Medical bills or itemized ­statements are associated with care rendered to an individual by a physician, hospital or group practice for a specific ­illness or condition. These amounts relate to hospital admissions, office visits, therapy or surgeries. Additional costs may be incurred for rehabilitation, injections, prescription medication or orthopedic appliances. In personal injury or workers' compensation matters, medical expenses are tied to an actual event, e.g., motor vehicle accident, slip and fall or injury in the course of employment. In addition to proving damages, medical bills contain an abundance of other valuable information that may be particularly helpful to the legal team in the litigation of a case.

The task of requesting, organizing and summarizing medical records is regularly handled by a paralegal. However, a ­paralegal should also be cognizant of the importance of issuing separate requests (perhaps even to other entities) for the ­release of invoices. Medical billing is often handled by an outside company (sometimes even by an out-of-state agency) on behalf of a health care provider. Inquiries should include the full name of the patient, date of birth, dates of service, as well as account numbers or medical record numbers. Note that if a ­client was treated in an emergency room or admitted to a hospital, there could be multiple physicians from whom you will need to obtain records. These encompass ­independent charges for services such as consultations, review of diagnostic studies, etc.

Medical bills are acquired in a ­variety of ways including: receipt from clients; issuance of valid subpoenas; executed ­authorizations; and court order. Due to the overwhelming number of requests, many health care providers secure the services of an independent organization to process inquiries. Businesses such as Chart Swap or MRO allow third-party requestors to ­establish portal accounts to simplify ­submissions and responses. The use of an outside company results in time and expense savings for both the provider as well as the entity while maintaining ­confidentiality. It is essential to follow guidelines and procedures of a provider when directing inquiries for release of medical expenses. Be sure to adhere to any unique requirements, e.g., special ­authorizations or ­pre-payments. Although time consuming, it may be beneficial to retain a paper-based folder or electronic spreadsheet of practices, ­noting details such as contact information and prerequisites. This added step will certainly facilitate the administration of requests and subsequent inquiries.