Need Insight Regarding Medical Bill...

You mentioned that your son has special needs and if the bill is for him, there are state resources available depending where you live. The department of developmental disabilities is probably a great start and can probably direct you to the right place if they aren't it. You might also check with the hospital to see what they can do to help. They might be able to change how things are coded to help you out too. Good luck!!

p.s.- well put to the critics! :)

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Most hospitals and medical centers offer financial negotiations and I am sure that if you contact them, they will work with you. My brother who has no insurance had a stroke and many costly procedures and the hospital/doctors worked with him and it really made a huge difference. It is worth checking into.

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L.-I suggest contacting the finance dept.,tell them like it is and ask if it can be written off as a charity case. Also have you checked to see if you can qualify for medical coupons for him? I'm here in WA and I know DSHS has a website where you can apply on line.
I wish you good luck. I've been there before so I know what you are going thru.

T.

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'used to work in a health system ... medical offices assume many people will call to bargain down, and they don't like things to go to collection either (nor do they like huge long times of their office having to bill). You won't be able to make your bill go away, but you can probably make it smaller.

Consider going in to the billing office, if they allow such things and if you are local enough ... it's easier to gauge the reactions during the conversation in person than over the phone (and less possible for the office to just 'not get around to you').

It can really depend on which system you are dealing with. Some hospitals are set up to absorb more 'loss,' some aren't; same with doctor's offices. And of course they are probably seeing a lot of defaults now and might be less likely than they were a year ago to give you a real break. But everyone wants some money instead of no money, and a full-default means no money ... so, just like the home lenders, they may be willing to talk.

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Have you tried talking to the billing department about the bill? We recently went through the same thing, where it was very hard to pay the medical bills we had leftover from our last birth. To my surprise the medical office offered a discount (grant) to help with the bills that patients cannot afford to pay. According to the manager I spoke with sometimes all you have to do is fill out a bit of paperwork to apply for the grant. Other times they will offer a discount in general if they see the account history has been good and that you have really been trying to pay it off. Good Luck!

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L., I skimmed over the first two responses you had and they seemed to have great advice about calling and negotiating with the hospital, especially if you don't have insurance. It seems that if you don't have insurance there are more options in terms of help paying off your medical debts than if you do have insurance. This is talking from experience because my kids and I have insurance while my husband does not. It is a lot of work but if you are willing to do the work you can save money in the end.

Now, if you do have insurance and they have paid to cover the bill you may be in a tighter spot in terms of negotiating the medical bill down. However, some offices want to keep you as a patient and resolve the debt (especially if its been a long time) and you can call and ask them if they can reduce your debt at all, for the most part they will counter with "we can take off this much if you pay off the rest right now" or they may give you a three month option for paying off the rest of the debt. I have found that honesty is the best policy, if you can only pay X amount towards this debt every month, then tell them that and hopefully they'll put you on a payment plan to pay that much every month and make a note of it on your account. Make sure when you talk to anyone that you document the date, time and the persons name. This is very vaulable when you call back in if you are having any problems.

Now, if you debt is with a small office (not the hospital) call the office directly and talk to the billing coordinator about your situation or see if you can talk to the doctor about it. I used to work for a chiropractor and helped with billing insurance, and there were a few instances where people fall on hard times and because the doctor wanted to keep them as a patient, and they took the initiative to call in BEFORE we sent them to collections, we would write off half the debt or all the debt.

The biggest key is to call them BEFORE they start calling you demanding the money. It doesn't matter who you are workign with, people will take it in good faith that you are notifying them of your situation and being proactive about your finances.

Good Luck! I know what you are going through as we are going through a similar situation. Times are tough for everyone.

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Did you know that insurance companies get discounts on bills, but individuals without insurance must pay the full charge? talks to the office and let them know your situation. If they see your payment record, they may be able to give you a discount.

Our daughter had heart surgery and we thought we were going to have bigger bills than we actually had. During this time, I found out that the hospital had a grant program that assists low income patients. I am not sure of you exact medical issue or organization that is billing you, but there might be some resource like this for you. Ask, it can't hurt.

Good luck to you. We have a broken medical system in the US, and I feel for those caught in its web.

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Hi L.,

My son was born with a cleft lip and palate and had 2 major surgeries befor he turned 1. OHSU had a program that we could apply to to have part of our bill waved due to financial hardship and they ended up nocking of like 10% or so of what we owed. You should ask the hospital, or any social service agencies in your area if they offer a similar program. If you are in Oregon send me a message and I'll see if I can dig up the paperwork and see what agency it was through (it has been a couple of years).

If you can come up with any significant amount of cash I would go into their billing office with cash in hand and ask them if they would accept that as final payment. If so be sure to get something in writing.

Or, if not, ask them if you could reduce your monthly payment, I have found with my experience that $50 is about as low as I've been able to get anyone to go.

Good luck, hope it all works out for you.

C.

