State agency ยท Office of the Attorney General of Maryland, Consumer Protection Division
Maryland Attorney General: Health Education and Advocacy Unit
A free Maryland mediation service that helps with denied coverage from private health plans, plan terminations, surprise bills, hospital financial assistance and billing disputes.
Know before you go
The unit mediates between you and your plan or provider; its page says it cannot provide legal representation or start lawsuits for you. It lists denied coverage by private health plans, plan termination, surprise medical bills and Maryland Health Connection enrollment problems among the issues it handles. The Maryland Insurance Administration page says the unit will help you file an appeal for free.
- Cost
- Free. The page says the unit offers free mediation services.
- Where
- Maryland
- How to start
- Call the hotline (open Monday to Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. per the page) or use the contact details on the unit's page.
- Phone
- 410-528-1840; toll free 1-877-261-8807; Spanish 410-230-1712, as printed on the provider's page
- Have ready
- Your denial letter; Your insurance card; Bills or statements in dispute; A list of the dates and names from any calls
Where this comes from
- Provider
- Office of the Attorney General of Maryland, Consumer Protection Division
- Source we read
- https://oag.maryland.gov/our-office/pages/heau.aspx
- Date we read it
- . This is not a fresh check.
- Date the provider printed
- Not displayed
- What we checked
- We read the provider's public page. We have not verified availability, eligibility or outcomes for any individual.
Other starting points
- Program or service
1-800-MEDICARE: talk to a person about Medicare
The Medicare phone line and live chat, open all day every day. Staff can point you to the right step for a complaint, and can pass an unresolved complaint to the Medicare Beneficiary Ombudsman.
From Medicare (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
- Program or service
American Cancer Society 24-hour helpline
A phone and chat line staffed around the clock by cancer information specialists who answer questions and connect you to services. It is an information and referral line, not an appeals service.
From American Cancer Society
- Program or service
An Arm and a Leg: First Aid Kit
An archive of articles and starter packs from the podcast An Arm and a Leg, including a starter pack on what to do if you are in collections for medical debt. General reporting on health care costs, not appeal steps.
From An Arm and a Leg