Healthcare providers go through one of the most frustrating problems, which is, their patients are unable to clear the medical bills. However, it is understood that there is definitely a significant reason as to why people are unable to clear their medical debts.
According to recent studies conducted at Harvard University, as stated by Forbes, medical debt is undoubtedly the leading reason for personal bankruptcy. Given below is a list of the reasons as to why patients constantly face problems when they are trying to clear their medical bills.
Timing
If you are interested in purchasing a new car, it is obvious that you are not only going to plan but also save the required amount of money for purchasing the car. In fact, you are going to have a lot of time researching the price of the car along with the specifications. You also have to find the proper time for being capable of affording the car. This happens whenever you are thinking of purchasing something costly.
However, in the case of medical expenses, the scenario is completely different. A medical emergency is responsible for popping up all of a sudden. They can not only be spontaneous but also overwhelming and also they are responsible for appearing at a completely wrong time. It is obvious that you do not have the freedom of choosing when you are going to get sick in accordance with the bank balance that you have.
This is one of the most important reasons as to why patients are not able to clear their medical bills. Also, this is a significant reason as to why the hospital authority should not penalize patients when they are not able to clear the medical bills on the proper time.
Multiple bills
If any patient tends to fall sick or requires an expensive procedure, there is a high chance that he is not going to go to only one doctor and hence, he is not going to have only a single medical bill. In case if someone has been hospitalized for an accident, he will be charged for staying in the hospital, the x-ray, the treatment procedure, the medicines prescribed, and a lot more.
Apart from that, he is also going to be referred to a specialist and he will get separate bills for all these visits. He can also be recommended to get physical therapy. Since the bills keep building up, it is obvious that a patient is going to feel overwhelmed and stressed and there is a chance that he will not be able to pay his bills.
The bill size
Medical bills are going to be extremely expensive. In certain cases, they can also eclipse the income of a particular person for more than one year. Only a handful is going to save money separately for medical expenses, but not everyone has the capability of doing so. There is also a high chance that the insured patients are going to be stuck with massive bills after serious procedures have been completed. This makes it impossible for them to take care of their medical debts.
Billing errors
It is estimated that almost 80% of every medical bill is responsible for carrying one error or the other. Often, it has been observed that a patient does not have a proper idea as to how they should be adequately assessing all the charges along with the legitimacy. If this happens, they are going to hesitate for a long time, because that is the only way of getting more time to clear the bill.
Other kinds of debt
If somebody is struggling to clear the medical debt, there is a high chance that he is not able to clear other bills as well, which includes, student loans, mortgages, car payments, etc. Studies have revealed that millions of people have student loan debts. When a person is trying to clear the other loans and he has also received the medical bill, it is obvious that it will be impossible for him to concentrate on clearing the medical debt. If you want to gain more information related to the relief programs associated with medical debt, you can visit Nation Debt Relief Programs.
How can you deal with the medical bills?
It is understandable that it is extremely difficult to deal with sudden medical bills. However, it is crucial that you have knowledge about certain smart techniques in order to deal with big medical bills. Given below is a list of tips that you can follow.
Ensure that your bills are correct
As soon as you receive your medical bill, it is your responsibility to check whether you have been charged only for the services that you have received. Also, you need to know about the procedures that will be covered by your health insurance and the ones that you have to pay for yourself. This will help you to avoid any error in your medical bill.
Negotiate payment plans with the hospital
If you receive a medical bill, which is extremely difficult to clear, it is a good idea to negotiate a proper payment plan with the hospital. A hospital is readily going to agree to your negotiation if the authorities believe that you have the intention of clearing the entire medical bill. Negotiating your bill is going to ensure that you get relief from the huge medical bill that you have received.
Ask for discounts
If you have cash in your hand, it is a great idea to ask for a certain amount of discount from the hospital. Often, hospitals will be providing discounts if they see that you are ready to pay the discounted bill amount immediately.
Applying for charity care
Most healthcare providers, as well as hospitals, are responsible for offering charity care every year. This means that they are willing to forgive medical bills for certain individuals, who meet specific requirements.
Conclusion
If you are a healthcare provider, it is important that you understand as to why the patients are not able to clear the medical debts on time. However, if you are a patient, it is crucial for you to know as to how you can deal with the huge medical bills.
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