Generally, medical debts are unexpected or unplanned situations in which people find themselves. These include things like a broken bone, illness, a premature baby, and even mental health therapy. This is a special type of debt, as it is usually incurred without fault. Nobody wants to fall sick or intentionally hurt themselves. And when any one of these occurs, there is always an urgent need to settle the bills in order for the affected person to be taken care of. However, a visit to see a doctor can come with a side effect as you will be required to pay huge bills, which can lead to serious debt.

A lot of people end up struggling with medical bills. When it comes to medical bills, not everyone is able to read and understand them. So, you can’t tell if you’re being overbilled or if your insurer is responsible. It can also be quite challenging to know if you are required to pay the whole amount on the bill or if you can negotiate it before going to collect the loan, which then results in having unwanted and unexpected medical debts. However, here are some of the ways in which you can deal with unwanted medical bills.

·       Seek Immediate Assistance

Getting into unwanted debt and just having to pay for medical bills is quite a struggle for some people. This means there is always a way out for them to deal with it. When faced with such a challenge, you just need to know exactly where to look and the way and manner in which you ask. You can go ahead and call the hospital and ask whether or not you are qualified for the hospital’s “financial insurance policy.” If you are qualified, then you might have the chance of the hospital cutting your bills in half or paying a lot less. However, if you are unable to get the financial assistance, it means your income is probably a bit high.

·       Be Proactive And Negotiate

Dealing with unwanted medical bills is not as easy as it seems to be. Negotiation on the medical bills can go a long way towards helping out, as this is a viable option that can eventually save you a lot of money. However, a lot of work is required in order to achieve this. It is quite important to be rigid and persistent. Make sure you let them know if you have an outstanding balance with other creditors and that you are still struggling to settle them. Ensure you call them early so that a moderate payment plan can be worked out for you. It is advisable to negotiate for a rate on the service that is a bit closer to what other providers, such as Medicare, would accept. The hospital might offer you a lower interest rate on your medical debt, or reduce your outstanding balance.

·       Set Up A Payment Plan

If you are certain that you owe the total amount of your medical bill, and then the entire bill is too much for you to handle, you can go speak with the doctor’s office to confirm if you can set up a payment plan in order to avoid the debt going into collection. A lot of hospitals and doctors are quite understanding and willing to offer you low interest payment plans, or you might not even need to pay interest at all on your preferred payment plan for a long period of time. If you eventually want to fix up your debt on a credit card, you should choose a credit card that offers no interest for the first 12 to 18 months, as there can be a very high interest rate on medical credit cards.

·       Confirm The Accuracy Of The Bills

Before you decide to pay off your unwanted medical debt, make sure the bill you are given is correct. There are situations in which errors occur in medical bills. Speak with the healthcare provider in charge of the billing to provide you with a detailed explanation of your bill so you can go through it thoroughly and check for any errors. Also, try to compare the explanation of benefits from your insurance company to the bill to be sure that you are not being billed more than your insurance company says you owe. When you notice that your bill is quite outrageous, complain to either your insurance company or the hospital.

·       Make Use Of Medical Credit Card

With medical debts, you can make use of medical credit cards, as these are made available through the doctor’s office or even online. They mostly offer 0% APY financing for a period of about 6 to 24 months as they are only available to be used on medical bills alone, although not all medical providers accept it. A medical credit card can help save a lot of money as another option to regular credit cards, as long as you repay your balance before the expiration of the introductory rate. Make sure you have reviewed and negotiated your account with your provider before agreeing to transfer your balance to your medical credit card. Immediately your charges are placed on medical credit, the issue is finalized, and then your balance will end up becoming a credit card debt.

·       Consider Filing For Bankruptcy

Another alternative to dealing with unwanted medical debt is bankruptcy. However, professionals’ advice is not to take medical bankruptcy with levity. Although your medical debts will be discharged, it will crater your credit health, thereby making it quite difficult for you to qualify for consumer debt later on, as it will reflect on your credit report for about a decade.

Conclusion

In conclusion, facing unwanted medical debts can be quite challenging to settle. Also, you should note that medical debts do not cause too much damage to your credit score when compared to other debts, as they are weighted differently. Your medical debt will not appear on your credit report until 6 months after the due date. As this gives you enough time to settle or negotiate your bills with the insurance company or the hospital.