It’s no secret that medical debt is one of the most devastating kinds of debt you can accumulate. In fact, it’s among the most common reasons people in America declare bankruptcy these days. Medical bills aren’t something you can ignore – they won’t just disappear into nothingness if you don’t do anything about them. And the longer you wait, the worse your situation will become.

So if you’ve found yourself facing large medical debt payments you cannot afford to pay from month to month – you should gear up and do something about them. Here’s our guide on how to pay medical bills if you find yourself in a financially difficult situation.

Find Out About Financial Assistance Program In The Hospital

This is something hospitals do not want you to know: but the absolute majority of them have some sort of financial assistance program for their patients. They’re obligated to have one. Not that they’ll tell you about it out of their own free will.

So the first thing you should do when facing a large medical bill is to contact the hospital, directly ask them about their financial assistance or charity policy.

The downside to this is that qualifying for that assistance can be quite hard. While a hospital not having any sort of assistance program is very rare, they usually have quite strict rules about who qualifies for what kind of relief.

But you won’t find out if you qualify unless you contact them. And, considering your financial situation, you may not qualify for full debt forgiveness but you still might get your bills deduced – which is far better than nothing, especially if your bill is large.

Work Out A Payment Plan With The Hospital

If you don’t qualify for financial assistance from the hospital, then it’s time to go for an alternative strategy. Renegotiate the payment plan in a way you can actually afford to pay.

First things first – figure out if your bill is accurate in the first place. A hospital might have billed you with something called “chargemaster price” – which is typically much higher than the price the insurance companies pay for the same services. If you have a bad insurance plan or no insurance at all – the hospital might use this to “inflate” your bill.

Request the full itemized list of what you’re paying for and go through it item by item with the hospital staff, trying to get it either renegotiated or removed.

This is where it gets tricky because you’ll need to be pushy when it comes to renegotiating your medical bills. The hospital doesn’t want to knock things off the list, so they’ll try to offer alternatives that are beneficial for them and not so beneficial for you.

Bring out your inner lawyer and start arguing. At the very least, the renegotiated price-tag and payment plan should not come with increased interest.

Ask For Help From Non-Profits

Considering what a major problem medical debt is, it shouldn’t be surprising that there are plenty of non-profits who offer assistance to those who need help repaying them.

Even if a non-profit isn’t able to help you out financially – be it due to lack of funding, or due to you not qualifying for other reasons – they should be able to provide you with legal advice about your bills.

Namely how exactly to renegotiate them with the hospital. What kind of assistance do you qualify for? Which items could you get removed from your bill? and so on. Good legal advice can be a lifesaver in this case.

 

 

Take Out A Short-Term Fast Loan

Here’s the downside to the strategy of getting assistance – it will require a bit of time to get the hospital on board. It bears to reiterate – they do not get you out of paying your bills. So while waiting for that assistance to come in, you might have to resort to other ways of getting money, simply to keep paying the bill that’s still there.

If that’s the case with you, the bill is pressing and the assistance isn’t coming in yet, then you might need to think about taking out a title loan in Delaware.

Why Choose A Title Loan?

You could choose a title loan because it is easy to understand and quick to get one. They’re a secure loan because you use the title of any vehicle you own as collateral. This means we are freer to operate than many other traditional bank loans. We will accommodate any type of credit score – which means you can apply even if your credit history is bad or nonexistent altogether.

What Is This Loan Used For?

This kind of loan is useful in many cases. One thing to note is this loan is not designed to permanently fix your finances or get you out of debt. The purpose of this loan is to help pay for medical bills or other emergencies. These emergencies can be things like sudden damage to the plumbing in your home or even sudden unemployment.

What Requirements Are There?

We also have very few required items. To get through the process, you’ll need your vehicle, your vehicle’s lien-free title that is in your name, and your driver’s license or government-issued ID to prove you’re over 18.

How Do I Take Out A Title Loan?

Taking out a title loan in Delaware is simple and quick. All you have to do to begin is:

1. Go to our website and fill out the online form found on the top of our homepage. This form gives us your basic information and lets us determine which location is nearest you;
2. Wait for one of our loan representatives at a title loan location in Delaware nearest you to give you a call. They will answer any of your questions and walk you through the other steps;
3. After the call, you can gather the three required items – your ID, vehicle, and vehicle’s title – and come to a Delaware title loan location;
4. The loan representative will take a look at your ID and title when you show up. The representative will also do a quick vehicle inspection to determine how much you qualify for;
5. The representative will then determine if you qualify for approval. If you get approved, you will get the cash on the same day you apply.

If you are suffering through medical bills – or other big emergencies – you’ll be happy to know that it isn’t impossible. By just following these tips, you could actually teach yourself how to pay for those pesky medical bills. 

Note: The content provided in this article is only for informational purposes, and you should contact your financial advisor about your specific financial situation.