The Best Strategies for Paying Expensive Medical Bills After an Accident

Car or bike accidents can cause serious injuries that can change your life—and your financial future. If you end up in the hospital, you may be looking at thousands of dollars in medical expenses, even with health insurance. Not everyone can afford an emergency bill, especially when they’re recovering from an accident. While there are no guarantees, you may be able to significantly reduce or eliminate what you owe with a few smart financial strategies.

Request an Itemized Bill

The first step upon receiving an expensive medical bill after your accident is to request an itemized version if you haven’t already. It’s fairly commonplace for medical bills to have minor errors. Knowing what you’ve been charged for each service can help you isolate any errors and compare your hospital stay with your insurance coverage (if applicable). Itemized bills are good to keep on record in case there are any issues in the future or you decide to obtain an attorney for any reason. If you find an error on your medical bill, bring it up with the financial department immediately.

Evaluate Your Explanation of Benefits

Your health insurance, if you have it, will provide an explanation of benefits (EOB) that explains what you’ve been billed and what your insurance covers. It won’t tell you what you owe (though there may be estimates), but it can help you compare the results to your itemized bill in case you need to consult with or appeal any denied claims. If you notice anything on your EOB that should be covered but isn’t, you’ll want the document and your policy documents on hand as evidence. After an accident, you may have been transported to an “out of network” hospital, but your emergency coverage should apply here—make sure the paperwork adds up.

Ask for Discounts or Payment Plans

Once you’ve made sure there aren’t any medical billing or insurance errors, you’ll want to ask if there are any discounts available to you as a patient. Some hospitals may offer discounts for veterans. Most hospitals will provide self-pay discounts if you’re uninsured or underinsured. Many hospitals or physicians also offer payment plans to make paying off medical debt easier for you. Options like CareCredit are popular, especially when emergencies occur, like car accidents.

Get an Attorney

When it comes to car accidents, auto insurance can cover at least a portion of your medical expenses in many cases. Filing an insurance claim with either your insurance or the at-fault party’s insurance (if different) is an excellent start to receiving medical coverage. In some cases, claims are denied, coverage lapses, or the at-fault party is underinsured. Obtaining an attorney can help you navigate these obstacles with as much success as possible. How you’ll file will depend on the location where the accident occurred. In Florida, you’re in a no-fault state, meaning you’ll file with your insurance regardless of who is at fault for the accident—unless you’re on a bicycle, where you’ll file with the motorist’s insurance. In Illinois, an at-fault state, you’ll file insurance with the at-fault party; consult with an Illinois bicycle accident lawyer if you’re involved in a car accident involving bikes.

No Surprises Act

There is a federal law, the No Surprises Act, to protect patients from surprise bills in certain circumstances, including emergency care. A car accident requiring emergency care, even in an out-of-network facility, shouldn’t come with surprise bills due to balance billing or unknowingly receiving “out-of-network” care. This law also requires providers to give a good-faith estimate if you’re uninsured or paying out of pocket. If you’ve received a bill that is more than your in-network cost-sharing amount, you’ll want to dispute the bill according to this law. An attorney can help you if necessary.

Apply for Financial Assistance

There are many programs that hospitals offer that can cover some or all of your medical bills, especially due to car accident emergencies. Applying for financial assistance, even if you’re denied, can help you understand all of your options before you begin paying a hefty medical bill. You can also look online for external organizations that help cover medical bills. Some church communities can offer assistance as well. Searching for medical bill support or financial aid in your area, especially online, is a great start. If your kids were involved in the accident, some children’s hospitals or children’s medical programs may be able to assist financially as well.

Learn Self-Pay Rates

Medical emergencies typically result in hospital stays, especially after a car accident. In most cases, in terms of hospital expenses, health insurance will always save you money. However, it’s worth asking what self-pay rates are for the services you used at the hospital. In rare circumstances, self-pay rates may be lower if you have a high deductible or a large cost-sharing portion. Just keep in mind that you can’t pick and choose individual self-pay discounts and health insurance coverage for your hospital stay; it’s usually one or the other.

Conclusion

Ending up in a car accident that results in major medical expenses can be intimidating and, in many cases, life-changing. Smart strategies, such as asking for an itemized bill, appealing wrongful insurance claim denials, and obtaining an attorney, may help you reduce or even eliminate what you owe. Understand what your health insurance covers (if applicable) and inquire about self-pay rates. Knowing your rights under laws such as the No Surprises Act can help reduce worrisome billing surprises. Finally, don’t be afraid to ask about discounts, financial aid, or payment programs. It’s difficult for most people to afford medical expenses, especially after an emergency. You may have more options than you realize.

