Get help with medical bills.
Find how to get help with paying with medical bills with a list of resources below. Low income families and people who either lack health insurance or that have little or no money or who are underinsured can get assistance from a wide variety of programs. You will find a number of organizations and programs, as noted below, that will help anyone in need with paying their medical expenses - no matter the type of health care received or what the bill was due for.
The various programs listed will not only offer relief for existing medical expenses that are still unpaid, but many will also help people get access to affordable health or dental work they need. As after all, one way to in effect get assistance with medical bills is to keep costs as low as possible, whether the patient has insurance or not. Short and long term medical bill assistance programs fall into a couple of categories as noted below.
Interested in what other people are saying about getting help with medical bills or want to ask a question or find other resources? Visit our community forum about medical bill assistance programs. People from all across the country post their stories, their needs, share resources and so much more.
Programs that help with paying medical bills - whether insured or not
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There is help from government grant programs, medical provider payment plans or forgiveness as well as non-profits. All of these programs will help pay off some, or the entire balance, of a doctor, hospital, ER or any medical bill. Of course if the medical bill is not paid, it will become debt to the provider (doctor, hospital, health center, etc). In those cases there are financial resources available to help patients pay off that debt and find more details on how to get medical debt help.
Medical billing advocates and the services they provide have been proven to save patients a substantial amount of money. The advocates, many of which operate as non-profits or work on a contingency basis, help people reduce the amount of money they owe on or they help patients apply for financial help on an unpaid bill, including urgent care too. Any patient can sign up for the services of a medical advocate - whether they have insurance or not. Advocates will help reduce medical bills that are due, discover errors and more even after an insurance claim was filed. Read more on medical billing advocates.
- Learn how to find an error on your own medical bill. As noted, it is estimated by many studies that about 80% of medical bills have at least one error on them, many of which are significant. Many statements from a billing department even have more than 2 errors. Learn what to look for and how to find medical billing errors.
Free information, including around proper billing practices, is provided by patient advocates to ensure proper medical care is given. These specialists will help clients understand all the various regulations put into place by hospitals or health insurance companies. A patient advocate will also assist with completing forms for financial help for their bills or help someone enroll into charity care while ensuring proper treatment is provided to the patient. Find more services from patient advocates.
Patients can negotiate down the amount of their unpaid medical bills. Or, save money by using the services of an advocate (above) who will also serve as a professional medical bill negotiator. In general, a medical provider is willing to work with a patients to reduce their cost. It is estimated that about 90% of people who negotiate one or more medical bills due (or even unpaid debt) are successful. Another benefit is that there is no cost to do this. Learn more on how to negotiate their medical bills.
- Also, find insider tips from medical professionals, debt collection companies, insurance and hospital employees on what works when trying to reduce the cost of the services they provide. As the fact is people in the medical field, no matter whether they work in a hospital billing department or insurance company, these employees have great suggestions on how to reduce expenditures. The individuals work in a hospital, debt collection agency on health insurance company every day, so they know the ins and outs of the complicated health care system. More information on tips for reducing medical bills.
CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) is a government organization that helps patients (no matter their income) find solutions to past due medical bills, whether from an hospital stay, medication, nursing home or something else. The agency also addresses illegal or questionable billing practices, has information on medical debt relief as well as other assistance programs. Find details on the CMS services here. https://www.cms.gov/medical-bill-rights/help/guides/financial-assistance.
 Crowdfunding can help with paying for medical expenses. People in a financial hardship, that can communicate their need, may be able to raise money from others, including family, corporations, donors, co-workers and others as part of a crowd fund campaign to pay their health care expenses. Paypal Generosity Network, Gofundme and other website or platforms can be used. More on crowdfunding for paying medical costs.
Cancer bill assistance programs are available. Numerous non-profit organizations, foundations, and charity programs exist that will help people pay for cancer treatment and some or all of the associated medical costs. Some foundations or charities will also ensure patients get the care they need for their condition, no matter how expensive it may be.
- The assistance programs for a cancer patient can also provide free medical supplies or assist with housing, transportation, or motel rooms for the cancer patient. They provide financial assistance, referrals, free money from the government and other forms of help for cancer bills.
Grants to pay medical bills are provided by many government and also private organizations. The funds are very limited though. These groups will offer cash grants that will be used to help pay past due or upcoming medical bills, upcoming surgery costs and other health care expenses. The grant can pay for urgent care centers, emergency room costs and other bills. Locate grants that help pay medical bills.
- Find how to apply for grant based medical bill assistance programs. Many hospitals, doctors, and other health care providers offer resources to help you with paying for your medical bills and debts. Find the steps to take to apply for help.
