US Medical Term · insurance
Balance Billing
Cobro de saldo
Also: Facturación del saldo (regional variant)
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Balance Billing |
| Spanish (Español) | Cobro de saldo |
| Chinese (中文) | 差額收費 |
| Korean (한국어) | 잔액 청구 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Hóa đơn số dư |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Balance billing |
| Portuguese (Português) | Cobrança de saldo |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | การเรียกเก็บเงินส่วนต่าง |
| Japanese (日本語) | 差額請求 |
What it means
Balance billing happens when an out-of-network provider charges you the difference between what your insurer paid and the provider's full billed amount. For example, if a surgeon charges $5,000, your insurer pays $3,000, and the provider bills you the remaining $2,000 balance, that is balance billing. This can result in unexpectedly large bills. In-network providers typically cannot balance bill you because they have agreed to accept the insurer's allowed amount. Federal and state laws now limit balance billing in many situations, especially for emergency care.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
Am I protected from balance billing for this service?
¿Estoy protegido del cobro de saldo para este servicio?
I received a balance bill from an out-of-network provider — is this allowed?
Recibí un cobro de saldo de un proveedor fuera de la red — ¿está permitido?
Please explain why I am being billed beyond what my insurance paid.
Por favor explíqueme por qué me están cobrando más de lo que pagó mi seguro.
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026