Hospital stays are expensive enough as it is. But when erroneous charges are added to the bill, the cost can be unbearable. Nobody likes to think that a hospital may overcharge or make an error, but it does happen. And unpaid hospital bills can damage your credit rating and may even lead to lawsuits.

There are steps you can take to correct these overcharges, though. After all, you are not required to pay for services you don't actually receive. Also, don't rely on your insurance to find errors. Only you know what has been done and what has not. Even if you have generous insurance benefits and pay little of the total costs out of pocket, one way or another you will end up paying for billing errors. Following these pointers can help you avoid the headaches caused by billing errors.

1. Review every single form. At some point in your stay, you'll be asked to sign a stack of documents. This could happen when you sign in, when you get discharged or maybe even some time in-between. Carefully go over every form you sign. At the very least, make sure that:

• Your name is spelled correctly on every document
• Your Social Security number is correct
• Your address and date of birth are accurate
• Any listed treatments and procedures are also correct

Reviewing these forms in advance is critical for accurate billing. Make sure all mistakes are corrected before you sign any document. Otherwise, you could be accidentally billed for someone else's care.

2. Keep track of every expense. Hospitals have lots of ways of padding your bill. Not only will you be charged for the medical services you receive, you'll also be billed for:

• Medications
• Meals
• Use of equipment and machinery
• Use of the telephone
• Use of the television

That's why it helps to keep a log of every expense you incur. That way you can check it against the bill when it arrives. If you aren't able to keep track because of pain or medications, ask a responsible loved-one to do it for you.

You might also want to jot down some of the services you don't use. If there are days you pass up watching television or using the phone, make a note of it. It will make it easier to spot the billing errors.

3. Ask for an itemized bill. You might get a summarized bill that doesn't really explain what you're paying for. If that's the case, you may want to hold off paying it. Instead, contact the hospital's billing department and ask for an itemized statement. By law, a hospital is required to provide it.

Take your time and review it thoroughly. You may find charges that shouldn't be there. If so, contact the billing department and politely explain the discrepancy. In most cases, that should solve the problem. If not, ask how the hospital's grievance process works. You might also take the matter up with your state's attorney general's office.

4. Talk to your insurer. Shortly after leaving the hospital, you should receive an explanation of benefits (EOB) letter from your insurance company. An EOB gives you a complete breakdown of all the charges you incurred during your stay. It also shows you what's covered and what isn't.

Review this form for accuracy, too. Anything that's incorrect should be reported right away. You don't want your insurer being overcharged either. There's usually a cap on how much coverage you can get. If hospital billing errors eat into your benefits, they may not be there if you need them later on.

5. Get help. If efforts to correct your bill prove frustrating, try asking for some assistance. A medical billing advocate is a professional who knows how to interpret and negotiate hospital bills. There is usually a modest fee for these services. But the cost may be worth it if you end up saving thousands of dollars.

Another option is to contact the office of your state's attorney general. Part of their role is to protect consumers from overcharges of any type. The state office will work directly with the hospital to get the issue resolved.

But hopefully it will never come to that. With any luck, you'll never be overbilled for a hospital stay. But on the off-chance you are, you'll know how to handle it.

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