Help Center

Cash-pay can be cheaper when:

• You have a high deductible you haven't met
• The provider's cash price is lower than your insurance-negotiated rate
• The service is out-of-network
• You want a simple, upfront price with no surprise bills

Many users find cash-pay is the better option for imaging, labs, and outpatient procedures.

Often, yes. Many insurance plans allow you to submit a cash-pay receipt for:

• Out-of-network reimbursement
• Credit toward your deductible
• HSA/FSA documentation

Check your plan's rules — reimbursement is not guaranteed, but many users successfully submit receipts.

Your out-of-pocket cost depends on:

• Deductible: What you must pay before insurance starts covering anything
• Coinsurance: The percentage you pay after meeting your deductible
• Out-of-network rules: These often have higher deductibles and coinsurance

Example: If your deductible is $3,000 and you haven't met it, you may pay the full insurance-negotiated rate — which can be higher than the cash-pay price.

Yes — most medical procedures are HSA/FSA eligible, including:

• Imaging (MRI, CT, X-ray)
• Labs
• Specialist visits
• Outpatient procedures

You can pay directly with your HSA/FSA card or submit the receipt for reimbursement.

We take your data seriously. All personal information is handled with care:

• We never sell your personal data to third parties
• Data is encrypted in transit and at rest
• We collect only what's necessary to deliver our service
• You retain full control over your account and stored information

Uploaded bills and documents are processed securely:

• Files are scanned and analyzed using our secure pipeline
• Documents are never shared with third parties
• Processing happens in encrypted, access-controlled environments
• We never store your files without your explicit permission

File retention is fully in your control:

• You can delete uploaded files at any time from your dashboard
• Files are automatically removed after your session if you choose not to save them
• Retained files are kept only for as long as your account is active

Privacy-first means every product decision starts with your protection:

• No ad tracking or behavioral profiling
• No selling or sharing of personal health data
• Minimal data collection — only what's needed
• HIPAA-aligned practices for all health-related information

Under the Hospital Price Transparency Rule, all hospitals in the U.S. are required to publish machine-readable files (MRFs) that contain their standard charges. These files include:

• Gross charges for every service
• Payer-specific negotiated rates
• Cash-pay / self-pay discounted prices
• De-identified minimum and maximum negotiated rates

TrueCareCost ingests and normalizes these files to make the data searchable and understandable.

Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) are required to publish their own standard charge lists. These cover outpatient surgical procedures and typically reflect lower prices than hospital-based care. We collect and standardize these lists to give you a fuller picture of your options.

Yes. In addition to regulatory filings, some providers submit pricing and service information directly to TrueCareCost. This helps us fill in gaps and improve accuracy for facilities that may not have complete machine-readable files publicly available.

Data freshness is a top priority for us:

• Hospital MRFs are checked and re-ingested on a regular cycle (typically quarterly or when a hospital publishes an update)
• ASC price lists are reviewed and updated as new versions are published
• Provider-submitted data is reviewed and applied within a standard processing window
• Each provider page displays the last-updated date so you always know the recency of the data

No — never. TrueCareCost does not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to any third party, advertiser, or data broker. Your information exists solely to power your experience on our platform.

No. We do not store any uploaded document — including medical bills or Good Faith Estimates — without your explicit consent. You always decide whether to save a file. If you don't opt in, it is not retained after your session ends.

Yes. TrueCareCost follows HIPAA-aligned practices when handling health-related information. This means:

• Access to health data is limited to authorized systems and personnel only
• All health data is encrypted in transit and at rest
• We maintain audit logs for access to sensitive information
• Our internal policies follow the safeguards outlined in HIPAA's Privacy and Security Rules

If your search returns no results, try the following:

• Check your spelling or try a broader search term (e.g., "MRI" instead of "MRI brain with contrast")
• Make sure your location or zip code is set correctly
• Try searching by CPT code if you have it from your doctor's referral
• Expand your search radius in the filter panel

If the issue persists, contact our support team with the term you searched.

Upload errors are usually caused by one of the following:

• File format not supported — we accept PDF, JPG, and PNG only
• File size exceeds 20 MB — try compressing or splitting the document
• Slow or interrupted internet connection — retry on a stable network
• Browser extension blocking uploads — try in a private/incognito window

If none of these resolve the issue, email us the error message and we'll investigate.

If automatic location detection fails:

• Make sure your browser has permission to access your location (check site settings)
• Manually enter your zip code in the location field instead
• Disable any VPN — these can cause incorrect location detection
• Refresh the page and try again

TrueCareCost works best on:

• Chrome (latest), Firefox (latest), Safari (latest), Edge (latest)
• Desktop, tablet, and mobile devices
• iOS 14+ and Android 10+

Internet Explorer is not supported. If you experience display issues, updating your browser usually resolves them.

For login or password issues:

• Click Forgot Password? on the login page and check your inbox (including spam)
• Make sure you're using the email address you registered with
• Clear your browser cache and cookies, then try again
• If your account appears locked, contact support and we'll verify your identity and restore access

TrueCareCost publishes detailed procedure guides for the most common outpatient and diagnostic services. Each guide covers:

• What the procedure involves and how to prepare
• What questions to ask your provider beforehand
• Typical cost ranges and what drives variation
• What to expect during recovery

Browse the full library under the Guides section in the main navigation.

We publish plain-language explainers covering:

• How hospital price transparency laws work
• How to read an Explanation of Benefits (EOB)
• The difference between chargemaster prices, negotiated rates, and cash-pay prices
• How to use a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) before a procedure

Our in-depth articles break down the real drivers of price variation in healthcare:

• How insurance contracts are negotiated and why that creates wildly different rates
• Why hospital-affiliated outpatient centers often cost more than independent ones
• How facility fees and professional fees are separated — and why that matters
• Regional differences in healthcare market competition

Yes — our procedure preparation guides walk you through everything before your appointment:

• What to bring and what to wear
• Fasting or medication instructions (general guidance — always confirm with your provider)
• How to confirm your price and get it in writing before the day of the procedure
• What to do if you receive a bill that doesn't match what you were quoted