Five Steps You Can Take to Get Help with Car Accident Medical Bills Right Now

OMAHA, Nebraska. If you’ve gotten hurt in a car accident, one of the challenges you might be facing are unexpected medical bills. If you don’t have savings in the bank or if you don’t have health insurance, unexpected medical bills can be incredibly stressful. According to USA Today, approximately 57% of Americans have less than $1,000 in savings. Emergency room bills and out of pocket deductibles can easily exceed these figures. According to HealthCare.gov, the out of pocket maximum for an individual in the marketplace plan is $7,900 and the out of pocket maximum for a family is $15,800. But what can you do if you find yourself facing out of pocket expenses and medical bills after a car accident? Here are five steps you can take:

1. Check for billing errors. According to U.S. News & World Report, as many as a whopping 99 percent of medical bills may have errors. When these errors get passed on to you and your health insurance company, this may mean added expenses for you to pay out of pocket. If your health insurance isn’t covering the whole bill, call your health insurance to find out why. If you find mistakes, dispute them with the hospital’s billing department. Sometimes negotiating billing issues can be complex. Some individuals hire a lawyer to assist them with reviewing bills for errors and negotiating with insurance companies and hospital billing departments. Rensch & Rensch Law are Omaha, Nebraska personal injury lawyers who may be able to help you navigate the claims process with insurance companies and help you understand what is and isn’t covered under your policy.
2. Ask if you qualify for help. Some families and individuals may qualify for additional government assistance for their medical costs, including costs resulting from a car accident. According to USA.gov, if you are over 65, you may qualify for Medicare. Children and certain families that cannot afford insurance may qualify for CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program).
3. Ask if a hospital’s billing department has forgiveness programs. Some not-for-profit hospitals are required to forgive hospital bills. If you qualify, your hospital’s billing department may forgive all or part of your bill. It never hurts to ask.
4. Ask for lower rates. Many hospital billing departments charge privately insured and uninsured individuals higher rates for the same services. Ask your hospital to offer you the rates that they offer to Medicare patients.
5. File a personal injury lawsuit if you’ve been in a car accident. If your car accident was the fault of another person or party, you may be entitled to make a claim through a lawsuit or demand letter. Additionally, the other driver’s insurance company may be responsible for paying your medical bills and out of pocket deductibles. If you have been hurt in a car accident, protect your rights and understand your options. Visit the car accident lawyers at Rensch & Rensch Law in Omaha, Nebraska today.

If you have received unexpected medical bills due to a car accident, the good news is that you have options. Rensch & Rensch Law are car accident attorneys who may be able to help you seek damages to cover your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering damages. Contact us to learn more.

Rensch & Rensch Law
7602 Pacific Street,
Suite 102
Omaha, NE 68114