Help paying hospital bills.
There are several assistance programs available that can help patients with paying for hospital bills. They include government benefits, financial aid from charities, or support that is offered by many hospital billing offices. The resources are for low to moderate income families, the elderly, uninsured, and people with little to no money. Whether a bill from a current visit to a hospital or long term debt from past surgeries, assistance is available. Find how to get help with hospital bills or past due debt below.
Financial assistance with hospital bills from government programs
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Check with the billing office or financial counselor at your hospital. Ask them to determine whether you qualify for government benefit help, as there are various options available. Note some of these need to be asked for before treatment, but others such as Hill-Burton Act can pay a debt from a hospital from a past visit. Many hospitals will have counselors who will be glad to review your financial situation and they will then check whether you qualify for any assistance, including as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
- You can pursue this approach even if your debt has already been sent for collections. As again, some programs whether from a charity, Hill-Burton or somewhere else will pay past due debt. If the bill has gone for collections, make sure that the debt collectors get a copy of your application for assistance so that they are on notice that you're in financial straits. You may be able to get help with your bill from the hospital itself, or charities. All of these options will be explored.
Negotiation and being persistent is seeking help are keys. One of the downsides to being in debt is that you may need to negotiate directly with specialists, doctors, hospitals, or medical service providers who may bill you separately. While it takes time and may be frustrating to some people, this may be the most effective way to get an overdue hospital bill paid. Ask them for debt hospital bill or debt forgiveness, payment plans, or to get the cost waived. Learn more on hospital bill forgiveness.
There are also charity programs from hospitals that will help with bills. Low-income families and people with no income or insurance can use them. The reason being that some insurance plans, including Medicaid, may not cover their services, and the willingness of these parties to discount their services may vary. Learn more on charity financial assistance from hospitals.
Federal Government Medicare Help Line will provide assistance. This is an option for senior citizens and the disabled. Call (800) 633-4227 for questions on your hospital bills. The Medicare phone service is for a stay that was covered by Medicare. The staff at the help line can detect errors or fraud, provide information on options for consumers and more. Call to find what they can offer you.
Free health care for hospital expenses from the Hill-Burton Act. This program can also pay for past due hospital debt and is a form of government relief. This is a federal government regulation that ensures that hospitals and medical providers across the nation provide free or discounted health care to low income families as well as the working poor. Most hospitals receive some type of federal aid or grants, and in return for that federal government assistance, they need to offer local individuals health care that they can afford to pay. More on free hospital stays from Hill-Burton.
Government certified non-profit credit counseling agencies will help with unpaid hospital bills. The organizations work with consumers and patients to go over their debts and bills, including hospital. All sorts of finances are reviewed too. The counselors work with hospital billing offices, surgeons, and doctors to settle debts, help patients enter into payment plans, and find other solutions. More on credit counseling agencies hospital debt assistance.
Be mindful of government hospital Debt Collection Protections, which are offered by many states and also the federal government. If your debt has gone to collections, know your rights. Under the No Surprises Act from 2022, you can’t be balance-billed for out-of-network emergency care. In addition, patients can dispute hospital bills through an independent dispute resolution process. This also tie into the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA).
Try to get help with a hospital bills directly from the hospital
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Use the services of a Hospital Ombudsman or Patient Advocate. Every nonprofit hospital or faith based medical facility is required to have a Patient Advocate or ombudsman. You need to ask for them though. They can help people find hospital debt relief programs or other benefits. in addition, their job will help patients file for financial aid or government benefits. The advocate will also handle disputes as well as explain your rights and payment options for unpaid hospital bills, and all their services are free.
 The hospital bill may be inflated for people with no insurance. Unfortunately, hospitals typically charge uninsured patients far more for medical services provided to them and their stay than the lower, discounted prices that are provided to health insurance companies and government programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. The medical bill for prescription drugs, rooms, and medical care for an uninsured individual can be two or three times higher than the price paid by insurers. This is according to the National Consumer Law Center.
- This being the case, you need to ask the hospital to charge you the same prices it charges patients who are on Medicaid, Medicare, or its biggest health insurance customer. If you are comfortable is asking for these lower rates, then there are professionals that can help negotiate. Studies show that medical bill negotiation can have up to a 90% success rate.
Medicaid helps pay hospital bills on a retroactive basis. The coverage is for the very low-income and disabled. If you're low income, Medicaid may pay for past hospital bills up to 3 months before the application date. Apply ASAP at your state’s Medicaid office or https://www.medicaid.gov. However patients need to ask specifically for “retroactive coverage.” Even if you were denied in the past, new income loss or disability may now qualify you for the hospital bill relief.
Work out a payment plan with the hospital. Always be sure to get a written copy of your agreement before you start payments on the hospital bill so that the hospital can't later claim there was a mistake or that the amounts you paid were not correct or inadequate. If the negotiated bill is still too high, you can always turn to a medical billing advocate to help find errors, review health insurance policies and/or negotiate a lower medical bill. Advocates offer several services.
