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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy and clarity by Tort Defenders’ writers and staff and is as accurate as possible. This content should not be taken as legal advice from an attorney.
Medical debt is shockingly common in the United States. One study found 55% of Americans have some form of medical debt, while 25% owe $10,000 or more. If you recently received medical treatment and are worried about your bill, you may be able to negotiate a lower rate with the help of legal counsel.
Lawyers have extensive experience working with medical billing offices and can better understand what the hospital is trying to charge you. They might be able to prevent you from falling into debt as a result of your medical emergency or treatment. It’s possible to negotiate your medical bills and the right legal team can make this possible. Learn how a lawyer can potentially reduce your medical costs.
How Much Can Lawyers Reduce Medical Bills?
The average medical bill can be overwhelming and confusing for the average person to read. Fortunately, your legal team handles these bills all the time. Your lawyer might be able to find opportunities to lower the bill and help you save money.
Medical bills vary significantly based on the hospital you choose, the services that are needed, and even the various departments within the building. This means there’s no way to provide an average range of savings. However, your legal team will do their best to lower your bill as much as possible.
Legal teams often charge based on a percentage of savings. This means that it is worth the cost to hire a lawyer. You don’t have to worry, in many cases, that your legal costs will outweigh the savings from your lowered medical bill.
Factors That Affect How Much Medical Bills Can Be Reduced
In the same way that multiple factors will affect your medical bills, other factors will determine how much they can be reduced. Your legal team will follow a dedicated process to identify all potential outlets for savings. Here are a few things they will look for.
- Billing errors: One of the first steps in reviewing medical expenses is to ask for an itemized receipt. Your legal team will check for any billing errors that drove up your medical costs.
- Unfulfilled services: There’s a chance that you were billed for tests, medication, or other forms of treatment that the hospital did not provide. Your lawyers will look for services that you are charged for but did not receive. You should not have to pay these costs.
- Payment options: Your legal team might be able to reach a fair price if you agree to pay the bill upfront or pay a larger percentage of the bill. This can lead to savings on interest and lower your overall payments to the hospital.
There is no single way to reduce a medical bill. By taking multiple approaches, your legal team can maximize your potential for savings.
Circumstances Where Lawyers May Negotiate Medical Bills
Each medical experience is unique, which means a lawyer will need to look at your specific case to determine what they can negotiate and how much of your medical bill they can negotiate. However, there are a few common circumstances where lawyers may negotiate your medical bills:
- Abuse cases: Individuals who have experienced violence should not be deterred from seeking care or contacting law enforcement due to worries about higher medical bills. In fact, legislation in the United States prohibits survivors from being billed for evidence-gathering procedures which may happen during medical care. For instance, if you experienced an assault during a rideshare, you may be entitled to lower medical bills in addition to compensation.
- Future medical needs: Lawyers may get involved if you have existing medical bills but anticipate additional costs in the future. For example, if you developed cancer after using the weed killer Roundup, you may need to plan for existing treatment if the disease returns.
- Health insurance coverage: While legal teams can negotiate with the hospital to discuss your billing, they can also work with health insurance providers to negotiate coverage. Lawyers are more likely to negotiate medical bills if the hospital opted for treatment that was not covered by insurance.
- Types of treatment: Your legal team might consider why the hospital opted for certain types of treatment over others, especially if those treatment options affected billing.
Your lawyers want to make sure that you are treated fairly during the medical experience and knowingly consented to the procedures you received as the best option for your needs.
Negotiating Medical Bills After Settlement
It is possible to negotiate medical bills after you receive a settlement. The more you can lower your bills, the more money you can keep for yourself, thus maximizing your settlement value.
Keep in mind that the longer it takes to negotiate your bills, the longer your settlement payment might be delayed. Your legal team will have to figure out who is owed what before they can distribute your settlement.
Negotiating Medical Bills After Death
It is also possible to negotiate medical bills after death. The executor of the will or the beneficiaries will work with creditors to pay off any debts before distributing assets. A legal team can represent these beneficiaries and work with medical billing departments to lower the remaining bills.
The more a legal team can negotiate down medical bills, the more each beneficiary will receive from the will.
What if My Medical Bills Are More Than My Settlement?
If you reach a settlement agreement as the result of a party’s negligent actions, you can use these funds to pay your medical bills. You have a few options if the settlement money won’t fully cover your bills.
First, you can reopen negotiations with either the negligent party or the hospital. Next, you can also continue to work with your legal team to lower your overall costs. If these steps fail, you may need to file a lawsuit for additional damages.
How Likely Is a Lawyer to Successfully Negotiate Medical Bills?
Success rates in medical bill negotiation vary based on multiple factors. The legal team you choose will have different strategies for negotiation and different levels of experience. Your specific medical case and the hospital you received treatment from will also affect the chances of lowering your bills. While most lawyers can lower your bill at least somewhat, they cannot promise a reduced bill or a significant amount of savings.
What Is Subrogation?
Subrogation occurs when an insurance company becomes the representative for the harmed individual in the process of seeking compensation. This is commonly done in car accidents when the at-fault party is obvious. The insurance company of the victim will seek damages from the insurance provider of the person who caused the crash.
With subrogation, the insurance company recoups its losses from the at-fault party, not you. This means you are less likely to have to pay high medical bills because the insurance company will seek compensation for them on your behalf.
How Much Time Does It Take To Negotiate Medical Liens?
Most people are unable to pay their medical bills upfront, so the hospital will put a medical lien on your account. This is essentially an agreement that you owe money to the healthcare provider. If you’re in a car accident, the insurance provider of the at-fault party may cover this medical lien. You might be responsible for paying it.
Most hospitals will sell your debt to collection agencies after 90 days, which is why it is important to negotiate your debt quickly. Most legal professionals will try to resolve the issue within a few weeks or a few months. The sooner you start the process after receiving a bill, the greater the chance you can meet this deadline.
You don’t have to be saddled with medical debt. Consult a lawyer about your negotiation options and see if they can help lower your bills.