Between renewal letters, new ID cards, preventive health reminders and more, health insurance comes with a lot of paperwork. There's one document in particular that we send soon after you receive any medical services. It's called your Explanation of Benefits — EOB for short. EOBs can be particularly useful when it comes to understanding your benefits — like how much your provider charged for a service, how much your insurance company contributed or paid, and how much you ultimately owe.
Got questions about your EOB? Let's dive in.
What is an EOB?
An EOB is as simple as its name: it's a written notice explaining how your benefits were applied to medical services you received. Your EOB will outline things like your provider's name, how much your provider charged for a particular service, money saved by getting care inside your plan's network, how much your insurance paid and how much you owe. It's important to remember that an EOB is not a bill. You'll typically pay the amount you owe directly to your provider.
Why did you send me an EOB?
EOBs not only provide detailed information on how your benefits apply to various medical services, but they can also help you understand your total cost of care and spot potential errors before you pay any medical bills.
What should I do if I see a mistake?
Mistakes happen to everyone. Maybe your provider's office incorrectly coded a certain service, resulting in an overcharge. Or, they forgot to note you paid your copay — and sent you a duplicate bill. If you notice something on your EOB is incorrect, start with your provider's office. If you need additional help, contact your insurance company.
How long should I keep my EOB?
Generally, you should hang on to your EOB until you can match it up with a bill from your provider's office, which may take anywhere from several weeks to a few months. (Your EOB should arrive much sooner than the bill, since insurance companies typically send them in regular batches once claims have been processed.)
You may also want to file your EOBs by date of service for year-end tax documentation or to help you understand your out-of-pocket costs for budgeting purposes. The good news? You no longer need a filing cabinet to keep all those EOBs handy: myWellmark® will store them Opens New Window for you securely online.
Go paperless with digital EOBs
With digital EOBs, you have quick access to the information you need, when you need it. You can easily sort by date, provider or patient to review your health care spending. And, you can do it from the convenience of your mobile device or computer. Once you opt in, you'll get a notice delivered to your inbox when you have a new EOB to review.
Need to access your EOBs right now?
Just log in to myWellmark and navigate to the Claims section. Your online account will keep all your records safely stored for 24 months.
When you register for myWellmark, you’ll also have access to even more helpful tools and resources to help you manage health care spending and live a healthier life. You can:
- Estimate what you'll pay for services beforehand
- View detailed information about your claims
- Track and organize your family's medical expenses
- Find a trusted, in-network provider
- See relevant information related to your specific coverage
If you're not registered for myWellmark Opens New Window yet, it only takes a couple of minutes. Plus, you can take myWellmark on the go with the myWellmark mobile app Opens New Window for easy access to your health plan wherever, whenever.
