GougeStop

03/13/2026

ABN Awareness — A lab wanted to charge me $1,183.17 for tests Medicare values at $117.49. I said no so I could shop for a better price before risking that kind of bill.
I knew what an ABN was, but that experience, and that shocking price spread, led me to dig deeper into how ABNs actually work — and what I found is something every Medicare beneficiary needs to know.
Before your next blood draw, watch for a form called an ABN — an Advance Beneficiary Notice. It's the form that says Medicare might not pay for a test. If you sign it without understanding what it means, you could be on the hook for hundreds of dollars.
But here's what most people don't know: If the lab didn't give you a valid ABN when they were supposed to, they can't bill you for tests denied by Medicare. And even if you did sign one, you can still appeal Medicare's denial.We wrote a full breakdown of how ABNs work and what your rights are:
https://www.gougestop.com/blog/abn-trap
Share this with someone heading to the lab this week — it could save them over a thousand dollars.

A real ABN showed $1,183 in charges for tests Medicare values at $117. Learn what they don't tell you — and what you can do about it.

03/10/2026

My lab charged me $173 for two tests Medicare says are worth $27 — a 550% markup.
On the same bill, the lab billed $366 for five other tests. Medicare paid $54. That's 15 cents on the dollar.
When I asked questions, nobody had answers. Medicare customer care was polite but couldn't tell me their own rates. The lab wouldn't budge or explain what Medicare would have paid. I missed the appeal deadline (being unfamiliar with the process) and lost as a result.
Here's the part that really got me: labs routinely require you to sign something called an Advanced Beneficiary Notice (ABN) before running tests. That form obligates you to pay whatever the lab bills if Medicare denies coverage. What they don't tell you is that "whatever they bill" is often 4 to 6 times what Medicare would have paid. Without a signed ABN, the lab is obligated to cover the cost themselves — so that signature is worth a lot to them and very little to you.
After 14 months of fighting one bill, I built GougeStop.
It's a free tool that lets you snap a photo of your lab bill, lab order, or ABN and instantly see what Medicare says those tests are actually worth. It also shows you what other labs nearby charge for the same work — because the price differences are staggering. It's a lot harder for a lab to defend a 550% markup when you can show everyone (including others who might be able to help) the real numbers.
If you or your parents are on Medicare, or you pay out of pocket for lab work, this was built for you.
Try it free: gougestop.com

GougeStop