Low-income patients will get help with hospital bills. There is financial assistance, whether future or existing stays or surgery at a hospital. Grant money from a hospital foundation or payment plans from the billing department will help the uninsured as well as households facing poverty. These assistance programs from a hospital, whether non-profit or not, are available at most facilities.
- In fact, this type of medical bill relief from a hospital is required by state and/or federal government law for those hospital that are part of the Medicaid system.. The center will need to provide charity care to patients who lack insurance or who are low income. In general, people on Medicaid, the elderly or disabled on Medicare and others can get financial help with their health costs from a hospital charity plan. Learn how to get help with hospital bills.
Patients will get help paying emergency ambulance bills as well. Some can be paid for by insurance (Medicaid, Medicare, SSI, or private policies) and there are also non-traditional ways to get help as well. They include payment plans, crowdfunding platforms, discounts, charity care and more. Low to moderate income families as well as the uninsured may be able to get support, and find how to get ambulance bill assistance.
There is also financial help with dental bills. Low income families can apply for assistance for these treatments. Patients will get free care or help to pay for cleanings, extractions, and more, including assistance for uninsured children. Many dentists provide, or donate, free dental work or payment plans to the low income and people with no insurance or money. Find how to get help paying dental bills.
Senior Centers and Agency on Aging Offices provide information on free health care services for the elderly in a local community. Some locations will also offer basic check ups, insulin, wellness workshops and similar support. Senior centers also offer advice on how the elderly can save money on their health care costs, including long term care. Caseworkers also help elderly apply or free grants to help pay off existing medical debts. Any elderly person, not matter their income, can use a senior center for advice.
Get help with bills from the Medicare Rights Center Hotline. This free program is only available to senior citizens or individuals with a disability, whether physical or mental. When using the service, callers will learn about Medicare and other resources available to them for obtaining public health insurance. They also offer assistance in dealing with their medical bills.
- The non-profit will give the client free information on what they are currently covered for, how to obtain affordable health or dental care coverage, and details on programs that will help them save money on their medical expenses. Learn more on the free Medicare Hotline.
CareCredit medical bills and debt financing is offered from Synchrony, formerly GE. This program will provide free or low cost medical financing and also a wide variety of repayment plans to consumers, many of which have competitive interest rates. Carecredit can also pay for vet bills or care. Learn more on CareCredit medical financing.
Financial help to pay for medication costs are available to low-income patients and the uninsured. Free or low-cost prescription medications are offered by drug - pharmaceutical companies, non-profits, and some government organizations. Some church or charity organizations may also provide partial vouchers or give out rebates to pay for drugs that an individual needs. There are several prescription drug assistance programs that will provide patients with either free or low cost medications. Find how to get free prescription medications.
USA.gov, the official website for the federal government, has a list of resources that help people with medical bills - whether prescriptions, insurance, ER costs, Medicaid/Medicare or something else. The free to use service will help people of all income levels find resources for their health care needs and learn more on USA.gov here. https://www.usa.gov/help-with-medical-bills.
Union Members can get help to pay for medical costs or RX. They can save on prescriptions, heath or dental care. A number of benefits are offered by Union Plus. This is not widely offered though and patients need to be part of a labor union. The group offers organized labor savings on health care expenses, prescription drugs, dental and vision care, and more. Read more about health care savings for union members.
Health insurance plans can help pay medical costs
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Selecting the correct health insurance plan is always important - in fact it may be the most effective way to reduce costs and save. Arguably the best way to get help with medical bills is to be pro-active, and the right (or wrong) insurance will be a major factor. Read about how you will save money on your monthly health insurance premiums and receive the best coverage by selecting the correct plan. More on health insurance plans.
Find assistance in appealing and otherwise dealing with health insurance companies. If they do not pay your entire medical bill or do not cover the needed prescription medication, then appeal. Claims are often denied by insurers, and when this happens, patients of all income levels will get help. Get assistance with health insurance company appeals.
Beware of balance billing practices and scams. Also, learn how health care providers are trying to get people to pay medical bills that they are not responsible for paying or they charge them based on insurance provider rates. This is a practice known as balance billing.
There is assistance available to pay deductibles on health insurance plans. Families can explore everything from charity programs to contacting the medical provider to ask for discounts or payment plans. With the industry continuing to emphasize high-deductible health plans (HDHP), more families than ever need help paying for that cost. Find help for health insurance deductibles.
There are many other resources out there for patients with little or no money, the uninsured or low income. At the end of the day, many hospitals, insurance companies or doctor offices try to work with a patient on their unpaid bills as if the patient pays something it is better than the health care provider not getting any money. Therefore a medical provider has a reason to work with the patient. Our medical and health care partners, many of which are non-profit 501c organizations, provided the information related to health and medical services.
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