The National Center for Health Statistics reveals that more than 1/5th of the population of the United States have no insurance, and what’s more disturbing is that nearly 10% of children have no coverage to help pay medical bills Patient Scheduling.
But it doesn’t mean the end of the world if you have no insurance because there are other ways to pay medical bills. For one, hospitals have charity programs to help poor families defray the expenses. The charity program is part of the hospital’s social responsibility in exchange for the tax incentives it receives from the government. This is especially true for non-profit hospitals.
According to studies, those with no insurance pay much more compared to families with health coverage. It’s important to seek assistance immediately rather than ignore the problem before it explodes in your face. Talk to the hospital’s billing department and find out if it’s willing to reduce the cost. It might surprise you but medical providers are only too willing to negotiate or enroll you in some form of repayment plan in order for you to pay medical bills, rather than send your bill to the collection agency, which is no assurance they get paid at all.
Credit management experts suggest that families also check the medical bills to make sure they contain no errors. The statistics on erroneous data on medical bills vary from between 30-90%, that’s too high a figure to allow the documents sent to you to remain unchecked. Once you identify the mistakes, call the hospital’s billing department immediately to rectify the error. If the calls go unheeded, report the matter to the Consumer Protection Agency.
There are also available medical loans at very low interest rate and affordable payment terms so you can pay medical bills. The hospital should be able to refer you to some agencies. Religious organizations, meanwhile, also do the rounds in some hospitals offering help from referrals, prayers and consultations.
Some families who can’t afford to pay medical bills end up seeking the protection of the courts through bankruptcy proceedings. Talk to a bankruptcy lawyer to see if this is the best option for you at the moment while you try to get back your life.