After undergoing a serious medical procedure, you are going to have a lot of financial hurdles to overcome. You might not be able to work for quite some time, and that means all of your expenses are quickly going to add up. Here are a few tips that will help you get your finances back in order after a major operation.

Double-Check Your Hospital Bill

The hospital will most likely only send you a billing statement or a summary bill. While that paperwork is going to contain basic information on your treatments, you need to ask for an itemized bill. That bill will break down every single thing that you were charged for, and you must carefully inspect it for mistakes such as double charges. The hospital should put your account on hold for at least thirty days while you look over the bill.

Call the Hospital Directly

If your procedure wasn’t fully covered by your insurance, then you might want to contact the hospital’s billing department. When a hospital is forced to sell the debt to a debt collector, they are only going to receive a fraction of the money that they are owed. That is why many hospitals will go to great lengths to get their patients to pay them directly. Your hospital might drop some of the charges off your bill or allow you to set up a manageable payment plan.

Cut Back on Your Expenses

Making a few major lifestyle changes is going to be another important step in this process. Until you are able to head back to work, you need to cut back on all of your expenses. Simple changes such as prepping meals at home and canceling some of your streaming services could save you hundreds of dollars a month. If you are currently paying off any other loans, then you should think about asking the lenders for a short deferment during your recovery.

Call an Attorney

A team of compensation lawyers is going to be invaluable if your injuries were the result of another party’s neglect or direction actions. Personal injury cases are highly complex, and trying to navigate the legal system on your own could be very difficult. Your legal team will help you build a solid case from the ground up so that you receive the compensation that you deserve.

The final step in this process is carefully following all of your medical team’s aftercare instructions. Ignoring those instructions is going to lengthen your recovery and potentially compromise your health.

Author's Bio: 

Anica is a professional content and copywriter who graduated from the University of San Francisco. She loves dogs, the ocean, and anything outdoor-related. You can connect with Anica on Twitter @AnicaOaks.