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Managing medical bills after a car accident
Keep billing questions separate from questions about who is responsible for the crash. Check the bill, available coverage and assistance options before agreeing to financing.
By SettlementLift. Published · Updated .
Ask for an explanation of the bill
Keep the provider invoice and any insurer explanation of benefits together. Ask the billing office which charges remain unpaid, whether insurance processing is complete and whether there is an error or duplicate charge. Record the answer and any requested correction. An explanation of benefits and a provider bill serve different purposes.
Ask about assistance before financing
CMS recommends asking the facility billing department about financial help, including assistance or charity-care programs, and about payment plans. Ask how to apply and whether a pending application affects billing follow-up. Assistance is subject to the program’s criteria, rather than guaranteed because the bill followed an accident.
CMS: Medical bill payment options ↗Understand a payment plan or medical credit card
The CFPB advises checking insurance coverage and financial assistance before agreeing to a medical payment product. Ask about interest, fees, deferred-interest conditions and the payment schedule. Putting a bill on a credit card can make provider financial assistance harder to obtain.
CFPB: Medical credit cards and payment plans ↗Ask how case-related obligations are handled
Tell your attorney about outstanding bills and any proposed payment direction, lien or assignment. Ask how those obligations could affect a recovery and what needs further review. Do not assume a pending claim postpones a bill or makes another person responsible for paying it immediately.
Keep private records with the appropriate recipient
Ask the provider, insurer or lawyer which records are needed and use their verified secure channel. The SettlementLift form does not request medical records. Its information inquiry does not negotiate a bill, create coverage or approve funding.