As scary as it can be to owe a hospital or physician practice a large amount of money, people should not let an inability to pay their medical bills keep them from getting the care they need.
“Go get the care,” said Ruth Lande, vice president, provider relations for Undue Medical Debt, a not-for-profit organization that pays off debt on behalf of patients with outstanding medical bills.
“Sure, you try to stay in network if you have insurance, all that kind of network stuff, but go get the care you need — don’t stop taking your medications,” Lande said. “That’s the biggest harm: not going back for more care,” she said.
Staying healthy is important and there are some basic, uncomplicated steps people can take if they find themselves underwater with medical debt. The likely most effective thing to do is contact the provider who issued the bill. It’s possible that that first bill doesn’t include any insurance that might cover some of the cost.
“You might have good insurance that covers it, you just don’t know because it’s so complicated,” she said.
It’s also worth going over the bill with the provider to make sure it’s correct. You also might qualify for financial assistance even if you have health insurance, and the hospital or physician can tell you if that’s the case.
“Don’t assume that the people who sent you that bill are out to get you,” Lande said.
