Tips for Handling High Medical Bills
Getting sick or injured can quickly disrupt your daily life. You might not be able to enjoy your regular activities or even work a full schedule anymore.
And it can all become even more stressful when the medical bills for your treatment start rolling in. What are you being billed for, exactly? Are you really stuck paying for all of this?
You might have more options than you think. Here are some tips to help manage overwhelming medical bills.
Hold providers accountable.
Review your provider’s bill and your insurer’s explanation of benefits. Do you understand every charge? Did you receive every service you’ve been billed for? If you have any questions or see possible mistakes, ask your provider to justify every charge before you pay.
Explore all payment options.
You have many options for lowering your out-of-pocket costs on expensive medical bills. These include:
- Negotiating with your provider
- Filing an appeal with your insurer
- Arranging a payment plan
- Requesting charitable assistance
- Hiring a patient billing advocate
When possible, plan ahead.
The same service’s price can vary by a surprising amount even within your insurance network. If you’re having an MRI, for example, you could save hundreds by comparing providers’ prices before getting scanned.
With open enrollment season upon us, let us know if we can help you get a new health insurance policy or evaluate whether to switch policies.
And, as always, feel free to forward this information to anyone you think it might help.