How to Pay Medical Bills With No Job

Being unemployed is stressful enough in itself. Being unemployed and ill is even worse. In addition to battling the illness, you may find yourself battling medical billing offices and collections agencies. You may even find yourself in court. A study published in 2009 in the American Journal of Medicine by Dr. David Himmelstein and colleagues suggested that in 2007, about 63 percent of bankruptcies were linked to medical issues. Fortunately, people without a job can use several techniques to lighten their financial load and pay their bills while receiving medical treatment.

Instructions

How to Pay Medical Bills with No Job

• 1

  Check your bills for mistakes. Medical billing errors are common. In fact, firms such as AdvoMed in Ohio have sprung up specifically to review your bill on an hourly or contingency basis. Potential sources of overcharging include duplication, data-entry mistakes and billing for non-billable services. Catch an error or two and your bill could end up significantly lower, making it easier to pay with any savings or income you can come up with while you are without a job.

• 2

  Ask for charity care. Hospitals often will write off bills entirely or in part for patients who cannot pay their bills. Ask the hospital's financial counselor for the appropriate forms, which will require you to provide information about your income. Some hospitals can draw from state or local funds set aside specifically for "indigent care." Various nonprofit agencies, sometimes focusing on a particular disease such as cancer, may also be able to help. The Patient Advocate Foundation is one avenue worth checking out.

• 3

  Inquire about a discount and a payment plan. If you cannot get charity care or debt forgiveness while you are unemployed, the health-care providers are likely at least to offer you favorable terms for paying what you owe. After all, their priority is to get paid for their services, not ruin your credit or profit from exorbitant interest rates. Take this step early, before the health-care provider passes your debt along to a collection agency. Collections firms are not likely to be as flexible in negotiating favorable terms for you.

• 4

  Apply for Medicaid. It is a program funded by the federal government and the states to care for people with financial need and those with certain disabilities. Eligibility rules vary by state. If you qualify, the program may cover some of the bills for services you have already received. As an example, Wisconsin Medicaid coverage can extend retroactively to the first day of the month, three months before the month you apply, assuming if you would have been eligible then.

• 5

  File for bankruptcy protection if all other options are exhausted. For some people, especially those without a job, the time comes when repaying the medical debt becomes unrealistic. Bankruptcy protection was designed to offer people a chance to begin anew, though the fresh start comes with a price in the form of bad credit. Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which can discharge all of your medical bills, is one potential step to take when you see your life crumbling due to wage garnishments, judgments or liens related to the debt. The courts in your area may offer other options to protect your income and property. Consult a lawyer to investigate your options.