California Medical Billing Advocates (CALMBA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, with a mission to reduce or eliminate unjust medical bills before they become crippling debt.
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Our Officers and Board of Directors are ex-healthcare finance executives, professors from UCSF and UC Hastings, and healthcare lawyers providing free expert assistance.
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We believe surprise and excessive medical bills are part of a structural problem due to the complex U.S healthcare system. Unfortunately, many patients get caught up with potentially crippling bills. We believe this is unjust; and founded CALMBA to help.
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WE NEGOTIATE MOST TYPES OF MEDICAL BILLS, AND WE CAN HELP ANYWHERE IN CALIFORNIA
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WE OPERATE ENTIRELY ON GRANTS AND DONATIONS TO PROVIDE 100% FREE SERVICES TO PATIENTS
Patient Resources
Here we answer some of the most common medical bill / debt questions from patients.
If you want clarification on any of these questions, send us an email at info@calmba.org, or submit a case.
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How Can CALMBA Help Negotiate My Medical Bills?
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How Do I Get Help Paying Medical Bills?
Why Did I Get a Big Surprise Medical Bill? What Should I Do?
How do I Get Help with Paying Medical Bills If I Am Uninsured in California?
How do I Get Help with Medical Bill After Insurance in California, if I Have Not Met my Deductible?
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Medical Billing and Coding​
What is Medical Coding and Billing?
What are Some Common Billing Errors?
How Do I Fight Medical Bills For Billing Errors?
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Insurance Forms
What is an Itemized Bill?
What is an Explanation of Benefits (EOB)?
Ways We Can Help With Medical Bills
Negotiating Prices to More Reasonable Rates
Bill amounts based on very high chargemaster rates can sometimes be negotiated to more reasonable rates based on usual and customary charges (UCC), and/or average contracted rates (ACR).
Negotiating Balance Bills
Many balance bill situations may be unjustified or illegal. Negotiations can eliminate or reduce bill amounts.
Auditing Bills For Errors
Medical bills often may contain errors and inflated charges. We help request and analyze itemized bills on behalf of patients.
California Medical Billing Advocates
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1390 Market Street, STE 200
San Francisco
CA 94102-5404
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(415) 632-3316