You suffered a recent personal injury, which resulted in a tide of medical costs. Even with insurance, you may have trouble settling your bills while waiting to resolve your personal injury case.
U.S. News & World Report offers tips for negotiating health care costs. Even if you receive a settlement, you should not pay more than necessary to receive adequate medical treatment.
Review your bill
Before dropping a dime on a medical bill, look over it carefully. If you notice anything off or inaccurate, reach out to the billing department of the medical facility where you received treatment to request an audit.
Research the cost of procedures
While reviewing your health care bill, use the internet to research the price of the medical care or procedure you received. With accurate pricing information, you may better negotiate your payment.
Get inquisitive
You may never learn of waived fees, relief plans, discounts or waivers available if you do not ask about them. If you call the hospital about your bill, try not to only ask “yes” or “no” questions. By making open-ended inquiries, you may learn you qualify for reduced medical costs.
Take notes
If you make a lot of calls and talk to several people, keep notes of whom you speak with, the date and the answers you get. That way, if you get conflicting information or need such details for your legal case, you have a paper trail.
Ask for the Medicare charge
Rather than getting charged as a patient, ask if you may receive a Medicare charge. That way, you pay the price Medicare would pay for the same service.
A few questions could earn you major savings on hospital bills. You should focus on recovery right now, not paying more than necessary for medical treatment.