Are you keeping a good communication with the billing department. That is key. If you don't communicate it will make things worse when they are trying to collect money from you. Also, most medical facilities have a charity program you can ask for help with your bill. You may have to fill out paperwork, but it would be worth it to help get this bill paid.

First of all, I am sorry to hear of your financial situation. It is very tough for so many right now. I have never been a good negotiator, so I have no advice there. The other thing is that it is your debt to pay (as you are well aware), so maybe before trying to get out of it all together, talk to the hospital or doctor office to which you owe this money and see if they will work with you on the amount of the payment. I know that most hospitals will accept as little as $5.00 per month.
Also, I am not suggesting that you fit this category, so please dont think I am being judgemental, but have you thought about other things you can "temporarily" cut back on, in order to continue to pay off this debt? Maybe get rid of cable, or if you have a home phone and a cell phone, either cutting off the home phone altogether or reducing the features. We had to find money at one point and the first thing we did was cut off the extra services (i.e call waiting, caller id, long distance) on our house phone...dont really need it with cell phones. Saved us $40.00 per month and we dont even miss it.
I really hope that you find ways to reduce and reprioratize in this desperate time. P.S. if you do find a way to negotiate out of the bill, good for you!!! :)

Have you tried contacting the mission office at the hospital. I know hospitals usually have special "funds" for these types of situations. If nothing else, contact their patient services department and they can point you in the right direction. Good luck!

You don't say where the bill is, with the hospital, the doctors. I would call the hospital's finance department and work out something with them. Most have an uncompensated care fund that can help with bills like these. You don't mention whether or not you have insurance. If you do, contact them and review what it is they have paid and what it is that you are responsible for. Same with the doctor's ofc. Most docs don't want to add to the stess a family with a special needs child shoulders. So again, talk with them. You might be able to get financial aid through an association that advocates for children who have the particular disability that your son has. Call and ask them for help. The social worker at your local hospital is very adept in handling these issues and understands the compounding effect that financial difficulties have on maintaining good health and access to the necessary healthcare. I wish you well.

Do you have insurance coverage? With some coverages, there is an "annual limit", once that annual limit is met, everything shoudl be paid at 100%. Alot of time, medical offices and insurance companies do not bill out correctly. Make sure you are paying what you are suppose to pay.

If you do not have insurance, speak to someone in the billing dept of the medical offcie. They may be able to work out something for you or even offer assistnace through their company or from the state.

Good Luck!

K.

L.,

I had a hospital bill forgiven. I called the payment center and talked to someone. (some people are kinder than others, I got someone who was very kind.) They sent me some paperwork. I filled it out and it was completly forgiven.

Good luck.

Nancy

It is sad that 'we' have to ask for people to have common courtesy and understand that sometimes we can't be prepared for medical emergencies. Don't feel bad... not for medical bills! If you were inquiring about a 50 inch TV that you bought and can't pay for, that would be different.

As for negotiating a lower amount, that could be tough. The way they normally do that is to knock off 10-15% if you pay the rest in full in one payment. So, if you can possibly come up with $1500, it might be worth it, but if you could, I don't think you'd be asking for help. You can go to the doctor or hospital you owe and ask them to write it off. They all write off a percentage for tax benefits each year, but with the economy the way it is now, I am afraid you are at the end of a long line that may have sucked the hospital dry.

May be try debt consolidation, or negotiate lower interest for higher payments, or higher interest for lower payments.

I have had experiences with three separate hospitals and two of them cut it in half and the third wiped it out completely. Ask, it can't hurt, but not paying is a bad idea.

I don't see why the dr. would not negotiate with you on the remainder... especially if your insurance was not in place at the time, or if it did not cover all your costs. I actually had to fight my insurance company for a year to get my bill taken care of (that is a whole other story!). I would see that they are willing to do. especially if they are in the Franciscan health care system. good luck!

L.,

The best thing I can recommend is for you to find out how the Money Merge Account can help you. My husband is an agent for UFF (United First Financial) and, while most people use the Money Merge Account to save 10's-100's of thousands of $'s on their mortages and pay mortgage debt off in 1/2-1/3 the time (without refinancing / no debt consolidation and no changes in monthly expenses), it's actually effective for ALL KINDS of debt.

It has to do with the WAY you pay down the debt (the software uses algorithms that are incredibly effective in helping you pay your debt in the fastest way possible while using your money to earn money - instead of having your money in accounts that earn money for both you AND your lender).

Anyway - if you want, send him an email (his name is Tim) and ask him to email you some info on the Money Merge Account and the video his wife mentioned (just so you know, I'm an artist and NOT a geek and charts and stuff bores me to tears - but there's one video that made my teeth fall out - I totally "got" what this software does, so clearly - it's great!). You can email him at ____@____.com It's free to find out if it will help you with your medical bills!

