Welcome to BillShield technical support. This page explains how to contact us, how the App works at a high level, and answers to common questions. It is designed to meet Apple App Store support expectations and to align with our current Privacy Policy and EULA.
Privacy: Do not email full medical bills or EOBs unless necessary. If you must share text, redact identifiers whenever possible.
If you downloaded BillShield from the Apple App Store:
BillShield helps you organize and learn from billing paperwork. Core behavior:
ai-proxy on Supabase) to OpenAI for deeper analysis. Each scan requires a separate per-document opt-in.Many features work without signing in. Sign in with Apple is required for cloud sync of Active Cases, Cloud AI, subscription entitlements, and Restore Purchases.
Your plan controls Active Cases (open disputes you track) and AI credits (server-side metering when Cloud AI is used). Limits are enforced in the App and may change with notice per our EULA.
Prices are shown in the App Store at purchase time and may vary by region. Typical U.S. pricing at last update:
| Plan | Active Cases | AI credits / billing cycle | Typical U.S. price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 1 | 20 | Free |
| BillShield Pro (monthly auto-renewable) | 10 | 300 | USD $12.99 / month |
| BillShield Pro (annual auto-renewable) | 25 | 500 | USD $99 / year |
| Appeal Pack (one-time consumable) | — | +100 credits; +1 Premium Appeal Review | USD $24.99 (one-time) |
Unused AI credits do not roll over to the next billing cycle unless we expressly state otherwise in the App. Signed-in users may see usage summaries under Settings → About (Active Cases, plan, appeal review balance).
| Product | App Store product ID |
|---|---|
| BillShield Pro (monthly) | com.jchen.BillShield.pro.monthly |
| BillShield Pro (annual) | com.jchen.BillShield.pro.annual |
| Appeal Pack (consumable) | com.jchen.BillShield.appeal.pack |
Payments are processed by Apple. We receive purchase status through RevenueCat, not your card details. Subscriptions auto-renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period.
| Issue | What to try |
|---|---|
| I can’t save Active Cases or sync | Settings → Account → Sign in with Apple. Saving and sync require an authenticated session. |
| Sign in fails or loops | Confirm iCloud sign-in on the device; check network; force-quit and reopen the App; update iOS. Email us with iOS and app version if it persists. |
| New device | Sign in with the same Apple ID → Settings → Account → Restore purchases. Data that existed only locally on the old device is not transferred unless you had signed in and synced before. |
| Sign out | Settings → Account → Sign out. Cloud AI is disabled while signed out. |
| Delete cloud account data | First: Settings → Privacy & data → Delete all data (on-device). For server-side account deletion (profile, cases, usage logs), email hello@familymedvault.com with subject BillShield Account Deletion. See Privacy Policy. |
| Issue | What to try |
|---|---|
| Active Case limit reached | Close, archive, or delete an existing case, or upgrade via Settings → About → Upgrade to Pro. Dashboard may show usage such as “1 / 1 used.” |
| Case count wrong after upgrade | Sign in → Restore purchases → wait and reopen the App. If still wrong, email us with your Apple subscription status. |
| What is an Active Case? | A saved billing dispute or appeal you are tracking (linked bills/EOBs, denial context, status). One-off scans you do not save are not Active Cases. |
Cloud AI is disabled by default. Enabling it does not automatically send every scan to the cloud — you must opt in per document at scan time.
| Issue | What to try |
|---|---|
| Cloud AI unavailable | Sign in with Apple → Settings → enable Cloud AI Assistance and complete the in-app consent flow if shown. |
| Scan still uses local analysis only | On the scan screen, check Include this document in Cloud AI Review for that document (unchecked by default). |
| Usage limit / insufficient credits | Credits are metered on our servers per billing cycle. Check Settings → About. Upgrade to Pro or buy an Appeal Pack for more credits. |
| Premium Appeal Review | May use 1 Premium Appeal Review (from Pro or Appeal Pack) or 15 AI credits per review when Cloud AI runs. Balance shown when signed in. |
| Cloud AI slow or errors | Check internet. The App falls back to on-device analysis when the cloud path fails or times out. |
| Stop cloud processing | Turn off Cloud AI Assistance in Settings; leave per-document Cloud AI unchecked when scanning. See Privacy Policy. |
| Issue | What to try |
|---|---|
| Subscribe to Pro | Settings → About → Upgrade to Pro (monthly or annual in the paywall). Manage in Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions. |
| Restore on new device | Sign in with Apple (same Apple ID as purchase) → Settings → Account → Restore purchases. |
| Subscription not recognized | Confirm the Apple ID matches the purchaser; retry Restore; check Apple Subscriptions. Contact Apple if the subscription is missing there. |
| Cancel or change plan | Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions. Cancellation typically applies at period end per Apple’s rules. |
| Appeal Pack | Settings → About → One-time Appeal Pack. Consumable: com.jchen.BillShield.appeal.pack adds +1 Premium Appeal Review and +100 AI credits. Does not unlock Pro by itself. Use Restore purchases if benefits do not appear. |
| Refund | Request through Apple at reportaproblem.apple.com. |
| Issue | What to try |
|---|---|
| Poor OCR / missing lines | Good lighting, steady camera, avoid glare; try PDF import; multi-page bills may need multiple scans. |
| Denial codes | Common CO-, PR-, OA-, PI-, and N- codes are explained on-device. Unusual codes may have limited context — use your insurer’s EOB legend. |
| Savings estimates | Educational estimates only — not guarantees. Verify with provider and insurer. |
| Offline use | OCR (on supported devices), denial decoding, timelines, and local templates work offline. Sign-in, sync, Cloud AI, and subscription checks need network. |
| Issue | What to try |
|---|---|
| EOB line items look wrong | Review OCR confidence hints; edit or rescan. EOB layouts vary widely. |
| Medicare % or “compare to Medicare” badges | Based on bundled reference fee schedule data for education — not your plan’s allowed amount or a promise of overpayment. |
| Denial case playbook / appeal worthiness | Curated educational patterns from Settings → About stats and in-flow “case playbook” links. Scores and paths are estimates, not legal advice or success guarantees. |
| Appeal success badges | Illustrative only. Insurer decisions vary by plan, state, and medical necessity. |
Shows illustrative charge ranges from bundled sample data. Not live CMS hospital files, machine-readable hospital prices, or real-time insurer rates.
