Even if you have good health insurance, a costly medical procedure or a lengthy illness can saddle you with a substantial amount of medical debt. If you have an emergency fund or other savings to draw on, you could use those funds to pay your unexpected medical bills. Otherwise, you may need to negot♛iate with your medical provider to arrange for affordable minimum monthly payments until the debt has been paid off. Here are nine steps that can make the process easier.

1. Make Sure You Really Owe the Money

Medical bills are notoriously inaccurate. So, whenever you receive a bill, especially a substantial one, try to review it closely. (Ask for an itemized bill if you didn't get one.) Among the most common errors are duplicate charges for the same service and charges for services you never received. If you don't understand a particular charge or its cost, your provider should be able to explain that to you.

If you have private insurance, watch out for so-called "surprise medical bills." These are unexpected medical bills you receive, typically from a provider that isn't part of your health insurance carrier's network. Ambulance rides also can result in a surprise bill that exceeds $1,000, though costs vary depending on the level of care needed, distance traveled, location, and more.

Surprise bills can be unusually high because the provider and your insurer do not have a negotiated rate, and the provider can bill you for whatever amount the insurer didn't pay. This practice is commonly referred to as balance billing.

2. Try to Negotiate It Down

Even if your bill is accurate, you may be able to negotiate for a lower amount. A 2024 report found that of people who received medical bills they disagreed with, more than 60% reached out to the billing office, and more than a quarter of those people received clarifications or corrections, sometimes including full cancellation of the bill.

As that report suggests, hospitals and medical practices are accustomed to patients lobbying for discounts and are often prepared to reduce bills if asked. You'll make the most persuasive case if you can show that paying the full amount would be difficult or impossible based on your current financial situation. There is certainly no harm in asking.

Under the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Affordable Care Act, nonprofit hospitals (which account for most hospitals) must make financial assistance available to low-income patients. They must also post their policies online. If you qualify, you could be eligible for a full or partial reduction of your bill. Thi🌜s assistance ඣis sometimes referred to as charity care.

One way to try to lower your debts is to use a debt relief company. These companies can negotiate with creditors on your behalf to lower the amount you owe. However, many debt relief companies charge hefty fees that may reduce the amount you'd save in the long run. Make sure you research debt relief companies and ensure any company you work with is reputable.

3. Ask for a Workable Repayment Plan

The medical provider may also agree to spread out your payments in a way that will be 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:manageable for you. (Before you ask, try to have a number inಌ mind that takes into account your income and other regular expenses.)

According to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, many providers will arrange for a low- or no-interest repayment plan. Remember that this is in the provider's interest as well as yours; better to get their money over a period of time than never to see it at all.

If you have enough money to cover your medical debt, you may be able to persuade the provider to give you a discount for paying the bill by cash or check. Not only will the provider receive its payment right away, but it will also avoid credit card 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:processing fees.

4. Seek Help

There are a variety of services you can draw on for assistance with medical bills, some free, some not. For example, there are individuals and c🐼ompanies that you can hire to negotiate on your behalf. Groups like the Alliance of Claims Assistance Professionals, the Alliance of Professional Health Advocates, and the National Association of Healthcare Advocacy have online directories that you can use to search for one near you.

The National Foundation for Credit Counseling can direct you to a member agency that will offer advice on managing your debts. Some 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:credit counseling agencies will also help negotiate a repay𒈔ment plan with creditors.

5. Prioritize Your Debts

Chances are that you have other financial obligations besides your medical debts. If you don't have enough income or other resources to cover them a♐ll, you'll need to prioritize. Your most urgent debts probably involve keeping a roof over your head—monthly mortgage oꦫr rent payments, utilities, and so forth. Medical debt may be lower on the list.

A credit counselor, if you see one🅰, can help you prioritize your debt payments. Even if you are unable to pay certain creditors, be sure to reach out to them and let them kno🀅w what is going on.

6. Be Aware of the Impact on Your Credit

Unpaid medical debts, like other missed bill payments, reflect poorly on you and can have a negative effect on your credit score. However, that will not happen immedi♏ately, so yo▨u have time to settle your debt and stay in good financial health.

