Simple Steps to Take If You’ve Received a Shocking Medical Bill
A drop in your monthly budget can happen if you face a sudden injury or medical issue. You may trust your insurance, only to realize the challenges when receiving the medical bill. For that, you definitely need something that deals with such compliance. And with your luck, there are some steps, including medical billing advocates, that fight for your legal rights.
1. Compare Costs with Insurance Explanation of Benefits (EOB)
First stop: your Explanation of Benefits (EOB). If you’ve got insurance, this document is your map. It outlines what was billed, what your insurance agreed to cover, and what’s left for you to handle. The mistake people make is looking at the bill in isolation. That’s like reading one side of a story.
Hospitals and clinics sometimes “balance bill” by charging you for the difference between what they billed and what insurance paid. In many states, that’s not even legal.
2. Use a Medical Billing Advocate
This is a weapon most people don’t know they have. Medical billing advocates are professionals who live and breathe billing codes, insurance denials, and hospital finance policies. They know when a provider is padding costs, when duplicate charges sneak in, and when “miscellaneous fees” don’t belong.
Sure, you can fight this battle alone. But if the bill runs into the thousands or tens of thousands, it may be worth hiring an advocate for social security disability and illness. They often work on a contingency basis, meaning they only get paid if they save you money.
3. Review the Bill Carefully
This might sound obvious, but many people never actually read every line of their medical bill. Why? Because the language is confusing and the codes look like gibberish. But in those gibberish codes hide opportunities to dispute charges.
Be clear with this step:
- Check for duplicate charges. Did they bill you twice for the same X-ray? It happens.
- Look at supply fees. Did they charge $30 for a single aspirin tablet? Mark it.
- Confirm dates of service. Sometimes services you didn’t even receive slip in.
4. Set Up a Payment Plan
Okay, let’s say you’ve reviewed, compared, maybe even hired an advocate, the bill still stands at a number you can’t just write a check for. The next step is to set up a payment plan.
Hospitals want their money. They’d rather have consistent monthly payments than chase collections. Use this to your advantage. Many billing offices will break your bill into 12, 24, or even 36 monthly installments.
5. Negotiate with the Provider
Don’t skip this step thinking, “They’ll never lower the bill.” Providers negotiate all the time. The sticker price on medical care is not set in stone and is inflated. Insurance companies rarely pay full price, so why should you?
Conclusion
So next time that envelope hits your mailbox and your heart drops? Don’t panic. You’ve got the tools, you’ve got the strategy, and you’ve got the power to fight back.