| Issue | What to try |
|---|---|
| No hospitals for my ZIP | Try another ZIP or CPT code. Results depend on sample data and patient ZIP/state in your profile. |
| “High” or “extreme” labels | Heuristic labels for learning — confirm charges with your provider and EOB before disputing. |
| Doesn’t match my bill | Expected: reference ranges ≠ your negotiated rate. Use as a conversation starter, not proof. |
| Issue | What to try |
|---|---|
| Can’t generate appeal letter | An EOB linked to the case is usually required. Open the case from the dashboard and ensure EOB data is saved. |
| Letter content | Drafts are for your review and editing. PDF exports may include draft/disclaimer footers. You submit appeals yourself; we do not file on your behalf. |
| Reminders not firing | Settings → Appeal deadline reminders (toggle on) → allow notifications in iOS Settings → BillShield → Notifications. You can also open Settings → Privacy & data → Appeal reminders to request permission. Focus / Do Not Disturb may delay alerts. |
| Deadline dates seem wrong | Timelines are estimated from plan type and state rules in the App — confirm all dates with your insurer and plan documents. |
| PDF export fails | Free storage space; retry on Wi‑Fi; update iOS; confirm share destination (Files, Mail) is available. |
| Issue | What to try |
|---|---|
| Family profiles | Settings → Family members to add members and assign colors for dashboard/archive filters. |
| Archive tab | Dashboard Archive shows yearly summaries, case-style timelines, and charts from saved bills — educational organization only. |
| Tax CSV export | From Archive, export includes a disclaimer that figures are informational and must be reviewed with a qualified tax professional. Not tax advice. |
| Issue | What to try |
|---|---|
| Where to find scripts | Settings → Bill negotiation or links from bill/price detail screens. Scripts are templates you customize; we do not call providers for you. |
| Recommended actions | Suggestions (charity care, itemized bill, etc.) are general education — verify eligibility with the facility. |
The Resources screen (also linked from the dashboard “Need Financial Help?” area) lists nonprofit and government-style assistance references. Listings were last reviewed in July 2026 in-app; organizations change numbers and eligibility — call or visit their official sites to confirm before acting.
| Issue | What to try |
|---|---|
| Phone number doesn’t work | Report to us with the resource name; we will update in a future release. We are not affiliated with listed organizations. |
| Missing program | Email a suggestion; inclusion is at our discretion and does not imply endorsement. |
| Issue | What to try |
|---|---|
| Delete all data (device) | Settings → Privacy & data → Delete all data. Uninstalling also removes local SQLite data. |
| Export data | Settings → Privacy & data → Export my data (JSON via iOS share sheet). |
| Optional analytics | On first launch you may opt in to anonymous product analytics (no PHI). Change anytime in privacy choices if shown in your build. |
| Where data lives | Local-first on device; optional U.S. backend for sign-in, sync, metering, and Cloud AI. Full details: Privacy Policy. |
| HIPAA | Developer is not a HIPAA covered entity. BillShield is a consumer education tool, not a provider portal or formal advocate relationship. |
| California / GDPR-style requests | We do not sell personal information. Use in-app tools or email hello@familymedvault.com. |
| Children under 13 | Not directed to children under 13; we do not knowingly collect their information. |
com.jchen.BillShieldEmail hello@familymedvault.com with reproduction steps, expected vs. actual behavior, and screenshots or short screen recordings when possible.
By submitting feedback, you grant the Developer a non-exclusive right to use suggestions to improve the App without compensation, to the extent permitted by law and our EULA. We cannot commit to implementing every request.
BillShield uses system fonts and supports Dynamic Type where implemented. Report barriers with device model, iOS version, and description. As an individual developer, we will make reasonable efforts to address serious accessibility issues in future updates, subject to technical and resource limits.
BILLSHIELD IS PROVIDED FOR EDUCATIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. The Developer is an individual software creator, not a medical provider, attorney, insurer, licensed patient advocate, or billing agent acting on your behalf.
BillShield © 2026. Developed and supported by an individual developer. Apple, App Store, iPhone, iPad, and Sign in with Apple are trademarks of Apple Inc. OpenAI, Supabase, and RevenueCat are trademarks of their respective owners.