According to Equifax, one of the three major national credit bureaus, most 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:healthcare providers do not report late bill payments to it or its two main competitors (Experian and TransUnion), so they typically won't be reflected on your 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:credit reports or factor into your 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:credit score.

But if the provider turns your debt over to a 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:collection agency, that agency may report the information to the credit bureaus. Fortunately, under a rule enacted by the credit bureaus in 2017, it will not appear on your credit report before another 180 days have elapsed. That give🎐s you additional time to pay the debt or ꩵnegotiate a plan to do so.

Beginning July 1, 2022, fully paid medical debt is no longer included on credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, even if it was listed on your report for several years. Additionally, the current six-month time period when medical debt first appears on your credit report was lengthened to one year.

7. Avoid Taking on Credit Card Debt to Pay Your ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚMedi🃏cal Debt

Putting your medical bills on a credit card is usually a mistake unless you're sure you can pay off the credit card bill in full before interest begins to accrue. With credit card annual percentage rates averaging 🌄24.20% as of May 2025, you'd simply be postponing the eventual reckoning and racking up a lot of additional debt in the meantime. Plus, if you're delinquent in making at least the minimum monthly payment on your 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:credit card bill, that will go on your credit report right away.

One exception might be responsibly using a new credit card with a 0% interest introductory offer or putting the debt on an existing card and then 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:transferring your balance to such a card. However, if your financial situation is such that you're struggling to pay medical bills, you may not qualify for one of these cards. You'll want to have a plan in place to pay it down so you don't incur more debt with higher i🔯nterest rates.

Generally speaking, your best option is to pay your medical bills with a check or debit card—and make sure you get a receipt. You'll need a receipt if you want to obtain reimbursement through either a flexible spending accou𒆙nt or a ꦚhealth savings account, if you have one. You'll also want to be able to prove that you p🐽aid in case the provider bills you again 🐲for the same services.

8. Consider Other Types of Loans

If you own a home and have some equity in it, taking out a 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:home equity loan or line of credit could be an option for paying your medical debt. These loans tend to have relatively low interest rates and can be repaid over a period of five to 20 years. The downside is that t✤hey're secured by your home, and you could lose it if you're unable to keep up with the payments.

Another option for homeowners is a 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:cash-out refinancing. Essentially, you pay off the balance of your current mortgage with a new mortgage for a higher amount, based on your equity in the home. You can then take the difference between the two amounts in cash and use it for any purpose you wish, including paying off debts. A downside here is that you'll most likely have hi🍬gher mortgage payments on the new loan.

Still another possibility is a 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:personal loan. These loans are generally unsecured, so you'rღe not putting your home at risk. However, they carry higher interest rates than secured loans, and you may not qualify for one—or one at an affordable interest rate—if you already have a substantial amওount of debt. Some lenders offer personal loans specifically for paying medical bills, often referred to as medical loans.

9. Declare Bankruptcy If You Must

As of 2024, more than 100 million Americans collectively owe more than $200 billion in medical debt. That's an average of more than $2,200 in medical debt for each of those people.

Bankruptcy is an option if you are one of those individuals, but it has serious financial consequences for years to come, affecting your ability to get new cr🐬edit, the rates you might pay for insurance, and even wheth🀅er some employers will hire you. So it should generally be one of the last options for you to consider.

If bankruptcy appears to be your only recourse, you'll need to follow a series of steps prescribed by law. One of them is completing a credit counseling session with a government-approved credit counseling agency and obtaining a certificate to file with your bankruptcy petition. The counselor will r💟eview your situation and discuss possible alternatives to proceeding with the bankruptcy.

The federal bankruptcy court closest to you can provide you with a list of approved counselors. If you decide to go ahead w🌱ith filing for ba🍌nkruptcy, you will most likely need to hire a lawyer.

The Bottom Line

Medical debt can add up quickly, but you have a number of options for dealing with it. Most importantly, concerns about medical debt shouldn't cause you or a family member to delay seeking the care that you need. Medical debt can be difficult to manage, but you can take the right steps to stay on a healthy financial path.