Can you sue a hospital for improper billing?
Asked by: Christy Waelchi DVM | Last update: June 5, 2025Score: 4.5/5 (66 votes)
What is the law on unpaid medical bills in Georgia?
Unpaid medical bills have brought countless families to the verge of bankruptcy. Hospitals can sue you for outstanding medical bills. In Georgia, the contractual statute of limitations is 6 years. The statute of limitations on medical debt is calculated from the date of your last completed payment.
Do hospitals make mistakes in billing?
Studies show that 80% of medical bills have mistakes, with a lot of them coming from small typos or hospital coding errors. Even though these mistakes seem small, they can lead to big problems. When medical bills are not accurate, many of them end up not being paid at all.
Is it better to sue the hospital or the doctor?
Remember: If a doctor is an actual or apparent employee, the hospital could potentially be liable for the doctor's malpractice. However, if the doctor is an independent contractor, the hospital could not be held liable for the doctor's negligence. However, the hospital could still be liable for its own negligence.
How do I file a lawsuit against the hospital?
- Review Your State's Statute of Limitations. First, you must check whether you have time to file a lawsuit. ...
- Examine the Injury. ...
- Calculate Damages. ...
- Determining Fault. ...
- File a Complaint. ...
- Hire a Medical Malpractice Lawyer. ...
- Gathering Evidence. ...
- Negotiating a Settlement.
What Evidence Do I Need for a Medical Malpractice Claim?
Is it hard to win a lawsuit against a hospital?
Medical malpractice lawsuits can be difficult to win because of their complexities. Juries must examine and interpret complicated evidence to understand how the healthcare provider deviated from accepted standards, which they are likely unfamiliar with.
Who pays when a hospital is sued?
Hospitals are self-insured which means they pay for malpractice claims themselves.
What is the average hospital lawsuit?
Understanding Medical Malpractice Settlements
According to national statistics, the average medical malpractice settlement is often in the range of $250,000 to $500,000, though significant cases involving life-altering injuries can reach millions.
Why would a hospital sue you?
Some hospitals sue patients who can't afford to pay their medical bills. Such lawsuits don't tend to bring in much money for the hospital but can really harm patients already experiencing financial hardships.
Is it worth suing for medical negligence?
In order to make a medical malpractice case worthwhile to pursue, the case should have approximately $125,000 to $150,000 in provable damages. Since only allows the recovery of compensatory damages, a patient must have a serious and permanent injury to justify proceeding with a medical malpractice case.
Can I sue for improper medical billing?
While billing errors are generally not the basis for a lawsuit, there are many steps consumers can take themselves in this situation.
How to fight medical billing errors?
Write a letter to the billing office to dispute the bill
Once you have identified the error(s), you can write a letter to the billing office to make your case. If there is really an error, they will adjust your bill.
How do you fight an incorrect bill?
Notify them in writing, using certified mail with a return receipt for proper documentation. Your letter should clearly state the disputed amount. It should also provide information about the charges in question. If you are in a billing dispute, following federal requirements is important.
How often do hospitals sue for unpaid bills?
A smaller number (about 25%) sell patients' debts to debt collectors and about 20% deny nonemergency care to people with outstanding debt. More than two-thirds of hospitals in the sample sue patients or take other legal action against them.
How do I complain about medical billing in Georgia?
- Call Us. Primary: (404) 656-3913.
- Email Us. medbd@dch.ga.gov.
- Visit. 2 Martin Luther King Jr.
- Hours.
How long does a hospital have to bill you in Georgia?
According to the Georgia Fair Business Practices Act [O.C.G.A. Section 10-1-393(b)(14)], a hospital or long-term care facility has six business days after you have been released from its care as an inpatient to provide you an itemized statement of all charges for which you are being billed.
Can a hospital turn you away for unpaid bills?
Even if you owe a hospital for past-due bills, that hospital cannot turn you away from its emergency room. This is your right under a federal law called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA).
How to negotiate a hospital bill?
- Request an itemized bill. Like a receipt, an itemized bill breaks down all the charges, including the cost of each procedure, medication, and service. ...
- Double-check your medical codes. ...
- Compare prices. ...
- Offer to pay upfront. ...
- Try a payment plan. ...
- Negotiate based on comparable rates.
What happens if you don't pay medical bills under $500?
Waiting to pay can be beneficial
That means if the card becomes delinquent, even debts under $500 can appear on your credit report and hurt your score. Despite the potential consequences of ignoring a medical debt, there are some advantages to letting the bill go unpaid.
How often do hospitals settle out of court?
This involves the defendant, typically a hospital or healthcare provider, agreeing to compensate the plaintiff without a courtroom battle. They typically do not admit liability. According to the U.S. Justice Department, over 90% of claims settle out of court.
Does it cost money to sue a hospital?
Ultimately, when you begin to tally up all the costs of filing a medical malpractice lawsuit, you would be looking at thousands in expenses. You should ask yourself if you can afford these fees or if you would prefer that a legal team handle them.
Can I sue a hospital for taking too long?
Claimants often ask this question, 'can you sue a hospital for medical malpractice? The short answer is. Yes, you can.
Will hospitals settle on medical bills?
Medical care providers and debt collectors regularly offer payment plans, and help patients pay less using financial assistance programs or by settling the debt.
Can you sue someone for hospital bills?
The short answer is yes. A person filing a personal injury lawsuit may seek to recover medical expenses even if those medical expenses were paid through health insurance or some type of other insurance plan.
How to sue a hospital without a lawyer?
For example, you'll need to obtain an expert's opinion in order to prove that the other party more likely than not acted negligently towards you or your loved one. Specifically, your case must meet all elements of a medical malpractice claim if you intend to sue a medical practitioner or hospital for malpractice.