Know your rights as a patient in Ohio. From surprise billing protections to the Attorney General's healthcare complaint process, here's what the law says about your medical bills.
Based on CMS cost report data from 210 hospitals in Ohio.
Ohio hospitals charge an average of 4.9× their actual costs. That means a procedure costing a hospital $10,000 is billed at nearly $49,000. Compare prices at specific hospitals →
The federal No Surprises Act protects all Ohio patients, regardless of state laws:
HB 388 — Ohio Surprise Billing Law (2020) protects patients from unexpected out-of-network medical bills for state-regulated insurance plans.
If you receive a surprise out-of-network bill in Ohio, you are not responsible for the balance beyond your in-network cost-sharing. Contact the Ohio Department of Insurance and reference HB 388 to dispute any balance bill.
Under federal 501(r) requirements and Ohio law, non-profit hospitals must provide financial assistance to qualifying patients.
Tip: Many Ohio hospitals offer charity care at 200-400% FPL. Always ask — thresholds vary by hospital.
Ohio has a 6-year statute of limitations on medical debt under written contracts (ORC § 2305.06). The clock starts from the date of your last payment or acknowledgment.
After 6 years, creditors cannot sue you to collect medical debt in Ohio. Be careful — making a partial payment can restart the clock.
Beyond surprise billing and financial assistance, federal and state law provide these important protections.
Uninsured or self-pay patients can request a good faith estimate of charges before receiving care. If the final bill exceeds the estimate by $400 or more, you can dispute it through the federal process.
You have the right to an itemized bill showing each charge. Review it carefully — billing errors are found in up to 80% of hospital bills according to industry estimates.
Since 2021, all hospitals must publish their standard charges and negotiated rates online. Use Taven's price comparison tool to see how Ohio hospitals compare.
The Ohio Attorney General's Health Care Fraud Unit investigates deceptive billing practices. You can file complaints online or by calling 1-800-282-0515.
Ohio has a 6-year statute of limitations on medical debt under written contracts (ORC § 2305.06). After this period, creditors cannot sue to collect the debt. The clock starts from the date of the last payment or acknowledgment.
Yes. Ohio passed HB 388 (2020) providing surprise billing protections for state-regulated plans. Patients are protected from balance billing for emergency services and out-of-network providers at in-network facilities. The federal No Surprises Act (2022) extends these protections to all plan types.
Contact the Ohio Department of Insurance at 1-800-686-1526 for insurance-related complaints. For billing fraud or deceptive practices, file a complaint with the Ohio Attorney General's Consumer Protection Section at 1-800-282-0515.
Non-profit hospitals in Ohio must maintain financial assistance policies (FAPs) under federal 501(r) requirements. Ohio also requires hospitals to provide information about available financial assistance programs and screen patients for Medicaid eligibility before pursuing collections.
Under federal rules effective 2023, medical debt under $500 is excluded from credit reports. Paid medical collections are immediately removed. Medical debt cannot appear on credit reports until at least one year after first being sent to collections.
If a hospital or insurance company is violating your rights, you can file a formal complaint.
For insurance-related complaints: claim denials, balance billing, network issues.
📞 1-800-686-1526
File a complaint →For deceptive billing practices, fraud, or consumer protection violations.
📞 1-800-282-0515
File a complaint →Compare prices at 210 hospitals across Ohio. Click any hospital to see their procedure prices and negotiated rates.
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