospital) and offers a connected platform of health tools including cost guides, letter templates, and financial assistance guides. For large bills, the $1,000 fee cap means the effective rate drops well below 10% — often lower than competitors with no cap.

Your bill is from a physician, imaging center, or lab

CareRoute — most negotiation services focus exclusively on hospital bills, but physician bills, imaging center charges, and lab fees are increasingly significant and just as likely to contain errors or be negotiable. CareRoute handles all of these; the other services listed here do not.

You only need charity care help and qualify for it

Try Dollar For first — it’s completely free. They specialize in getting charity care applications approved at nonprofit hospitals, and if you qualify, your entire bill could be forgiven. Keep in mind that Dollar For doesn’t negotiate or correct billing errors, so if you don’t qualify for charity care or have additional bills from physicians or other providers, you’ll need a separate service for those.

Your bill is already in collections

CareRoute and Resolve both work with bills in collections. Resolve requires a $5,000 minimum bill and a $249–$499 upfront deposit (refundable). CareRoute has no minimum and no upfront cost.

You want to try negotiating yourself first

Use CareRoute’s free letter templates, financial assistance guides, and negotiation scripts to handle it on your own. If you hit a wall, you can always enroll in a professional service later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are medical bill negotiation services worth it?

For most people with bills over a few hundred dollars, yes. Professional negotiators typically save 30%+ through error correction, financial assistance applications, and direct negotiation. Since most services charge only a percentage of savings with no upfront fee, you only pay if they reduce your bill. The risk is essentially zero — if they can’t save you anything, you owe nothing.

How much do medical bill negotiation companies charge?

Most charge 10–25% of the savings they achieve. CareRoute charges 25% (18% for Premium) with a $1,000 cap. Goodbill charges 20% with a $1,000 cap. Resolve charges 10–25% on a tiered scale with no cap but requires a $249–$499 deposit. Dollar For is completely free but only handles charity care applications, not negotiation.

Can I negotiate a medical bill myself?

Absolutely. Start by requesting an itemized bill and checking for errors. Ask about the hospital’s self-pay discount (typically 40–60% off). Apply for financial assistance if your income qualifies. Our free negotiation scripts walk you through exactly what to say.

What is the best medical bill negotiation service?

It depends on what you need. For full-service negotiation (error review, financial assistance, and direct negotiation), CareRoute and Goodbill are the strongest options — no upfront cost, no minimums, and both cap fees at $1,000. CareRoute also handles physician, imaging, and lab bills, which most services don’t. If you only need charity care help at a nonprofit hospital, Dollar For is free. See the how to choose section above for a detailed breakdown.

Do bill negotiation services work for insured patients?

Yes. Even with insurance, bills can contain coding errors, out-of-network charges, and incorrectly applied benefits. Negotiators verify that your insurer processed the claim correctly, dispute balance billing, and negotiate the remaining patient responsibility down. High-deductible plan holders often see significant savings because they’re paying most costs out of pocket until their deductible is met.

How long does medical bill negotiation take?

Most services complete the process in 4–8 weeks. The timeline depends largely on how quickly providers and insurers respond to requests. Complex cases involving appeals or financial assistance applications may take longer. You can typically continue making minimum payments (or request a billing hold) during the negotiation process.

Ready to Get Your Bill Reduced?

CareRoute Bill Defense reviews your bill for errors, applies for financial assistance, and negotiates directly with your provider. $0 upfront — you only pay if we save you money.

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