Know what Medicare pays. Stop overpaying.
GougeStop checks a lab bill against Medicare’s published rate. Snap a picture of the bill and see, test by test, what the lab charged and what Medicare pays for the same test. Then use that number when you talk to the lab.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency. Medterpret drafts letters and tracks deadlines. You sign and file.
GougeStop tools
- Check a billUpload a lab bill. See each test by name, what you were charged, Medicare’s rate, and the gap.
- Negotiate the billMedicare’s rate as your number, the four numbers to have ready, and a phone script.
- Rate lookupWhat Medicare pays for one test at a time.
- Find a labWhat labs near you have charged for the same tests.
Why the rate matters
Original Medicare392%average lab markup over what Medicare pays (median 250%), across 97,714 provider-service records: 2023 submitted charges vs. the 2026 Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule.On a covered Part B lab test, Medicare pays its rate and you owe $0. The markup bites when you sign an ABN, pay out of pocket, or the claim is denied.Medterpret analysis of CMS data: 2023 Part B provider-charge data vs. the 2026 Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule.Where GougeStop fits
Medicare paperwork arrives in order: the test order, the ABN, the denial, the bill. GougeStop is the bill step. If you are earlier in the line, start there instead:
- Precheck the order before the test.
- Your ABN rights if you were asked to sign one.
- Appeal a denial if Medicare or your plan said no.
Rates shown are Original Medicare’s (Fee-for-Service). Bill checks come out of the same free allowance as Precheck.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency. Medterpret drafts letters and tracks deadlines. You sign and file.