Know your rights as a patient in Illinois. From surprise billing protections to financial assistance programs, here's what the law says about your medical bills.
Based on CMS cost report data from 147 hospitals in Illinois.
Illinois hospitals charge an average of 3.2× their actual costs. The average hospital stay is billed at $226,032, while the actual cost is $70,996. Compare prices at specific hospitals →
The federal No Surprises Act protects all Illinois patients, regardless of state laws:
Network Adequacy and Transparency Act (SB 1286) (2019) protects Illinois patients from unexpected out-of-network medical bills.
If you receive a surprise out-of-network bill, you are not responsible for the balance beyond what you'd pay for in-network care. Contact your insurer and reference the Network Adequacy and Transparency Act (SB 1286) to dispute any balance bill.
Under Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act (210 ILCS 89), hospitals in Illinois must provide financial assistance to qualifying patients.
Income threshold: 200% FPL for free care; up to 600% FPL for discounted care
Illinois has a 5-year statute of limitations on written contracts (735 ILCS 5/13-205) and 5 years for oral contracts. Medical debt falls under these limits.
After 5 years, creditors cannot sue you to collect medical debt in Illinois. The clock starts from the date of your last payment or acknowledgment of the debt.
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 Illinois hospitals compare.
Hospitals must offer reasonable payment plans before pursuing collections. Ask about interest-free options and negotiate monthly payment amounts based on your income.
Illinois has a 5-year statute of limitations on medical debt (735 ILCS 5/13-205). After 5 years from the date of last payment, creditors cannot sue you to collect the debt.
Yes. Under the Fair Patient Billing Act, hospitals cannot charge uninsured patients more than the rate paid by their largest insurer. Patients at or below 200% FPL qualify for free care.
The Network Adequacy and Transparency Act (SB 1286, 2019) protects patients from balance billing for emergency services and ancillary services at in-network facilities. The federal No Surprises Act adds further protections.
Contact the hospital's billing department and request a financial assistance application. Under Illinois law, patients with income up to 600% FPL may qualify for discounted care, and those at or below 200% FPL qualify for free care.
Contact the Illinois Department of Insurance at 1-866-445-5364 or file online at insurance.illinois.gov. For deceptive billing practices, contact the Illinois Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division.
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.
📞 1-866-445-5364
File a complaint →For deceptive billing practices, fraud, or consumer protection violations.
File a complaint →Compare prices at 147 hospitals across Illinois. Click any hospital to see their procedure prices and negotiated rates.
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