Unexpected Medical Bills Can Wreak Havoc
Planning For The Worst

For many people unexpected medical bills can present quite a financial hardship. Life can be very unpredictable at times and there is no question that many of us have experienced health conditions out of the blue that we could never have expected.

So why would someone end up experiencing an unanticipated medical expense? Don't they have health insurance? This is a question that many people ask until they have to go through the situation themselves. Just because a person has medical insurance does not mean they won't be some uncovered costs associated with receiving medical treatment.

What About Health Insurance?

Unfortunately, health insurance in the United States is known for not covering the a number of conditions. For instance, if you look at your health insurance policy you are likely to see that it only covers a certain percentage of inpatient and outpatient hospital care. It probably only covers a similar percentage medical testing too. These unexpected medical expenses can really present a problem for people who are already teetering on the edge of having financial disaster.

Time To Negotiate

So what can you do if you find yourself in the situation of having unexpected medical costs? Well, the first thing you have to realize is that everything in life is negotiable. Even though the doctor or hospital presents you with quite a large bill, you need to negotiate with them to try to get the bill reduced.

Before you start your negotiation get an itemized copy of the medical bill. This might include all kinds of things from surgery to anesthesiology to x-rays. Doctors are not above negotiating on bills, so try talking to the service providers individually to see if they will work with you on reducing their fees.

There are times when medical provider representatives will be willing to work with you on reducing your total bill rather than engaging the services of the collection agency. A collection agency gets a portion of the bill collected and may charge other fees to the medical provider.

Inquire About a Payment Plan

Once you know how much medical debt you have accumulated, you need to speak with the service provider to see if there's some kind of payment plan available that you can enter into with the facility. Most doctors or hospitals will work out some sort of a payment plan rather than exercise other options. Some will charge interest while others won't.

You need to make sure that the plan is realistic and will work with in your current budget. Don't agree to something that you can't maintain or you will have to do the negotiating all over again from a much weaker position. Get everything in writing from the medical provider so that you have proof that they agreed to the plan in case any issues arise at a later date.

Other Assistance For Medical Bills

You can also check to see if there are any grants or discounted services available for needy families, if that applies to your situation. Often times these programs are not well publicized so you may not know they even exist. Don't be embarrassed to ask a hospital’s financial counselor or patient advocate if there are other options.

Get a Little Help From Your Friends

If all else fails and you need to pay unexpected medical bills quickly, don't be afraid to ask for help from your friends and family. If you have suffered a catastrophic illness or injury, most people are perfectly willing to contribute to help you take care of some of your medical bills.

If you belong to a church or other organization, make sure to let them know what's going on so that they can assist you in any way possible. People are generally willing to help if someone is legitimately going through a crisis in their life.

You can’t avoid unexpected medical bills, but it certainly makes sense to check out your policy with your health insurance provider and make sure your coverage is at least adequate for your personal situation. Although you can't always plan for accidents or unexpected diseases, you can make sure that your health insurance coverage is as good as it can be based on the premiums you can afford to pay.