1 in 4
US adults
have a disability.
CDC, up to 1 in 4
Free · made for disabled patients
Health help that
Health help that
knows your rights.
Show us what is wrong. SMS Shield tells you what it could be, what it could cost, and what the law says you can ask for, by voice, text or face.
You have rights in healthcare. We will show you as we go.
- Ways to use it
- 4
- Rights explained
- 20
- Letters ready
- 6
- Cost to you
- $0
01 · Your way
Choose how you want to use SMS Shield
Press 1, 2, 3 or 4, or say the name of a mode. You can change it later with the Accessibility button.
The problem
Doctors talk fast. Bills come late. The rules that protect you hide in fine print. SMS Shield puts your rights next to every step.
Why it matters
Your rights are real. Most people never hear about them.
$0
for an interpreter
Providers can't charge you for access help.
28 CFR 36.301(c)
180
days
to appeal a denied insurance claim.
45 CFR 147.136
240
days
to apply for charity care at a nonprofit hospital.
See your rights →02 · Help for your disability
Pick what fits you
See how SMS Shield helps, what you can ask for at a visit, and the laws that back you up.
03 · Make it easier to use
Display settings
Change your mode any time with the Accessibility button at the top.
04 · Before any visit
Your visit checklist
0 of 6 done
05 · Numbers to know
Help is a call or text away
Every state also has a free Protection and Advocacy agency that gives legal help to people with disabilities.
06 · How it works
From photo to your rights, step by step
Scroll to walk through a check. The rights layer runs at every step.
Photo
Show us the problem area
Point your camera, upload a photo, or describe it in words.
Countdown
3, 2, 1, shown and spoken
A big number counts down so you know when the photo is taken.
Possible conditions
What it could be, and how soon
Careful words, an urgency level, and when to get urgent care.
Rights check
What it could cost and what protects you
Financial help, surprise bill protection, and the accommodations you can ask for.
Next steps
Options with your legal angle
A doctor, home care, or an affordable clinic, each with what to ask for.
Letter
A letter, ready to send
One click fills in an accommodation request, billing dispute, or appeal.
08 · Questions
Questions people ask
Yes. It runs on free services, and you never need an account.
No. Photos and voice recordings are checked once and thrown away. Letter details stay on your screen and are gone when you leave.
Turn on Full access. Everything is read out loud and shown as captions, and you can do it all with a keyboard. You never need to speak.
No. It is general information to help you ask the right questions. In an emergency, call 911. For legal help, your state's Protection and Advocacy agency is free.
Pick a letter, add your name and the clinic, and it fills itself in with the law that backs you up. Copy it, download it, or have it read to you.
09 · Tools
Start where you are
01 · Photo
Photo check
Take a photo of the problem area. See what it could be and what protects you.
02 · SymptomsDescribe how you feel
Type or say your symptoms instead of a photo.
03 · BillsCheck a medical bill
Find surprise charges, financial help, and fees for access help.
04 · CostsSee what care costs
Treating early versus waiting, priced where you live.
05 · MedicationsCompare medication prices
Generic and brand prices side by side.
06 · RightsRights and letters
The laws that protect you and letters ready to send.
Step 1 of 3 · Photo check
Show us the problem area
Hold your camera on the area. We count 3, 2, 1, then take the photo. Your photo is never saved.
Your camera is off. Press Start camera, or upload a photo.
No camera? Describe it in words instead
Step 2 of 3 · Next steps
Your options, and your rights at each one
Pick what fits you. Each option shows what to ask for and a letter you can send.
Your letter
Ready to send
Add your details once. The letter updates as you type. Nothing is saved.
General information, not legal advice.
Step 3 of 3 · Summary
Your summary
Read it aloud, download it, or print it to bring to your visit.
Bill Check
Is this bill even legal?
Answer a few questions about the bill. We check it against the No Surprises Act, nonprofit charity-care rules and your appeal rights.
Results
Your findings appear here
Fill in what you know. Leave anything you're not sure about as is.
Symptom Checker
Describe what you're feeling.
Plain words are fine. We return the most likely conditions, how urgent each one is, and fill in the cost and medication tools for you.
If you have chest pain, trouble breathing, signs of stroke, or thoughts of harming yourself, call 911 or 988 now.
Results
Likely conditions appear here
Condition & Cost Explorer
Treat it now, or pay more later.
What a condition typically costs if it's treated early versus after it gets worse, adjusted for your location.
Illustrative estimates for this prototype, built from typical US cash and negotiated price ranges and scaled by a state cost index. Not a quote.
Medication Prices
Generic or brand? See the gap.
Typical cash prices with a discount card, adjusted for your location. Ask your pharmacist about the generic.
Illustrative prices for this prototype; actual prices vary by pharmacy, dose and coupon.
Rights and letters
The rules, the process, the letter.
Everything you need to dispute a medical bill, in order. Your letter fills itself in from Bill Check.
Dispute procedure
Five steps, in order
- 01
Don't pay yet, and ask for an itemized bill
Ask the billing office for an itemized bill with billing codes, and ask them to pause collections while you review it. Check for duplicate charges and services you didn't get.
- 02
Compare it to your Explanation of Benefits
Your insurer's EOB shows what you actually owe. If the bill asks for more than the EOB's "patient responsibility", that gap is what you dispute.
- 03
Send a written dispute
Send the letter below to the billing office and keep a copy. Name the rule that applies: No Surprises Act, 501(r) financial assistance, or your Good Faith Estimate.
- 04
Appeal or apply
Denied claim: file an internal appeal with your plan within 180 days of the denial notice. Nonprofit hospital: apply for financial assistance; they must accept applications for at least 240 days after the first post-discharge bill.
- 05
Escalate
Surprise billing: file a complaint with the No Surprises Help Desk at 1-800-985-3059. Uninsured and billed $400+ over your estimate: start patient-provider dispute resolution within 120 days of the bill. Denied appeal: request external review.
Precedent & authority
What the law and courts have said
Dispute letter
Your letter, written for you
Built from your Bill Check answers. Add your name, edit anything, then copy or download it.