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More Recommended Ebike/Scooters

Check out these other ebikes and scooters I've reviewed:

Urban Arrow Ebike – Last year, I made one of the largest purchases I’ve ever made – I bought a $9,000 electric cargo bike from Urban Arrow. In my Urban Arrow review, I will discuss what it is and why I decided to buy this bike, as well as discuss how impactful a bike like this can be on your journey to financial independence.
Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Ebike – The Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is a fat-tire ebike that I’ve had the pleasure of riding for a while now. It has amazing power, great looks, and awesome range. If you’re looking for a great fat-tire ebike that offers a lot for the price, the Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is definitely one for you to consider. Check out my Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Review.
Hovsco HovBeta Ebike – The HovBeta is a folding ebike with great specs and a lot of interesting features, and importantly, it’s sold at a good price point. I’ve had a blast commuting with it and using it to do deliveries with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Check out my Hovsco HovBeta Ebike Review.
Vanpowers Manidae Ebike – The Vanpowers Manidae is a fat tire ebike that I’ve been riding as my primary winter commuting bike and have also been using it to do food delivery with apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. After clocking in a decent number of miles with this ebike, I wanted to write a post sharing what my experience with the Vanpowers Manidae ebike has been like. Check out my Vanpowers Manidae Review.
Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding EBike Review – A Great Value Folding Ebike – The Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding Ebike is an entry-level folding ebike that offers a lot of value for the price point. I’ve been riding the Sohamo S3 for a while now, putting the bike through its paces, and I have to say, this bike has exceeded all of my expectations. Check out my Sohamo Review.
KBO Flip Ebike – The KBO Flip is an excellent bike. I’ve had a great time riding it and think it’s a versatile bike that can be used for a lot of purposes and can fit a variety of lifestyles. It’s worked out great for me as a general commuter bike and as a food delivery bike. Check out my KBO Flip Review.
Hiboy P7 Commuter Ebike – The Hiboy P7 is an excellent electric commuter bike that’s offered at an affordable price point. The range and speed of this bike are both very good, so you won’t have any trouble getting anywhere you need to go with it. As a food delivery vehicle, this is also good – with how much range it offers, you’ll be able to work all day on a single charge. Check out my Hiboy P7 Commuter Electric Bike Review.
Himiway Escape Ebike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
Espin Sport Ebike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
Varla Falcon Scooter – The Varla Falcon is an excellent scooter that offers a good amount of power at a lower price point compared to more powerful scooters. It’s not exactly an entry-level scooter, nor is it a high-powered scooter. I think it fits somewhere in-between those two categories – an intermediate scooter if I had to give it a category. Check out my Varla Falcon Review.
Hiboy S2 Scooter – The Hiboy S2 is an excellent entry-level commuter scooter that's perfect for someone looking to save some money in transportation costs and improve their commute. Check out my Hiboy S2 Review.
Hiboy S2R Scooter – The Hiboy S2R is one of the more interesting electric scooters I’ve been able to test out. It’s not a high-powered scooter, but for an everyday transport option, it’s very useful, especially given some of the unique features that it has. Indeed, for the price, the Hiboy S2R might be the best value scooter I’ve used. Check out my Hiboy S2R Review.
Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.

More Recommended Investing App Bonuses

For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:

M1 Finance ($75) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $75 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
SoFi Invest ($25) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with just $10 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
Public (1 free stock) - Public gives you a free stock valued between $3-$70 if you open an account using my referral link.

More Recommended Bank Account Bonuses

If you’re looking for more easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.

Ally Bank ($100) – Of all the banks out there, Ally is, without a doubt, my favorite. At the moment, Ally is offering $100 to customers who open an eligible Ally account and meet the requirements. Here are the step-by-step directions to earn your Ally Bank referral bonus.
Chime ($100) - Chime is a free bank account that offers a referral bonus if you use a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $200 or more. In practice, any ACH transfer into this account triggers the bonus. This bonus is easy to earn and posts instantly, so you’ll know if you met the requirements as soon as you move money into the account. I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Chime referral bonus that I recommend you check out.
US Bank Business ($400/$1200) – This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, since there are no direct deposit requirements. In addition, you can open the Silver Business Checking account, which comes with no monthly fees. Check out how to earn this big bonus here.
Current ($50) – Current is a free fintech bank that’s offering new users a $50 referral bonus after signing up for an account using a referral link. Current is an easy bonus to earn and also gives you access to three savings accounts that pay you 4% interest on up to $2,000. That means you can put away up to $6,000 earning 4% interest. That’s very good and makes Current an account I recommend to everyone. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Current Bank bonus.
Novo Bank ($40) - Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. In addition to being a good bank bonus, Novo is also a good business checking account. It has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements and operates a good app and website. Indeed, it’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog. Check out my post on how to easily open a Novo account.
Varo ($25) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $25 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.

Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.

Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.

Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:

SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $300 if you complete a direct deposit.
5% Savings Accounts. I'm currently getting 5.24% interest on my savings through a company called Raisin. Opening a Raisin account takes minutes to complete, it's free, and all of your funds are FDIC-insured. I explain how it works, why I'm now using it to store my emergency fund and any other cash savings I have, and why I recommend everyone check it out in this review.
US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $400/$1200 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements.
M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $75 for opening an account.
Empower. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.

Feel free to send Kevin a message here.