Medical debts are one of the greatest issues people face in America today. There’s no question that health care is difficult to afford, and in many cases, one bad bout of an illness could lead to bankruptcy or heavy debts.
Medical bills lead to systemic debt and cause bankruptcies. Fortunately, there are ways to get out of debt when you’re faced with medical bills. Here are a few tips to help.
Get a bill and read it over
The first thing you should do is look at the bill to check for mistakes. It’s not unusual to see someone receive charges for the same procedure or items twice. Do what you can to identify charges for services you don’t recognize, then call to make sure you understand which services the charges are for.
Call your insurance company
The next thing to do is to call your insurance company to find out if the bill is covered by insurance. Sometimes, doctor’s offices and hospitals bill you for services that should have been covered by insurance. Sometimes, mistakes mean you end up with a bill you’re not supposed to receive.
Negotiate
Finally, take some time to negotiate. While you may wish to have your attorney do this for you, it’s a wise decision to do it in any way possible. Negotiating helps you get a better rate on your medical bills, so you don’t get stuck with as much debt.
These are just three tips for dealing with medical debt. There is a way out of debt with the right help.
Source: The Balance, “Tactics to Deal With Medical Debt,” Latoya Irby, June 11, 2018