Medical Debt and Hardships:

By: Kelly Kennedy

Not only should you review your medical bills but more importantly, you need to make sure you understand.   Billing errors can occur so make sure you review the bill even if you are covered by insurance because the cost of billing errors might come out of your pocket afterwards in the form of increased co-payments and drug costs. 

Medical bills can be confusing, so don’t expect to understand them all on your own. Here are some resources to help clear things up.

Medical Billings: Information from the Bureau of Consumer Protection in your state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

Understanding your Medical Bills:  Information from the American Academy of Family Physicians to help you understand billing statements from your doctor and explanation of benefits (EOB) reports sent by your health insurance company.

How to Check Up on Your Hospital Bills, from Health Pages, provides tips on what to look for as you review your hospital bill.

Possibility of Error 

Health Page recommends:

 

• Contacting the hospital, doctor's business office, or patient accounts supervisor as soon as possible
• Notify your insurance companies of the error

• Put everything in writing and make copies

Pay off your debt and protect your credit

You should treat your medical bills like any other bill, it’s a bill, and it needs to e paid on time.  If you cannot pay in time, here are some things to consider. 

• Ask about a payment plan.  The provider or hospital may be willing to accept smaller monthly payments if you tell them about your situation and reason for not being able to pay on time or in that amount. 
• Get information on charity care in nearby hospitals.
• Apply for Medicaid.  If you are eligible for Medicaid, it may pay for some of your existing medical bills.
• Speak with a credit counselor.  Find a credit counselor by doing a search online and research various ones until you find one you are comfortable with.  A good credit counseling company is a company that wont charge you for their services, only ask you for a contribution if you have one, also they should just advise you of your financial situation and never tell you what to do.  Your finances are in your hands, and you need to be the one to take control. Information on choosing a credit counselor is available from the Federal Trade Commission.
• Use outside sources. Look into your church, community groups, charitable foundations and civic organizations that may be willing to help. The Patient Pal from the Patient Advocate Foundation has some fundraising ideas available for those with high medical debt bills.
• Don't ignore your medical bills.  Medical bills are just important as any other bill.  Pay them promptly and be sure to contact your hospital or provider if you are going to be late.
• Don’t juggle your debt from one credit card to the next.  You’ll never eliminate your debt if you take this route.  Not only will your interest rate increase significantly but you’ll put your chances or receiving Medicaid at risk. 

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