What do you know about negotiating personal injury medical bills?

Personal injury victims may endure expensive medical bills after suffering harm because of another’s negligence. Even if victims have a legal case, bill collectors do not put bills on hold until the matter concludes.

CNBC offers insights for lowering health care bills through negotiation. While attempting to recover damages, personal injury victims may give themselves one less thing to worry over.

Consider alternate forms of payment

Those unable to rely on their own financial resources could have alternate options they do not know about. For instance, personal injury victims could qualify for subsidized health coverage or retroactive Medicaid eligibility. Depending on the hospital, it could have to offer low-income patients financial help.

Ask for an itemized bill

Rather than paying a bill without question, a more sensible option is to request an itemized bill. That way, patients have an easier time finding mistakes. For instance, itemized bills could include duplicate charges, incorrect procedure codes, the wrong patient or inaccurate insurance information.

Ask for a discount

Sometimes, the most favorable way to reduce a medical bill is to request a discount. Contacting the medical care facility or doctor’s office and explaining one’s financial situation could be all it takes to receive a reduction. Asking for the Medicaid rate for procedures rather than the master rate could make it easier to cover a medical bill. Researching how much a specific treatment or surgery costs in Illinois could also serve as a starting point for negotiations.

Those who suffered a personal injury deserve all the financial help they qualify for. Knowing how to negotiate medical bills could bring peace of mind.