How To Pay Off Medical Debt

Dealing with how to pay off medical debt was something I never imagined I would ever face in my early forties. One minute I was just your average tired, working mom, and the next minute I was being wheeled into heart surgery.

Heart surgery gave me my quality of life back, but it also left us with major medical debt. Thankfully I had health insurance and had already met the deductible before the surgery took place, but we were still left with a lot of bills. Hospital bills, surgeon bills, doctor-on-call bills, radiology bills, respiratory therapy, ICU, and the hospital stay.

How To Pay Off Medical Debt

It took many months to pay these bills off, but here’s what I did to help the process:

• Get Organized– I got myself a notebook and made a page for each bill. I wrote down how much was owed and the contact information for the place. Each time I made a payment I wrote it down and just kept plugging along. I also made one page that had each bill’s name and how much I owed so I could see my progress for them all at a glance.
• Negotiate– If you can afford to pay some of your bills in full by accepting a discount from the place, ask. I couldn’t pay the larger bills this way, but some of the smaller ones I could by offering to pay in full if they could discount the services.
• Payment Plan– Ask for an affordable payment plan to repay the debt. Some may even waive the interest if there is any. As long as you are making a good-faith effort to pay the debt, you can avoid your bill going into collections. Be honest and tell them how much you can afford to pay.
• Pay Attention– Because I had received so many bills from so many different providers, I noticed I was actually receiving duplicates of one. Staying organized is so important.

Now, you may be saying, that’s great that this worked for you, but what can I do if I can’t negotiate my bills and I don’t know how I will ever repay these bills? Here are some more ways to get help with that:

• Ask the hospital for help– Some hospitals can greatly slash your bills if your income meets their requirements. Ask about ALL of their options for financial assistance with paying your bills.
• Check with your local Community Action Agency– I have a friend whose father had the same surgery I did, but he had no medical insurance. He was able to get all of his bills paid for that by applying for help with the local CAA before his surgery. At the least, they may refer you to other places that can offer you financial assistance.
• Crowdfunding– Asking for help with donations through crowdfunding is also an option. Now, some people might be embarrassed to ask for help, but friends and family who care for you will be glad to assist you if they can, and even anonymous donors look for people to share their generosity with.

Finally, if you do have bills that go into collections, they can also work with you to repay your debt. I know collection agencies can seem intimidating, but they are often very willing to work with you if you ask.

The very worst thing you can do is ignore your bills and hope they go away. They won’t, and even if it takes years to pay off at a rate you can afford, it’s better than destroying your credit.