Taking Action to Reduce Medical Debt

If your medical debt is accumulating quickly, try to reduce them as soon as possible by: 1. Reviewing Bills with a Fine Tooth Comb Often consumers assume that medical bills are always correct or are afraid to speak up if they find errors. However, many billing mistakes can occur and can result in a costly consequence. Billing mistakes are likely to be accidental, however be aware of deliberate billing errors. For example, the doctor may use one code to describe the treatment he provided to you but use a different code to charge more for his services. Studies show that the incidence of hospital fraud is rising. Protect yourself by reviewing every medical bill you receive line by line. Look for overcharges, double billings and charges for care and services you didn't get. If you do not understand your medical bills, call the medical providers billing office and demand an explanation. Get errors corrected immediately! 2. Making your insurance company pay for everything it should: If your bills are the result of an accident that someone else caused, get that person's insurance company to pay as many of the bills as possible. If you have medical aid and they refuse to pay one of your medical claims or do not pay as much as you think they should, read your policy to see if you can find the reason for the company's decision. 3. Pursuing other options for reducing your debt: Depending on your income and the total value of your assets, u owe you may have other options for reducing the amount you owe to medical providers. If your medical bills are the result of a car accident that was not your fault, make sure that the insurance company of the other driver pays as much as possible on the bills. Some hospitals will let you whittle down your debt by doing volunteer work. If this option interests you, speak to a hospital advisor.