Pop quiz: Of the dozens of hospital bills sent and received every day, how many do you think contain errors? Two of 10? half? You may not believe it, but the answer is that nine out of 10 medical bills contain wrong information. That’s coming from none other than the US Government Accountability Office, so you can’t dismiss that report just like that. Really, with that error rate, you really need to check your records and make sure you’re paying the true value of your medical bill debt.

This is not to say that hospitals are in some grand conspiracy to deliberately cheat Americans out of their hard-earned money for huge profits, but there are so many variables involved in the process. First, the registration system itself is a mess and that’s because so few patients bother to review their hospital bills and compare the itemized costs to the actual procedures received. Second, the explanation of benefits sent to you by your insurance company is too vague for an average family to understand.

For example, you must request an itemized bill to verify and counter-verify the items coded there. Did you really receive the lab fee for sugar counting that is included in your bill? What about the nursing services assigned to you? Did they charge you a separate rate or do they come with the room package? Did you count how many times your bandages were changed? What about the medications?

If you can’t understand the medical jargon, your insurance company will be happy to help you because you can save money in the process. You can even ask your hospital billing department to meet with your insurance account officer to rationalize and justify your medical bill debt.

However, the insurance company is not entirely without fault. You should also study your manual, particularly your insurance coverage, and verify that all procedures are properly accounted for and that your medical bill has been paid. There are medical professionals and even attorneys who have experience examining hospital billing statements and insurance company explanations of benefits. They should be able to help you lower your medical expenses.