7 Ways to Lower Your Medical Bills After a Motor Vehicle Accident

7 Ways to Lower Your Medical Bills After a Motor Vehicle Accident If you have recently been in a car accident, you’re probably starting to realize that you are going to have some serious medical expenses. Nobody plans to be involved in a car accident. We take precautions, like buying auto insurance, avoiding distractions behind the wheel, and wearing a seatbelt at all times. But these steps can’t stop every accident from occurring, especially when it’s caused by a negligent driver. If you are injured in an unexpected car accident, the damages you sustain will be inevitable. Now that you are starting to see some of these bills, it’s time to think about how you will pay your medical expenses and any ways that you can lower them. Before we move on, we should mention that if you were injured in a car accident and have not spoken to an attorney, you should do that now. Car accidents—and everything that comes along with them—are very complicated. And small mishaps you make on your own may damage the integrity of your case, which will harm your likelihood of receiving maximum compensation for your injuries. You should, at the very least, take advantage of a free consultation with a lawyer before you proceed down this path alone.

Hire an Attorney to Negotiate on Your Behalf

After a car accident or other personal injury incident, it’s important to have an experienced attorney on your side, advocating for your financial interest. Most people imagine lawyers working in courtrooms, researching complicated legal issues, or investigating accidents. But personal injury lawyers also work with the insurance companies and medical providers to try to reduce a client’s medical bills. An injury lawyer’s goal is to get their client the most money possible to rebuild their life after an injury. One of the ways they do that is by making sure that their client is not getting ripped off, paying too much, or getting charged for unnecessary things. Once your lawyer has compiled and helped reduce all of your medical bills, they can then begin settlement negotiations to get you the compensation you need to cover all your current and future medical costs.

Get to Know Your Health Insurance Coverage

One of the easiest ways to have your medical expenses reduced is simply by having an understanding of your health insurance policy. If you are familiar with the coverage that is outlined in your policy, you will be able to know what all you are entitled to. Once you recognize that you have been incorrectly charged for something that your policy should cover, you will be able to dispute the charges and have them taken care of. Those who never take the time to get familiar with their coverage and simply take things at their face value can lose out on thousands of dollars as a result.

Use Generic Prescriptions Instead of Name Brands

Generic versions of prescriptions are often much less expensive than their name-brand counterparts. And the generic option is just as effective as the name brand. By taking advantage of generic options, users are able to effectively save thousands of dollars a year.

Ask for Itemized Medical Bills

The bill you receive in the mail after receiving medical treatment will not show a detailed breakdown of all the services you received. By asking for an itemized breakdown of services (also called an Explanation of Benefits), you’ll see exactly what care you were given as well as the exact prices of each individual treatment. This can act as a safeguard to prevent unnecessary payments, allowing you to save money on your medical bills.

Review Bills for Errors

Taking a closer look at the medical bills you receive can potentially save you thousands of dollars. It is possible for the dollar amount on your medical bill to be incorrect. Calculating medical bills is complicated, mistakes are bound to happen from time to time. Double checking your medical bills for mistakes can save you thousands of dollars. In some instances, people have seen duplicate charges on their account, which adds to the bill’s total. You may have even been charged for treatments and medications that you never received. It never hurts to ask questions about your medical bills. If you believe there are discrepancies, or even that the dollar amount seems too high for any reason, it can greatly benefit you to speak up and ask questions about your bill.

Negotiate All Your Medical Bills

A lot of people do not realize that they can negotiate to lower their medical bills with the hospital, their doctors, and other healthcare providers. The negotiated rate is a discounted price for medical services and is usually equivalent to what the provider would charge the insurance companies. If you’re uninsured, you can get the same negotiated rate. Sometimes all it takes for you to have your medical costs reduced is simply by asking for a reduction in cost. If your medical provider is unwilling to negotiate your costs there is always the option to shop around for a different provider who will be more flexible. Since you’ll be working with an attorney, your attorney will negotiate the cost of your medical expenses on your behalf.

Contact Abels & Annes For a Free Case Evaluation

After you are injured in a car accident, it won’t be long before you start noticing just how much damage they can cause. Medical expenses, lost wages, and other costs will start adding up fast. Luckily, Illinois law allows injured victims to seek compensation for their losses through a personal injury claim. In order to make sure that your claim is handled correctly and that you get the proper amount of money that you need, you should consider hiring an experienced car accident lawyer. At Abels and Annes, we work to protect the rights of our clients and to get them maximum compensation for their injuries. To schedule a free, no-obligation consultation, contact us online or call us at 312-924-7575. We look forward to speaking with you.