Past Due Medical Bills

Past Due Medical Bills - Past Due Medical Bills Debt - Past Due Medical Bills Payment

It is challenging enough to face an unexpected root canal procedure, an accident that requires medical treatment or a sudden illness requiring hospitalization, surgery and expensive prescription medication. Medical bills usually coincide with a loss of earning power while you recuperate and once the bills start pouring in, you feel ill-equipped to cover their payments, either full or even partially. According to the American Journal of Medicine, more than 60% of Americans filing bankruptcy recently did so because of the heavy burden of medical bills.

Opening an envelope containing a medical bill marked "Past Due" in big red letters strikes fear in most people. But when you know your rights and take a proactive stance in getting your medical debt situation under control, there is a way through this maze that doesn't have to cause sleepless nights and even more stress than your original medical condition.

First of all, check your bill for any errors and make sure that the balance showed as being owed by you personally is in fact accurate. Read the Explanation of Benefits provided by your health insurance provider and ask questions as necessary. Then and only then should you pay off any balance owed by you.

Most healthcare providers are reasonable people and are willing to discuss setting up a payment plan that will allow you to pay off the balance owed in manageable installments. But usually, they won't bring up the solution of a payment plan. After all, they are anxious to get the entire balance cleared from their books. So you must be the aggressive one and ask for a phone or in-person meeting to discuss setting up a payment plan that is reasonable for your budget. But be aware that it is up to the creditor, the healthcare provider, to determine what amount they can or cannot accept from you on a monthly basis. You may feel comfortable paying $50 a month, but they may only agree to a payment plan that requires a $75 monthly installment.

Investigate whether or not you qualify for Financial Assistance from your healthcare provider. Many hospitals operating as non-profit organizations can discount or forgive past due bills if you can prove that you have no assets and little to no income. But just as in arranging a payment plan, the onus is on you to ask for financial help negotiate medical bills.

Don't overreact if the healthcare provider threatens to send the bill into collection. They are within their rights to do this, because technically, their bill is payable and due in full upon receipt of services. And they are more likely to send the bill to collection if you don't answer their calls or continue to hide from them without an explanation. That's why it's important to call the provider and let them know immediately if you cannot pay a bill or that month's promised installment so there will be no nasty surprises. But know that a collection agency assigned to your bill cannot harass you either at your place of work or at home, cannot call you about this debt prior to 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. daily, and may not make any sort of threats against you in an attempt to collect this debt.

Lastly, you may think you have no resources to pay past due medical bills. But do you have enough home equity to assume a reasonable loan to pay off this debt? Can you cash in some forgotten stocks or life insurance policies? Ask the bank where you have your personal or business accounts for a debt consolidation loan that will allow you to either pay off this past due medical bill in full or at least start payments in good faith.

Past Due Medical Bills website offers a fast and affordable way to get out of debt. We have an experienced staff that has helped hundreds of customers eliminate their unsecured debt and avoid bankruptcy. If you are behind on your credit card bills, are struggling to afford the minimum monthly payments and have you are tired of paying high interest rates every month, we can help you. Do yourself a favor and take a moment to supply us with some basic information so one of our knowledgeable account representative can tailor a program that will fit your needs.