How to Deal with a Delinquent Hospital Bill

Hospital bills are often very expensive and at times can be difficult to pay. If you're unsure how to proceed in dealing with a hospital regarding a medical bill, you're in luck. Below, you'll learn how to do just that.

Instructions

• 1

  Do not avoid the hospital. Your first instinct if you're unable to pay a hospital bill may be to avoid the hospital. Many people do this in an attempt to avoid the embarrassment, thinking they will simply send the money when they have it and that's that. However, avoiding it will make the situation worse - and could send your bill into collections, making it appear on your credit report.

  Call the hospital right away if you're unable to pay the bill. Ask to speak with the medical billing department. Have your bill handy with the account number circled, and also make sure you have a notebook and pencil or pen handy as well.

• 2

  Document phone calls. The pen and paper is so that you can document the telephone calls. No matter how many times you call or how many times you speak to someone, write it down. Make sure you include the date and time of the call, the first and last name of the person you spoke to, what was said (paraphrased) and any other important information that you feel should be included. This is very important in the event of a dispute later on - and you should know that courts actually use meticulous handwritten records in court cases.

• 3

  Explain your situation honestly. The next step is to explain your situation honestly to the representative of the hospital that you speak with. Offer to send proof (such as paycheck stubs, bills, etc.) and if they want to see them, fax the documents immediately. Ask the hospital representative if the balance owed can be forgiven. Many hospitals do this for individuals who can't afford it, and it's used as a charity write-off.

• 4

  Develop payment plans. If the representative is unable to write-off the charge, find out what kinds of payment plans they offer. Negotiate with the representative so that you can pay a comfortable amount each week or month until the charge is paid off. Most of the time, hospitals are more than willing to work with individuals in this way - especially since most times, refusal to do so can mean that they will never see a dime of their money.

• 5

  Document everything. If you've signed up for a payment plan or the representative told you they could have your bill forgiven, you need to document everything. Ask him or her to send you a letter stating that your bill has been forgiven or something verifying the payment plan. Also, aside from documenting your conversation above, save every single receipt from making payments on that bill. This will help you if you ever find the charge on your credit report, because if you've continuously been paying, you can have the charge removed.

  By following the steps above, you can learn how to deal with a hospital regarding a medical bill so that you can stay above water financially and still be responsible for your debts.