How can you manage your finances to pay off medical bills? -OVLG

Submitted by admin on Tue, 04/08/2014 - 23:31

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Falling into debt due to the high costs of medical care is very common. An unexpected medical emergency might crop up anytime. Lack of medical insurance and the high cost of medical care also significantly add to these debts.

If you are in a similar plight, with huge medical bills taking a toll on your finances, then do not worry. Some ways can help you tackle your hefty medical bills successfully.

Video Transcript

Hi Guys!

Welcome back to our OVLG channel!

Medical debt can sneak up on any of us. One day you’re hale and hearty. But on the next day, you’re in the hospital. You can stay there for an extended period of time and can have stacks and stacks of medical bills. How can you pay off those unaffordable bills? Let’s find out.

The first thing you can do is check if medical bills are accurate. Sometimes, hospitals make huge errors and inflate bills a lot. If you can’t understand medical bills properly, then hire a medical billing advocate. He can help to reduce it.

Secondly, you can contact the billing department of the hospital and request them to give you a discount. Offer to settle the debt today itself if they agree to reduce the amount by 50%. Sometimes, hospitals accept this kind of settlement offer for avoiding long-term payment process.

Finally, you can contact OVLG for settling your medical debts. Our attorneys negotiate with your creditors tactfully and reduce the total billing amount.

Usually, it’s easier to negotiate directly with the hospital than with a collection agency. Sometimes, a collection agency calls you after the statute of limitations have run out. So you have to be careful when you’re dealing with them.

Check the statute of limitations period in your state or you can contact OVLG for help. If you’re getting harassed, you should definitely reach out to OVLG. Our attorneys will help you get $1000 from them.

How to pay off medical bills fast

Review every bill you receive: Medical bills often contain errors, which can sometimes be significant. You can be overcharged, for treatments you received or even charged for those you did not receive. If you spot any discrepancy, immediately contact the hospital or medical facility and get your doubts clarified. Also, negotiate medical bills with health care service providers. Often negotiation can save you at least $100.
Contact your health insurance company: Check your insurance plan and contact your insurance company to verify the portions of the medical bill that your insurance should cover. Your insurance company will determine if you are wrongly charged for procedures, medications, or if the bill was submitted too late for payment. Sometimes you may need to "push" the company to obtain help with medical bill payment.
Express your need for bill settlement: Some hospitals will forgive a considerable portion of your medical debt if you express your need for help with paying the bill. You must contact the hospital authority as early as possible so that things do not get out of hand, and you can explain your financial hardship convincingly to get your appeal approved. The hospital authority will always take your financial condition into account when figuring how much they’re willing to forgive.
Contact your healthcare providers: If you need serious help with paying medical bills, you can also contact the hospital and learn about the payment plans they offer. Almost all doctor's organizations and hospitals will work with you in setting up a payment plan to suit your needs. These plans usually require you to pay a minimal monthly payment with very little, or no interest. Do not hesitate to inquire about such options. Every hospital has a billing accountant with whom you can discuss your bill.
Look for free or low-cost health care for your kids: Every state offers assistance programs that provide low priced or free health coverage for children, infants, and teens whose families fall below a certain income level. You can avail yourself of such assistance and get your bill lowered.
Go for free or discounted prescription drugs: There are countless ways to get your prescription costs reduced. Many local governments provide free discount cards that can help you save up to 50% on generic drugs. Low priced generic drugs can be a great substitute for expensive branded drugs. There are also assistance programs that offer free medication.

If you’re unable to tame your medical debt on your own, then it’s better you get professional help from OVLG and settle your medical debts as per your convenience.

Frequently asked questions on medical bills

What happens when a bill goes to collections?

Well, several things can happen when a medical bill goes to collections. For example, the collection agency can report the debt to credit bureaus, which can hurt your credit. They can make collection calls between 9 am and 8 pm to ask you for repayments. If you still don’t cooperate with them, then they can even file a lawsuit against you in the county where the medical debt was incurred.

When do medical bills go to collections?

Can medical bills go to collections? If yes, then how long before medical bills go to collections?

Usually, hospitals send medical bills to collections when you don’t pay them for 6 months or more than that period. When hospitals see that you have no intention of paying medical bills, they assign or sell the accounts to collection agencies. Remember, once your medical bills are assigned to a collection agency, the debt will hurt your credit score.

Can medical bills be sent to collections without notice?

Hospitals can assign your accounts or sell your accounts to collection agencies without notice. That is perfectly legal. Once the accounts are assigned or sold, the collection agency can send out letters or call you. Sometimes, one collection agency sells the account to another collection agency but doesn’t notify you since they deal with a huge volume of accounts. The new collection agency will notify you about the debt.

Can your wages be garnished due to medical bills?

Hospitals can garnish your wages for medical bills when they have received a judgment against you. But they have to put in the effort to get a judgment against you. They have to file a lawsuit against you for non- repayment of medical bills and win the case. Only if you fail to defend yourself and the hospital obtains a judgment, then they can garnish your paycheck.

How to settle medical debt

You can either settle a medical debt on your own or you can leave the dirty work for OVLG. If you want to settle medical bills on your own, then make sure you have the following skills:

1 You have excellent negotiation skills
2 You know all the debt settlement laws
3 You’re good at documentation
3 You’re good at crunching numbers
3 You’re a patient person and have a calm mind
3 You have adequate knowledge of the debt validation process

If you don’t have these skills, then it’s better to get help from OVLG and settle your medical debt fast. At OVLG, you’ll get experienced attorneys who know medical debt laws, debt collection laws, and debt settlement laws by heart. They know how to negotiate with collection agencies, settle your medical bills, and save money. In fact, they can tell you how to fight a lawsuit with no money or how much do collection agencies pay for medical debt.

The best part of working with attorneys is that they can help in settling a debt after receiving the summons. They can help to settle medical debt out of the court and save money. Check out the 5 stages of the OVLG debt settlement process.

Video transcript on: How to Manage Medical Debt and Save Money

Medical debt can sneak up on any of us. One day you’re hale and hearty. But on the next day, you’re in the hospital. You can stay there for an extended period of time and can have stacks and stacks of medical bills. But how can you pay off those unaffordable bills? Let’s find out.

Secondly, you can contact the billing department of the hospital and request them to give you a discount. Offer to settle the debt today itself if they agree to reduce the amount by 50%.
Sometimes, hospitals accept this kind of settlement offer for avoiding long-term payment process.

Finally, you can contact OVLG for settling your medical debts. Our attorneys can negotiate with your creditors tactfully and reduce the total billing amount.