Need Help With Medical Bills

Open and Organize Your Bill(s)  

• Open the bill as soon as it arrives and confirm it's addressed to you (or your minor child). Medical bills can be overwhelming, but it’s best not to avoid bills associated with medical care.
• Check the due date to avoid late fees.
• Keep all bills, letters, and insurance papers in one place.

Tip: If you have insurance, check whether the paper you received is a bill or an Explanation of Benefits (EOB). An EOB is not a bill.

An EOB shows what your insurer was charged, what they paid, and what you potentially owe. The actual bill will come from the provider.

Eliminate or Reduce Hospital Bills with Financial Assistance 

• All nonprofit hospitals in Connecticut must offer financial assistance. Many for-profit hospitals and other providers may also offer financial assistance with similar eligibility standards.
• Find the hospital’s financial assistance policy or get help applying for financial assistance. Bills can sometimes be reduced — or wiped out completely.

• You may qualify even if you have insurance, are working, your bill is over a year old, or if you have a lot of medical debt.
• Mention other bills and financial stress you’re facing. You might be eligible for a discount if you have significant medical debts or other pressing financial burdens.

Avoid Using Credit Cards to Pay Healthcare Bills

• Putting healthcare bills on a credit card (including medical credit cards like CareCredit) turns medical debt into regular debt and removes certain medical debt-specific protections.
• Payment plans can be a much better option, especially since some hospitals charge low or no interest.

Verify the Bill's Accuracy

The system is complex, and medical billing errors can occur. Before you make payments, verify that insurance was properly applied and charges are accurate.

Confirm Insurance was Billed

• Mistakes can happen. Providers can make a mistake when typing in your insurance ID number, name, or date of birth, and the bill will not process through your insurance correctly, or providers might send you a bill before your insurance has applied their adjustments or payments.
  • TIP: If you have a hyphenated last name, pay extra attention to make sure both the provider and your insurance are using the complete and correct sequence and spelling of your last name.
• Check the bill for line items like “insurance adjustments” or “billed to insurance” to confirm whether your insurance coverage has been applied.
• Call your insurance or provider to understand what your insurance covers.  

  TIP: When calling a billing office or insurer, write down the date, time, the name of the person you spoke with, and what they told you. Keep this log with your bill documents.

  Learn about common denial reasons and what you can do.

  Learn about the prior authorization process and the rules in Connecticut.

Review an Itemized Bill

• If you need more detail, call the provider’s billing office to request an itemized bill.
  • You have a right to your itemized bill because this document is part of your medical records. HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) gives you the right to see and get a copy of your health information.  
  • You cannot be refused access to your health information because you haven’t paid your bill.  
• Review every line of your itemized bill carefully for errors, such as:
  • Charges for care you did not receive
  • Duplicate charges
  • In-network providers billed as out-of-network
  • Preventive care that should have been covered by insurance
• Consider contacting a patient representative: call the hospital's main number and request to be connected to a Patient Representative, or the Patient Services department to get technical support reviewing your bill.

Negotiate Payment Plans and Settlements.

Medical providers are often willing to negotiate unpaid bills.

• Contact the provider’s billing department and ask for an interest-free payment plan.

• If you are uninsured or paying out-of-pocket, many providers will offer a reduced rate — ask for the self-pay or cash rate.

• Be honest with your provider or collector. If paying will cause real hardship, say so. Mention other bills and financial stress you’re facing.
• Get a copy of the written terms of any payment plan.

• Review this manual for more tips on negotiating bills.

If a Bill Goes to Collections, Don’t Ignore It

• Collectors must follow the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, which bans harassment, threats, and misleading tactics.
• Know your rights — request written “validation information” of the debt before agreeing to any payment, as harassment or misleading tactics are illegal.

Get Legal Help

• If you are sued, do not ignore it. Consult an attorney or legal aid organization, about whether to answer, contest the bill, or explore other options, including bankruptcy.
• If you think a provider didn’t follow the rules for discounts, free care, or debt collection, or you are being unfairly pursued by a debt collector, legal help might be needed.
• Legal aid organizations provide free legal services related to medical debt for people with low incomes.