CMS ⭐⭐ Rating BillSherpa · Hospital Billing Guide · Updated 2026

MedStar Washington Hospital Center Billing Errors — How to Check If You Were Overcharged

If you received a bill from MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC, you have every right to question it. The federal government's patient satisfaction survey gives this facility 2 out of 5 stars — placing it in the bottom 30% of hospitals nationally. Here's what you need to know about your legal rights and how to check your bill for errors at no cost.

What the 2-star rating means for billing

CMS patient satisfaction ratings measure communication, responsiveness, cleanliness, discharge preparation, and overall experience. A 2-star rating indicates below-average performance across multiple dimensions compared to the national average.

While star ratings don't directly measure billing accuracy, patients who have poor hospital experiences are more likely to scrutinise their bills — and billing errors are extremely common at all hospitals. Studies consistently show up to 80% of hospital bills contain at least one error. The question isn't whether errors occur — it's whether anyone checks.

Common billing errors to look for on your MedStar Washington Hospital Center bill

Duplicate charges

The same CPT code billed more than once on the same date. Lab tests are the most common source — a blood draw processed twice in the billing system results in a charge you don't owe. Look for any procedure code appearing twice on the same date without a clear clinical reason.

Services not rendered

Charges for procedures, consultations, or supplies that were ordered but never performed or used. Compare every line on your itemized bill against your medical records. Under CMS billing rules, every charge must be supported by documentation in your chart. If there's no note, there shouldn't be a charge.

Upcoding

Billing for a more complex or expensive procedure than was provided. Emergency visit codes run from Level 1 (routine, CPT 99281) to Level 5 (complex, CPT 99285, up to $2,500). When a straightforward visit is coded at Level 4 or 5, you pay significantly more than the care warrants.

Unbundling

Splitting procedure codes that CMS requires to be billed together. The National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) defines 3.3 million code pairs that cannot be billed separately. Unbundling these codes inflates your bill by making one procedure appear as multiple separate charges.

Wrong diagnosis code linkage

The ACA's preventive care mandate 42 U.S.C. § 300gg-13 requires insurers to cover recommended preventive services at zero cost. When a preventive visit is coded as diagnostic — whether accidentally or not — your full deductible applies. This single error can cost hundreds of dollars on a visit that should have been free.

Balance billing violations

Under the No Surprises Act 42 U.S.C. § 300gg-111, you cannot be charged more than your in-network cost-sharing for emergency care, or for out-of-network providers at an in-network facility who treated you without your advance written consent. This includes anesthesiologists, radiologists, and surgical assistants you didn't choose.

Your legal rights as a MedStar Washington Hospital Center patient

1. Right to an itemized bill. You can request a complete line-by-line statement with CPT codes, ICD-10 diagnosis codes, dates, and charges. MedStar Washington Hospital Center must provide one. Call their billing department and follow up your request in writing.
2. Right to dispute billing errors. Any charge you believe is incorrect can be formally disputed in writing. The hospital must respond. Send your dispute certified mail to both the billing department and the compliance office. Keep copies of everything.
3. Right to pause collection. If your bill has gone to a third-party collection agency, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act 15 U.S.C. § 1692g requires them to pause all collection activity if you send a written dispute within 30 days of their first written notice.
4. No Surprises Act protection. For emergency care or out-of-network providers at in-network facilities, your financial responsibility is capped at your in-network cost-sharing amount regardless of network status 42 U.S.C. § 300gg-111.
5. Price transparency rights. Under the Hospital Price Transparency Rule 45 CFR § 180, MedStar Washington Hospital Center must publicly post prices for 300+ standard services. If your billed amount exceeds their own published rate, that discrepancy is a powerful dispute argument.
6. State law protection. Washington DC patients are protected by federal balance billing laws and DC's own consumer protection statutes.
7. False Claims Act protection. If your bill includes charges for services never rendered and Medicare or Medicaid was billed, that may constitute a violation of the False Claims Act 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729–3733. Patients can report suspected fraud to the HHS Office of Inspector General at oig.hhs.gov.

How to dispute a MedStar Washington Hospital Center bill — step by step

1. Request your itemized bill and medical records at the same time. You need both to compare what was billed against what was documented. Call MedStar Washington Hospital Center's billing department and patient records office simultaneously. Both are legally required to be provided.
2. Review line by line. Match every CPT code and charge to documentation in your chart. Flag any charge where the documentation is missing, inconsistent, or contradictory.
3. Write a formal dispute letter. List each disputed charge, the CPT code, the reason it's wrong, and the specific federal statute that applies. Send it certified mail to billing and to the compliance department. Keep the receipt and a copy of your letter.
4. Escalate if needed. If the billing department doesn't respond within 30 days, contact the patient advocate or patient relations office. File a complaint with the DC state insurance commissioner. File with CMS at cms.gov/nosurprises if the No Surprises Act was violated.
5. Only pay what you agree is correct. Pay the undisputed portion to demonstrate good faith. Formally dispute the rest in writing. Never pay a disputed charge simply to end the process — this may be interpreted as accepting the bill as correct.