Check your hospital bill for errors. Medical bills, and also hospital bills, are notorious for having errors on them. Some estimates say that up to 90% of hospital bills will have a mistake. You can be charged for prescription drugs that you never took. You may be charged for a full day of medical care when you checked out in the morning, or you even may have been charged twice for a single procedure. Unfortunately you will not able to find these mistakes from the basic summary of the hospital bill that's typically sent to patients. To get the detail on your hospital bill, you need to ask for three documents which include a copy of your medical chart. An itemized copy of your hospital bill and the copy of your pharmacy ledger that will show the prescription meds that you were given during your stay.
- You then need to compare your ledger and chart to the itemized hospital bill to see if there are any discrepancies. Be sure to also look for charges that are the result of a hospital error, such as an X-ray that had to be redone because a technician goofed. You do not have to pay for someone else's mistakes. This process can be complicated and is not always very easy to do. Therefore if you need help reviewing the hospital bill, medical billing advocates (see above) can help. Look here for other tips to finding errors on medical bills.
Prepay a portion of your hospital bill for discounts. Among the many financing and assistance plans that hospitals offer, most will allow you to pay either all or a portion of your bill and receive a significant discount. Discounts can range from 25-70%, and the payment period can even go longer than a year to receive the discount. Find out how prepaying a hospital bill can provide you a discount and help your situation.
The hospital bill needs to be itemized. You do not need to accept hospital bills that use terms like “miscellaneous fees," or "lab fees." Demand an itemized hospital bill. it should show every single charge, and the detail behind it. If you don't get satisfaction from the hospital billing department (and chances are that you probably won't) you should appeal in writing to the hospital administrator or patient ombudsman.
Some hospitals are creating assistance plans for their patients. Ask for the Financial Assistance Policy (FAP) or Charity Care Policy. They are local and statewide. These plans can provide charity care, savings on medical bills, and other resources that provide assistance. Find local hospital bill assistance programs.
Non-profits and organizations that help with past due hospital bills or debts
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Fraud detection of hospital bills is available. Some resources, such as the Senior Medicare Patrol, focus on meeting the needs of people over 55 and the elderly. This is a non-profit program that can assist with detecting hospital billing errors, fraud, and address a number of other issues. More on Senior Medicare Patrol.
No other options. If you are completely out of options, and have no other means to get help, you can always consider bankruptcy to get rid of hospital debt. If you can't pay your hospital bill in three to six years timeframe, or if debt collectors are threatening to put a lien on your house, or garnish your wages, then a bankruptcy filing may be the “best of the bad options” left to you. If you do decide on the bankruptcy approach, never file prematurely. For example, if you are likely to incur additional medical bills, you may want to delay until the worst is over because you are allowed to file only one Chapter 7 bankruptcy case every eight years
- There are multiple types of bankruptcy. A Chapter 7 liquidation will allow you to eliminate unsecured medical debts such as credit card balances and hospital bills. A Chapter 13 filing, which also involves a repayment plan, will require you to repay some of your debt over the next five years and erase any remaining hospital bills after you completed the plan. A free bankruptcy lawyer consult can review your personal financial and life situation and describe your options.
Free Legal Aid for debt lawsuits from a hospital or garnishment from collectors is offered. If you’re being sued, garnished, or harassed (and have a low-income or are a senior) contact a Legal Aid office near you. Look for a medical debt defense or consumer law attorney offered at many of these state agencies.
Settle your hospital bills and debts, working with a non-profit counselor if needed. Most hospitals are willing to work with patients to reduce their outstanding debt if they can’t pay it. Or they offer payment plans. One of the main reasons that this is a possibility is because hospitals would rather not sue a patient. It is bad publicity, and often times not worth the expense to them. Find how to settle your medical debts.
If your hospital has given you medications, or recommends them, then apply for assistance from prescription drug assistance programs. There are dozens of free and discounted services. Review programs to see if you can get lower drug prices or free medicines. While it may depend on your income or insurance status, name-brand pharmaceutical companies offer a variety of programs. Find how to get free prescription drugs.
Employer health advocates services provide information to patients that use a hospital. Some mid to large size employers provide advocates who can provide help to employees. Call your employer wellness or related hotline. They will offer you information and resources on everything medical and hospital related. Look into whether you employer offers this service or not as part of the healthcare benefits or health insurance plans they have in place.
Get assistance directly from the hospital and suggestions from employees. We have information on what employees from the billing office, doctors, and other medical professionals recommend. There are several things they will suggest to either get help or save money, including asking for a charity care program or some form of debt/relief payment plan. Find a list of other suggestions from hospitals on saving money.
Ensure your insurance company pays for the entire hospital bill. There are times when a health care company either denies a claim or they pay a small portion of what is shown that is due on the statement. Or they delay payment or push some of the debts onto the patient. If and when this happens, consumers have the right to file an appeal. Each state requires this service to be available for paying hospital expenses as well. Find how to appeal an insurance claim.
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