Following a personal injury settlement, negotiating a medical lien is one of the most crucial steps to safeguard the money you have won the settlement. A medical lien on your financial resolution indicates that a doctor, hospital, or government entity has every right to take a portion of your payout for covering your medical expenses. The good news? These liens are usually negotiable, and working with a knowledgeable lawyer can help you retain more of your money in your pocket.
Key Points Concerning Medical Liens
- Medical liens is a claim placed on your settlement for paying for your medical care.
- Hospitals, government entities, and insurance companies, can all place liens.
- You have every right to review, challenge, and negotiate liens that are too excessive, erroneous, or irrelevant to your accident.
- Decreasing lien amounts means more money you take home.
- A personal injury lawyer can address lien negotiations, documentation, and legal justification—saving you time, added stress, and money.
Typical Types of Medical Liens Comprise
- Emergency and Hospital care liens
- Medicaid liens and Medicare liens
- Health insurance liens
- TRICARE or Veterans Affairs (VA) liens (for veterans and military families)
How Do I Find Out If I Have a Medical Lien?
Are you questioning if you have a medical lien? The following are a couple of signs:
- You received care without an advance payment.
- Your lawyer received a letter from a provider or government entity.
- Your insurance paid a portion of the bill and requested compensation.
- You received a “Notice of Lien” from Medicare, Medicaid, or a hospital.
Why Should I Negotiate Medical Liens Following My Settlement?
Medical liens on settlements can take a huge chuck out of your compensation. However, here’s the truth: a lot of health care providers and insurers are open to taking less than the total amount, particularly if your settlement is not enough for covering all your expenses.
Reasons for Negotiating Medical Liens:
- Your medical expenses are too excessive to be covered by your settlement.
- Some charges may be irrelevant to the accident.
- You might have been double billed or overcharged.
- Specific procedures may have been unneeded.
Negotiating your liens can help avoid financial difficulties and leave you with more money for loss of wages, your pain and suffering, or any future care.
Step-by-Step Guide: Ways of Negotiating Medical Liens
The following is a step-by-step approach that helps you decrease what you owe, making sure your bills are correct, and safeguard the money you’ve already fought so hard to win. Adhering to these steps can make a huge difference in how much of your settlement you really get to keep.
- Collect Records
Gather all medical bills, clinical notes, and your settlement specifics.
- Identify All Lien Holders
Determine who placed liens. This could comprise hospitals, Medicare, or your health insurer.
- Review and Verify
Keep an eye out for billing errors, unneeded treatments, or charges irrelevant to your accident.
- Begin Negotiating
Get a hold of the lien holders and request a decrease or fixed payment plan. Be upfront concerning your limits financially.
- Obtain Legal Assistance
A personal injury lawyer can negotiate in your favor and use their legal knowledge to advocate additional reductions.
Dar-Liens Offers Lien Processing and Filing in Arizona
Dar-Liens Offers Processing and Filing of the following types of Liens: Pre-Liens, Notices to Owner, Medical Liens, Construction Liens, Mechanics Liens, HOA Liens, 20 Day Preliminary Lien Notices, and more.
