Organizations That Help With Medical Bills

An estimated 47 million Americans are without primary care health insurance. A sudden illness can devastate a family's budget and resources. According to a study published in the American Journal of Medicine in 2007, 62% of all bankruptcies were filed for medical reasons. Over 90% of those who filed medical bankruptcy had bills exceeding $5,000. Most of the people who filed medical bankruptcy were middle class, owned homes, and were well educated. Before you file bankruptcy, there are many medical advocacy programs in the U.S. that can help not only with financial grants, but with prescriptions, food, and housing.

Drug Manufacturers

• Many of the manufacturers of medicine, such as Pfizer and Eli Lilly, have programs where they either furnish necessary medications free of charge or at a substantial discount. Pfizer's Maintain Program assists newly unemployed workers with prescription medications. Eli Lilly's program, Lilly Cares, subsidized more than $185,000 in free medicines to uninsured patients in 2008.

Insurance Policies

• The American Cancer Society mentions that you might be able to get "living benefits" in a medical emergency from your insurance policy. Check your policy for a "catastrophic illness" or major medical clause, which can cover medical costs for cancer treatments and other life-threatening illnesses.

Grants

• Unlike a loan, grants are monies that you do not have to repay. While there are no federally funded grants or loans for assistance with medical bills, your individual state or county may have made provision for people struggling with medical debt. Don't trust the "government grants" website on the Internet; most often, they will charge you a hefty fee for their services. Instead, check with the finance office at the hospital to see if there are any private grants available to patients. Often, hospitals will have private funding for patients who are below a certain income, are unemployed, or have accumulated a certain amount of debt. Charities in your area and your church may have some funds set aside for people with emergency medical situations. Let your doctor be your advocate, as well. In many cases, physicians may be willing to take a lower fee or may know where you might obtain funding. Don't be afraid to ask your doctor if there is some way that he can help you keep expenses down.