For most customers, paying medical bills out of pocket is
out of the question. According to an analysis by researchers at the Kaiser
Family Foundation and Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, 1 in 3 families
struggle to pay their medical bills. Even some people with insurance struggle
and people with both high and low incomes can be overwhelmed by mounting
medical bills.
Having medical debt can be stressful and be crippling in
the long-run.
Here are some steps one can take to aid in dealing with
medical debt.
·
Be sure to follow up with your doctor and or
hospital before treatment to determine what the expenses will be and how much
any insurance you have will cover. It’s important that you let your healthcare
professional know if you are strapped for cash and cannot pay the bill ahead of
time. This will help you plan ahead to pay for bills that you may not otherwise
be able to cover. Patients of all types can often qualify for programs that
will help pay for medical costs.
·
Ask your doctor about the prices of Medicare to
see if you can get a cheaper price than the individual offer price. More often
than not, Medicare can save you a lot of money.
·
Always double check your bills. As of 2010 a
Commonwealth Fund study found that nearly 9 million people were contacted by a
debt collection agency because of billing mistakes.
·
Be sure to save the “Explanation of Benefits”
from your insurance company as it is often the most reliable way to know how
much money you will owe.
·
When you receive the bill from your hospital or
doctor, make sure that the insurance company’s payments are included. There can
sometimes be a problem between your insurer and the doctor and there just has
yet to be a payment from the insurance company.
·
Always double check what plan you bought for
your insurance. If you have purchased a silver plan, you may qualify for
cost-sharing subsidies which may aid in bringing down the out of pocket costs.
·
Credit cards can be dangerous when paying for
medical debt. Interest rates can be particularly high and can be difficult to
pay off, so be careful when paying with them!
·
It is always incredibly helpful to have a close
friend or family member to help you with finances if need be. Sometimes it can
take a lot of research to know what is what, and you may be too sick to do it
for yourself.
·
There are many resources that can offer you help
and or information such as the consumer affairs office or office of the
attorney general. Nonprofit counseling services are in abundance and may be
able to help with legal services.
Marcadis Singer, PA
Florida Collection Attorney
5104 South Westshore Blvd.
Tampa, Florida 33611
info @ marcadislaw.com
(888) 547-1881
(813) 288-1881
New Clients
Ext. 247 Gil Singer
Ext. 240 Ralph Marcadis
Existing Client Client Liaison
Ext. 242
To Pay a Claim
Ext. 245
No comments:
Post a Comment