Hold the lien, or change the handoff?
Value your medical lien off what you'd realistically collect — not the billed charge — and get a plain-language recommendation on whether to hold it or factor it now for immediate cash.
The case economics: the Lien vs. Factoring Analyzer is a free tool that tells a personal injury provider whether to hold a medical lien or sell it now. It values a lien off what you realistically expect to collect — not the billed charge, and not the policy limits, since settlements are shared pro-rata. Enter your expected recovery, the factoring offer, and the wait, and it compares a risk- and time-adjusted hold value against cash today.
The full amount you billed (e.g. a $2,200 MRI).
What you'd realistically collect on the lien if you hold.
What a funding company would pay you today.
Odds you actually collect the expected recovery if you hold.
Your cost of waiting — the time value of money.
- You billed $2,200 but realistically expect to collect $600 after reductions — about 27% of the charge. That reduced figure, not the sticker amount, is what the lien is worth.
- At a 80% chance of actually collecting if you hold, the risk-adjusted value is $480.
- Waiting about 14 months and discounting at 12% a year brings that to $421 in today's dollars.
- The $350 factoring offer is 58% of your expected recovery — you trade that discount for certainty and cash today instead of waiting.
- Holding is worth about $421 today versus $350 from factoring — roughly $71 more to wait it out.
Risk- and time-adjusted value of holding vs. the factoring offer today. Policy limits don't change this — settlements are shared pro-rata, so bigger limits alone don't mean a bigger check.
How we weigh it, plainly stated.
- A lien is worth what you collect, not what you bill. Providers bill high, but liens get reduced. The tool values the lien off your expected recovery after reductions — the realistic number, not the sticker charge.
- Collection risk discounts the hold value. The expected recovery is multiplied by the chance you actually collect it, so a shaky case is worth less to hold.
- Time has a cost. A long wait to resolution is discounted for the time value of money, which raises the appeal of taking cash today.
- Policy limits don't inflate the payout. When a settlement can't cover everyone, lienholders are paid pro-rata — so higher limits alone don't mean a provider collects more.
- This is directional, not a quote. Real factoring offers depend on the buyer, case documentation, and attorney relationships.
Questions about holding or selling.
Should I hold my medical lien or sell it to a factoring company?
It depends on the economics of the specific lien. The analyzer takes what you realistically expect to collect after reductions, risk-adjusts it by the chance of collecting, and discounts it for the wait — then compares that present value against the cash a factoring company offers today, and returns a plain-language hold-or-sell recommendation.
Why doesn't this use my billed charges or the policy limits?
Because neither is what you actually collect. Providers bill high — a $2,200 MRI, say — but liens get reduced to a realistic recovery (e.g. $600), and that reduced figure is the lien's true value. Policy limits don't raise your check either: when a settlement can't cover everyone, lienholders are paid pro-rata, so bigger limits alone don't mean more money. The tool works off the expected recovery you enter.
How is the factoring offer valued against holding?
The factoring offer is already cash today. Holding is worth your expected recovery multiplied by the chance you collect it, then discounted for the months you wait. Whichever number is larger — the discounted hold value or the offer on the table — points to the smarter move.
Is the lien vs. factoring analyzer free?
Yes. It's completely free, runs in your browser with no signup, and you can have the recommendation emailed to you or downloaded as a branded PDF.
Is the recommendation a factoring quote?
No. The recommendation is directional, not an offer. Real factoring offers depend on the buyer, case documentation, and attorney relationships, and this does not constitute legal or financial advice.
More free PI tools.
Settlement Calculator
Estimate the net payout to your client after attorney fees, case costs, and medical lien reductions — with a full distribution breakdown.
Open calculatorLien Reduction Negotiator
Model a lien reduction and instantly see how it shifts what the provider recovers, what the attorney takes, and what lands with the patient.
Open negotiatorLien Stacking Visualizer
Enter a settlement and every claim against it — liens, subrogation, fees, costs — and see how the money divides, including the patient's take-home and any shortfall.
Open visualizerThis free tool is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, medical, or financial advice. Outputs are estimates or templates that should be reviewed by a qualified professional before you rely on them.