Accidents can happen at any time in life, unfortunately. What’s worse is that you don’t have enough financial resources to deal with such sudden mishaps. However, having insurance can protect you from further financial misfortunes. Here we are not trying to sell insurance packages. Instead, we will explain the process of negotiating medical bills after accident.
You mostly will need a lawyer at this stage, who has great negotiation skills. With the right lawyer and strong case, there is a huge chance that your bill will be reduced. But how? Is that possible?
As an insurance holder, this guide is a must-read because knowing when to utilize your insurance is crucial, especially in case of accidents. So let’s dive into the process and chances of minimizing medical bills after incidents.
What Type Of Accidents Can You Conduct Bill Negotiation For?
The process of negotiating medical bills after accident is applicable to only a few cases. You can’t claim bill reduction after any medical situation. There are some following incidents after which you have a chance to negotiate with healthcare providers.
Car Accidents
This is the most common type of accident. It may cause huge bill creation depending on the amount of injuries you receive. So here you can negotiate on the bill, especially when you have insurance coverage.
Workplace Injuries
If you are in a workplace and an injury happens, most of the time, you have worker’s compensation. It then becomes easier for you to cover medical expenses by getting assistance from your employee insurance.
Slips And Falls
In cases of incidents that happen on someone else’s property, you can negotiate with the property owner or either they have to cover your expenses through their insurance package.
Sports Accidents
During sports when you face an injury especially due to someone else’s negligence, you have a pretty good chance to negotiate and reduce your medical bills.
Medical Errors
If you received a treatment and the physician performed some malpractice (medical treatment that wasn’t needed) which resulted in additional medical expenses, negotiation is applicable here.
Product-Related Injuries
You can also negotiate when you receive an injury by using a medical equipment supplier’s product. Here you can hold distributors and manufacturers responsible to pay or reduce your bills.
Personal Attacks
In case of assault by another person, you can make the identified legal party negotiate or pay your bill.
What Is The Process Of Negotiating Medical Bills After Accident?
Now that you know some cases where it is applicable that you can expect to reduce your bill, you must know the process of negotiating medical bills after accident. It will help you take a quick step right after the incident. Follow the steps we mentioned below:
Review Medical Bills
First of all, you will receive treatment after the injury. Then you will be handed over the hospital bill. This is where the process starts. Here what you should do is to carefully read the bill. Ensure the accuracy of charges and identify any duplication early on, if it has.
Gather Information
Then without wasting time, gather all the details about the incident. Know how it happened, what parties were involved and are there any roles of insurance providers.
Understand Insurance Coverage
Review your insurance package first. Try to find out if any insurance is applicable to your case, whether personal insurance package or worker’s compensation.
Contact Healthcare Department
Instead of going here and there, just visit the hospital for negotiating medical bills after accident. Make them aware of the incident, explain the entire scenario, and tell them the actual reasons behind the matter.
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Ask For Discount And Reductions
After all this communication, ask them about available discounts and bill deductions. This process will become more effective when you provide supporting documents like police reports and witness statements, so it is essential to have them at hand. You can also ask for some payment options like installments or an overall discount when submitting bills as a whole.
Negotiate With Insurance Provider
In this process, you should also communicate with your insurance company. Again, explain to them the accurate scenario, provide documents, and ask about the possible ways they can cover your medical expenses like maximum coverage.
Seek Legal Assistance
As discussed earlier, many people do need a lawyer for negotiation. So if you have not succeeded at negotiating medical bills after accident, a lawyer definitely will. Hire an attorney according to your budget and their experience. It will increase the chances of success in the case.
Explore Financial Assistance Programs
Sometimes where a quick reduction in bills isn’t possible, hospitals provide you with some sort of financial assistance or payment plans. Avail these offers to avoid paying huge bills right away.
Document Agreements
Keep updated records of your negotiation. Write down all the agreements that succeeded and rejected ones as well. Also keep the data of the people involved in the process, just in case you need them in the future.
Some Payment Plans To Explore
When negotiating medical bills after accident, the process becomes too lengthy. Sometimes negotiation doesn’t work at all so here what you should do is explore some payment options to protect yourself from paying huge medical bills. So let’s explore what options you can avail when you find yourself in such a difficult situation.
Installment Plans
The most common option patients have regarding their massive bills is that the hospital divides their entire bill into monthly parts. It becomes easy to pay a small portion each month instead of paying the entire bill. Make sure to communicate the possible amount you can pay each month so that they make the installments accordingly.
Extended Payment Plans
Request for an extended deadline to pay the full bill rather than a tight last date. Here you will have to pay the entire bill upfront but during the extended period, giving you more time to arrange the amount.
Interest-Free Plans
Many times, healthcare providers offer payment plans that have high interest rates, making it difficult for you to make the payment besides the actual bill. So make sure to ask about the interest-free payment plans that are always available for patients.
Sliding Scale Payment
If your income is incapable of paying high bills, what you can do is show your income stream and actual salary to the healthcare provider. It makes them reduce your bill a little so that it can come under your budget.
Hardship Programs
During the process of negotiating medical bills after accident, you may be offered some hardship financial programs. Healthcare facilities have this kind of offering to help needy patients.
Navigating The Negotiation Process
Though the process of negotiating medical bills after accident isn’t that difficult, you have to spend a lot of time communicating with healthcare providers. So it is great to hire a lawyer. They are professionals and know the legal regulations that can make healthcare providers reduce the bill according to the situation.
But whatever option you choose, make sure to show a quick response in order to receive swift turnover and assistance.