If you find yourself choosing between putting food on the table for your family or paying your medical bills, you are one of many people in Florida struggling to pay their bills. Increasing medical costs and stagnant incomes are just a few reasons why medical debt may be forcing you to seek bankruptcy protection.
If you are thinking about filing for bankruptcy, it is important for you to consider other options first. Here is a brief overview of ways you can deal with your medical debt.
Review your medical bills
Medical billers are human just like you. When they make mistakes with processing your medical insurance claims, those errors get passed on to you in the form of higher medical bills. You should inspect your medical bills for errors as soon as you receive them. If you see discrepancies between what your health insurer is supposed to pay and what it did pay, contact your medical care providers to let them know. They may be able to resubmit the bills for proper payment.
Inform your medical care providers about your situation
Many care providers offer programs for patients who are unable to afford their services. If you do not have health insurance, ask your providers about any discounts they can offer on your bills. If you have health insurance and you cannot afford to pay your medical bills, let your medical care providers know. Many of them are more than willing to work with you to accommodate your situation. You should get any discounts, debt discharges and financial assistance in writing first.
Do not ignore your medical bills. Be proactive so you can address this financial challenge head on. Taking measures to resolve your medical bills early on can keep them from going to collections where more fees are tacked on, increasing what you owe and impacting your credit profile.