Editorial Policy

This page explains how PayMyDoctor Online researches, writes, checks and corrects its guides. We think readers should know how the information they rely on gets made.

Independence

We are not owned by, sponsored by or endorsed by PayMyDoctor, any healthcare provider or any payment portal. Companies we mention do not review or approve our content. We do not process payments, access patient accounts or represent any provider or portal.

How we research

Each guide starts with a real reader question, such as where to pay a bill or how to tell whether a payment page is legitimate. We look for primary sources first: government and regulator websites, provider and portal documentation, and standard references on patient billing. We do not copy or rewrite other websites, and we do not use information we cannot support.

Fact-checking

Anything stated as fact is checked before publication. Where practices differ by provider, we say “varies by provider” instead of guessing. We would rather leave something out than state it with false confidence. We do not invent statistics, quotes, experts, credentials, testimonials or personal experiences.

Reviews and ratings

We do not publish user reviews, testimonials or star averages. When we assess a portal, the assessment is labelled as an editorial assessment, uses the same criteria for every portal and reflects our opinion, not a statement of fact. We do not write about a service we have not researched. Read more on our Reviews page.

Sources

We link to primary sources where they help readers, such as CMS.gov/nosurprises and consumer.ftc.gov. We check each link before publishing and review links periodically.

Third-party websites

We link to other websites for reference. We do not control them and cannot guarantee their accuracy, availability or security. A link is not an endorsement.

Affiliate and advertising disclosure

[Edit before publishing: state whether any affiliate or advertising relationships exist.] If we ever earn money from links or advertising, we will disclose it on the pages where it applies, and it will not change what we write.

AI-assisted drafting

If AI tools help with a draft, a person fact-checks every claim, edits the text and approves it before it goes live. AI-generated text is not published as it comes out of the tool, and AI is never used to invent sources, people or experiences.

Updates

Important pages show a published date and, where relevant, an updated date. We review key guides on a regular schedule and whenever something relevant changes, such as a new rule, a changed web address or a reader report.

Corrections

If you find an error, please tell us. We review each request, correct confirmed errors promptly and note significant corrections on the page.