Blogging for Change

Three steps for dealing with significant medical bills

by Jesse Campbell on
12/1/2018
in Repaying Debt

If you or someone in your family has had a medical emergency or long-term medical situation, you may be dealing with physical recovery and significant medical bills. Many Americans who find themselves owing thousands of dollars to medical facilities and doctors struggle to balance physical and fiscal recovery.

  1. Review medical bills for accuracy. 
    If you are facing significant medical debt, the first thing you should do is to review all of the medical bills to make sure they are completely accurate. Check dates of service, as well as the services performed and the doctors performing them. If you find anything that’s incorrect, contact the billing company to make sure it’s investigated and taken care of promptly. 
  2. Double check your insurance policy to see what bills they will cover. 
    Next, for all accurate charges, review everything to see if your health insurance should have covered it. There are some simple errors, such as incorrect billing codes, that can cause your insurance to reject the claim. This step can actually take quite a bit of time, but it’s worth it in the end, if you are able to reduce some of your debt. You may have to call the billing company as well as your insurance company, to find out how much the insurance covered and why they didn’t cover more. 
  3. Contact your medical providers to see if you are eligible for an assistance program. 
    Once you know exactly what your true financial obligation is, contact the medical providers to see if there is any assistance available. Many hospitals have access to assistance programs, and you usually have to ask to find out if you are eligible. Also discuss payment options–you may be able to negotiate a payment plan that will work for your family.

While you may consider paying off your medical debt with a credit card, that’s usually not your best option. Not only will you just be switching the debt from one creditor to another, you’ll also no longer be eligible for financial assistance or payment options from your medical billing company. 

Jesse Campbell photo.

Jesse Campbell is the Content Manager at MMI, with over ten years of experience creating valuable educational materials that help families through everyday and extraordinary financial challenges.

Recommended Articles

young woman using a laptop and wearing headphones
Debt Management Plans
Consolidation without a loan? See how a debt management plan can help improve your debt situation.
Learn more
Learn more
  • Better Business Bureau A+ rating Better Business Bureau
    MMI is proud to have achieved an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), a nonprofit organization focused on promoting and improving marketplace trust. The BBB investigates charges of fraud against both consumers and businesses, sets standards for truthfulness in advertising, and evaluates the trustworthiness of businesses and charities, providing a score from A+ (highest) to F (lowest).
  • Financial Counseling Association of America Financial Counseling Association of America
    MMI is a proud member of the Financial Counseling Association of America (FCAA), a national association representing financial counseling companies that provide consumer credit counseling, housing counseling, student loan counseling, bankruptcy counseling, debt management, and various financial education services.
  • Trustpilot Trustpilot
    MMI is rated as “Excellent” (4.9/5) by reviewers on Trustpilot, a global, online consumer review platform dedicated to openness and transparency. Since 2007, Trustpilot has received over 116 million customer reviews for nearly 500,000 different websites and businesses. See what others are saying about the work we do.
  • Department of Housing and Urban Development - Equal Housing Opportunity Department of Housing and Urban Development
    MMI is certified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide consumer housing counseling. The mission of HUD is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD provides support services directly and through approved, local agencies like MMI.
  • Council on Accreditation Council On Accreditation
    MMI is proudly accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA), an international, independent, nonprofit, human service accrediting organization. COA’s thorough, peer-reviewed accreditation process is designed to ensure that organizations like MMI are providing the highest standard of service and support for clients and employees alike.
  • National Foundation for Credit Counseling National Foundation for Credit Counseling
    MMI is a longstanding member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling® (NFCC®), the nation’s largest nonprofit financial counseling organization. Founded in 1951, the NFCC’s mission is to promote financially responsible behavior and help member organizations like MMI deliver the highest-quality financial education and counseling services.