You went to the ER after a car accident. Maybe you were there for a few hours. You saw one doctor, had a couple scans, gave some blood, and went home.
Now you’re getting a flood of bills—and none of them make sense.
“I already went to the hospital. Why am I getting a bill from somewhere I’ve never even heard of?”
“Why do I have five different charges from one visit?”
“I thought this was going through insurance—am I supposed to pay this?”
You’re not alone. And you didn’t do anything wrong. But yes, the system is confusing. Here’s how it works—and what to do next.
What’s Actually Happening: One Visit, Many Providers
When you go to the hospital after an accident, it might feel like you only saw one person. But behind the scenes, you were helped by several different professionals and services—each of whom may bill separately.
That means one ER visit can turn into four, five, or even more separate bills.
Common examples:
- The hospital itself (called a facility fee)
- The ER doctor group (separate from the hospital)
- The radiologist (who reviewed your imaging)
- The imaging center (if scans were processed outside the hospital)
- The lab that handled your bloodwork
- Any specialists who reviewed your case (trauma, ortho, neuro)
- Private billing companies contracted by those providers
Labs and Imaging: The Names That Might Confuse You
This is one of the most stressful parts: You start getting bills from companies you don’t recognize.
You might think: “This has to be a mistake—I’ve never even been to that place.” But in many cases, it’s just a separate part of your hospital care.
Labs That Might Send You a Bill
These companies often handle your bloodwork, pathology, or testing—even if you never interacted with them directly:
- LabCorp
- Quest Diagnostics
- Interpath Laboratory
- Northwest Pathology
- PAML (Pathology Associates Medical Laboratories)
- UW Laboratory Medicine
- CellNetix Pathology & Laboratories
- Kaiser Permanente Labs (can bill separately from main visit)
Imaging & Specialist Providers
You may also see bills from:
- Provider Name
- Service
- Radia
- Radiology / Scan Interpretation
- Inland Imaging
- Emergency & Outpatient Imaging
- Overlake Medical Imaging
- CT, MRI, X-ray Services
- Seattle Radiology
- Scan Review
- Proliance Surgeons
- Orthopedic & Surgical Services
- UW Physicians
- Hospital-Based Physician Billing
- Pacific Medical Centers
- Specialist Follow-up Care
- Providence Medical Group
- Multispecialty Billing
Hospitals Where This Commonly Happens
This isn’t about one bad provider—it’s how the system is structured. These Washington hospitals often involve multiple billing sources, even for a single visit:
- Harborview Medical Center
- Swedish Medical Center (First Hill, Cherry Hill, Ballard)
- Overlake Medical Center
- Virginia Mason
- EvergreenHealth
- UW Medical Center (Montlake and Northwest)
- Providence Regional Medical Center (Everett)
- MultiCare Tacoma General / Good Samaritan
Checklist: What to Do When the Bills Start Coming In
- Open and review every piece of mail—even if the name looks unfamiliar
- Create a folder (physical or digital) to track all bills, notices, and insurance paperwork
- Look for due dates and make sure nothing goes to collections
- Keep notes on who you spoke to (billing departments, insurance reps, etc.)
- Call and ask questions—especially if something looks off or feels premature
Why This Matters: Collections Can Sneak Up Fast
A lot of people assume the bills will get sorted out by insurance. But some providers won’t wait—and if no one responds, they may turn your account over to collections.
It happens all the time. Good people with valid claims get sent to collections simply because they didn’t know what to do—or thought someone else was handling it.
Once a bill hits collections, it can affect:
- Your credit
- Your stress levels
- Your ability to resolve the case cleanly
Even if you’re still figuring out the legal side of your accident, you need to keep these bills out of default.
You’re Not Being Difficult. You’re Being Diligent.
You didn’t ask to be in this position. You were injured, you sought care, and now you’re buried in confusing paperwork.
That doesn’t make you a problem. It makes you someone trying to be responsible.
The medical billing system is fragmented—but it can be managed. You just need support from someone who sees this every day.
Let’s Talk Before It Gets Overwhelming
If you’ve started getting bills after a crash and you’re feeling overwhelmed, you don’t have to wait until it’s out of control.
👉 Schedule a free consultation
We’ll go over what you’ve received, help you understand what’s normal, and talk about next steps—without pressure.
You don’t have to figure it out alone. And you don’t have to do everything perfectly to get help.