If you’ve been personally injured, it is important to read over your medical bills so that you can understand your charges and catch any costly errors. Understanding your medical bills can also help you better predict future costs if you’ve been seriously injured. Finally, thoroughly reading hospital statements can also help you should you need to seek personal injury compensation from negligent parties. Being able to explain your diagnosis and the cost of medical care to negligent parties can make a difference when seeking a claim. Overall, it helps to understand your charges. Yet, medical bills can be highly complex documents complete with billing codes, unfamiliar terms, and charges.
When you receive a hospital or medical bill, you may receive a generalized statement. According to Nerd Wallet, you may want to read over this statement to make sure that your name and billing information is correct. This bill alone, however, won’t allow you to fully understand your charges. In order to understand each charge, you’ll need to ask for an itemized bill, complete with billing codes.
This is where your bill can get complicated, because the billing codes may be unfamiliar to you. The good news is that billing codes are universal in the U.S. Hospitals and doctors are required to use the same codes for the same service. You’ll also find diagnostic codes in your bill, which can better help you understand the extent of your injuries if you were in an accident. When you read over your bill, look for common errors—like double charges for the same service and charges for services you know you did not receive. According to the New York Times, anywhere between 30 to 50 percent of medical bills contain errors. You should take the time to look over your hospital bill the same way you would look over a receipt or restaurant bill.
Many advocacy groups are fighting for more transparent pricing practices among doctors and hospitals. Unfortunately, pricing practices remain problematic, with many patients receiving surprise medical bills. If you are facing challenges paying your medical costs after suffering a personal injury in Dallas, Texas, it is important to consider your rights and options. You may have the right to seek damages to pay for your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. However, in order to make these claims, it is important to first understand the charges. Reading over your medical bills on your own can sometimes be complicated. The Law Offices of Robert Gregg are personal injury lawyers in Dallas, Texas who can help victims and their families understand their medical bills and charges. Our firm understands that the aftermath of an accident can be stressful and confusing for many reasons. Unfortunately, medical bills are one of them due to how confusing they can be to read. You may only have a limited amount of time to make a claim.