Goodbill vs. Resolve vs. Dollar For vs. DIY: What Medical Bill Help Actually Costs (2026)

If you have a medical bill you want to lower, you have more options than most people realize, and they cost wildly different amounts. Some are free. Some take a cut of whatever they save you. Some charge a flat fee. The right choice depends less on the brand name and more on your specific situation: how big the bill is, whether you might qualify for financial assistance, and whether you want to handle it yourself or hand it off entirely.

Here is an honest breakdown of the main options as of June 2026. Pricing changes, so always confirm current details on each provider's own site before deciding.

The quick comparison

Option	What it costs	Best for
Do it yourself	Free, but it costs you time and the stress of not knowing what to say	People comfortable researching and writing their own letters
Dollar For	Free (nonprofit, donor-funded)	People who may qualify for hospital charity care based on income
ClearlyFair	Flat $19, one time; you keep 100% of any savings	People who want to handle it themselves but need the right letter and plan
Goodbill	20% of savings, capped at $1,000; nothing if no savings	Larger bills you want someone else to negotiate for you
CareRoute	25% of savings (less for premium members), capped at $1,000; $0 unless they save you	Larger bills, hands-off; also handles bills in collections
Resolve	10 to 25% of savings (tiered by bill size), plus a $249 to $499 deposit	Large or complex bills, including ones already in collections

The free options

Doing it yourself costs nothing but your time. Hospitals will often negotiate, set up payment plans, or correct errors if you ask the right way. The catch is that knowing your rights and knowing exactly what to write are two different things, and the blank page is where most people give up.

Dollar For is a national nonprofit, funded by donors, that helps you apply for hospital charity care completely free. Charity care is the financial assistance nonprofit hospitals are required to offer, and it can reduce or even erase a bill based on your income. If your income is low enough that you might qualify, this is genuinely one of the best places to start, and we would rather send you there than have you pay for anything you do not need. Their tool screens your eligibility and they will even submit the application for you.

The percentage-of-savings services

These services do the work for you and take a cut of whatever they save. They tend to make the most sense on larger bills, where their fee is worth it and there is real money to recover.

Goodbill charges 20% of the savings they negotiate, capped at $1,000, and charges nothing if they cannot lower your bill. So if they cut a bill by $2,000, their fee is $400, and you keep the rest.

CareRoute charges 25% of savings (less for premium members), also capped at $1,000, and bills you nothing unless they save you money. They handle the whole process, including bills already in collections.

Resolve uses a tiered fee of roughly 10 to 25% of savings, with the rate depending on the size of the bill, plus an upfront deposit of $249 to $499. They take on large and complex cases, including collections, and assign a dedicated advocate.

The trade-off with all three is the same: convenience in exchange for a share of your savings (and, with Resolve, money upfront before anything is recovered). On a very large bill, that can still be well worth it. On a smaller bill, the math gets less attractive.

Where ClearlyFair fits

ClearlyFair sits in the gap between "do it yourself for free but I have no idea what to write" and "pay a percentage to have it fully handled."

You answer a few questions about your bill, and it generates a negotiation letter built around your specific situation, using the same strategies a paid advocate would draw on, plus a step-by-step checklist for sending it. You review it, fill in your details, and send it yourself. It is a flat $19, one time. There is no percentage, no deposit, and no cut of your savings, so whatever you save, you keep.

That makes it a good fit if your bill is not large enough to justify giving away 20% of the savings, if you want to stay in control of the process, or if you simply want the right words without paying advocate prices. It is not the right tool for everyone: if you may qualify for charity care, start with Dollar For; if you have a huge or collections-stage bill and want it fully handled, a percentage service may be worth the cut.

So which should you pick?

A simple way to decide:

You might qualify for financial assistance (lower income): start with Dollar For. It is free and can wipe out the bill entirely.
You want to do it yourself and keep every dollar you save: write your own letter, or use ClearlyFair if you want it written for you for a flat $19.
You have a large bill and want someone else to handle everything: a percentage-of-savings service like Goodbill, CareRoute, or Resolve, accepting that you give up a share of the savings.

There is no single best option, only the best one for your situation. The worst choice is the one most people make by default: paying the bill in full without asking for anything at all.

A free place to start

If you are not sure which camp you are in, ClearlyFair will show you your strongest negotiation angles with a free assessment first, before you pay for anything. If the full letter is the right fit, it is a one-time nineteen dollars, no account required, and your information is deleted after seven days. If you want to see exactly what you get first, here is a real example letter.

No tool, and no person, can promise your bill will go down. But choosing the option that fits your situation, and actually making the ask, is what moves the number.

ClearlyFair is a self-help document tool. It is not a law firm and does not provide legal, medical, or financial advice. Comparisons reflect publicly listed pricing as of June 2026 and may change; confirm current details with each provider. Results depend on your individual circumstances and are not guaranteed.