Unexpected medical care is costly. You might not realize the full extent of the financial impact until the bills start rolling in after you receive the care you so desperately need. In some cases, the co-pays and deductibles that you have to pay are going to lead to financial difficulties. It is possible that you will be billed for those, but some places require them upfront.
As the bills start rolling in, you might soon realize that you can’t pay them all. You have a few things that you might be able to do when this happens. One of the most important things for you to do is to review each bill line by line to determine whether there are errors or not. If you spot any incorrect charges, contact the billing agency right away to get the matter corrected.
Once you know that the bills are accurate, you can move on to figuring out how to get them taken care of. You might be able to negotiate a payment plan. Make sure that you can keep up with the payments and make them on time before you agree to this.
You might also find out if you qualify for charity care or for an income-driven hardship plan. These would reduce what you owe or completely do away with the balance. Remember that if the hospital approves you for one of these, you will still be responsible for paying other bills, such as physician fees that are billed separately.
If you’ve exhausted all options and still can’t do anything about the medical bills, you might decide that you are going to file for bankruptcy. This won’t be an easy or quick process, but it can give you a fresh financial start.