Medical Debt Relief Attorneys

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How to Reduce or Eliminate Medical Bills

When facing overwhelming medical debt, it is imperative that you take action immediately. You have 180 days before your debt can be sold to a collection agency who may take legal action against you to demand payment– potentially resulting in bank levies, wage garnishment, and more. After 180 days, the debt can appear on your credit report and you will no longer have as many options. Now is the time to act.

Set Up a Repayment Plan

This type of strategy works best in the first 180 days that you owe the money. Many medical providers are willing to work out repayment plans. If you do work out a payment plan with your provider, you may be responsible for additional fees or interest, but this is a small price to pay for peace of mind and good credit.

Medical Bill Forgiveness

If you face verifiable hardship, you may be able to obtain forgiveness. You will need to provide proof of hardship and other documentation in order for your provider to forgive your debt entirely. Hospital care for low-income individuals may be available based on your income and savings. You can also apply for Medicaid. Depending on the state you live in, the Medicaid program often will pay past medical bills if you qualify.

Check the Rates

Errors in medical bills are fairly common, and your insurance company may not have paid for all that it was accountable for. Medical billing personnel make mistakes along with the doctors and nurses who write the hospital code used to label your treatments. Also, if you do qualify for reduced rates, it applies to all services and providers. If you were in-network for some charges, you may be entitled to in-network prices for all services and providers.

Double-Check What You Owe

Verify the bills with your provider by asking if all procedures were necessary and all supplies listed on the bill were actually used. You can then compare by looking up what each procedure typically costs. Also research the average cost for the procedure and ask questions if your charge is higher than the norm.

Negotiate the Total Bill

Often we can help you also negotiate the total amount of your bill down. The medical provider needs you to pay and you need the fees to be lower. As attorneys, we know how to work with medical providers to help them lower their charges to benefit all involved. If you don’t pay the bill and don’t contact them to negotiate, it is likely that your bill will be sent to collections. The medical provider loses money in this scenario and you lose your best chance to negotiate the total down.

File for Bankruptcy

Medical bills are a form of unsecured debt, which means bankruptcy could cover most or all of what you owe. Often, patients put off looking at solutions when it comes to medical debt. This is why medical debt is one of the leading causes of bankruptcy in the U.S.  At LawZebra, we look at every angle to determine what is best for your unique situation. In some cases, bankruptcy is the best answer for a client.

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