Best of luck to you,
T. B

Hi L.,

Did your insurance company already pay? I didn't read anything about insurance. I do know that insurance companies write off more than half. If you didn't have insurance and our paying on your bill then that would be a case for negotition. The center for medical services, (www.cms.hhs.gov, (medicare) gives allowable amounts for medical services. This will give you an idea based on the services you recieved how much the government will pay. You might have to dig a little it isn't the easiest web site. ( To the left of the service listed on your medical bill is a service code - look up that number) Insurance companies don't pay much more than that. This way you will know how much you can negotitate.

I understand about bills and such with my mom, turning 80, she constantly gets freaked out over the cost.

Good luck,
J.

I had a medical bill with the same issue. I wrote them a letter asking for some financial assistance and they just cut my bill in half. if it is from a hospital they have financial aid programs, I would ask. don't let it go to collections that will just ruin your credit. even if you pay only $5 a month, if they accept the payment they cannot send you to collections.

Call them....ask for a supervisor or a mediator. Explain the situation and show that you have paid more than half and ask that they write the balance off. Tell them that you don't want it to go to collections. It may or may not work or they may suggest an alternative but at least you have let them know what is going on and have been honest. At this time, with all the people in financial straits, they might be more willing to work with you.

L.,

Its already probably been suggested but I just clicked to respond rather than read the responses first. You can apply for financial help through the hospitals billing department.
most hospitals have a program that can help people with the financial hardship. I have let some go to collections before and its no fun especially if they get turned over to this one particular collections agency that you cant even talk to the person on the phone or make arrangements they say pay in full or see you in court. Try your hardest to avoid going to collections. Work with the financial department with the hospital and see if they can take care of the bill or lower your payment plan so that you can afford to pay it off yourself. Good luck ok

Maybe ask to pay a small amount each month and then set up an amount you can pay with your next tax refund. (If you get a tax refund)?

I would call the billing department and see what kind of payments you could set up, that are affordable.I was told years ago, from someone in billing at one of our hospitals that if your making $5 payments a month, regardless of how large the bill is that they can't send it to collections due to the fact that u ARE paying on it.I would just send them the $5 a month, it's what I do with many of my medical bills so they don't go to collections and then IF there is a little extra at the end of the money send them a little more.Sometimes if you can even talk to someone and explain your finacial situation and they will just write it off since it puts financial strain that could cause your family to go without things you must have to survive.
Good Luck!

I would call them and tell them exactly what is going on. It cannot hurt. I write off a lot of debt because patients refuse to pay the remainder of the bill after the insurance has paid.
Good luck!

How much a break you get from the hospital will depend on the original amount of debt, length of dept, compared to the current balance. I would assume that the hospital would have tried to help you with reduced amount owed or put you in contact with a charitable orginazation before or shortly after surgery to help with the amount owed (they want to get paid). If you could come up with a few hundred dollars, they may be willing to accept that as payment in full in a one time payment deal. Talk to their billing/collections dept and if you can come to some sort of agreement get it in WRITING.

Good luck,
L.

L.,

Contact the hospital or facility the bill is from and ask them for financial aid. Many larger facilities have help for people who need it...we have had to do the same from our son's surgery.

T.

Agree that you should contact the billing department and ask them about "hardship" help. Be honest and explain your situation in a well-thought, respectful manner.

I've also heard of people contacting their insurance companies to see if they have indeed covered everything possible. (of course, that is if you have insurance)

You probably want to try very hard to avoid it getting to the point of it getting to collections. Right now is the worst possible time to have dings on your credit, and delinquencies from hospital bills that go to collections can cause that.

If you have other bills that you are struggling with, or you are literally living paycheck-to-paycheck, it might be in your best interest to see a financial specialist who can help you consolidate (wisely), and get your spending/bill paying better organized. I've also heard good things about David Bach's books (Smart Women Finish Rich, or Smart Couples Finish Rich) for help getting debt free and learning how to take control of household finances.

Best wishes to you for you to be able to resolve this issue.

I had 4000 for broken arm ER visit and no health insurance at all. I did call Swedish back than to negotiate it... First they did reduce the bill and second - they gave me the contact of a charity organization and they paid most of it. I end up paying only 800 for the X-ray exam. Call everywhere, talk with everybody and ask for contacts and ideas.

Figure out how much you can pay every month, then call the accounting department (the number should be on the bill), tell them your situation, and work it out with them.

I've successfully done that with a large dentist bill a while back. It's much better than getting the calls from collections, not to mention, much better for your credit record. Also, in the past I've worked out smaller payments with credit card companies, and lowered interest rates as well.

L.,

I don't know where your bill is from, but consider seeing if the hospital, or wherever the bill is, has a financial assistance department. I know Stevens Hospital and Children's Hospital both have financial assistance that we have used in the past, and will probably use in the future.

Hope this helps,
M.

There is sometimes a hardship application you can fill out at the medical office you owe the bill to. What happens is they evaluate your income and they can just write off the debt there at the hospital, or wherever the services were provided. They have a certain amount of money they can do this with each year and a lot of people in a financial crunch do this and it is very successful. The company gets a tax write off and you don't have anymore debt to owe them. I hope I helped good luck!