If You Have a Medical Bill You Cannot Pay
Right now, many people are left to navigate a complex, confusing, and costly healthcare system on their own. If you have a medical bill that you cannot pay or did not expect, help is available.Don't skip care to avoid debt. Keep taking medications and seeing your doctor. Avoiding care often leads to worse (and more expensive) outcomes down the road.Quick Tips
Download our short guide on navigating medical bills.
Know your Coverage
- If you’re insured:
- Understand your deductible, copays, and whether you need prior approval before seeking care.
- Check to see if providers are in-network. Going to an in-network provider generally costs less.
- Once you have a bill, make sure your insurance was correctly applied before you pay the bill.
- Uninsured? You may qualify for Medicaid (HUSKY Health), a plan through your employer, or a subsidized plan through Access Health CT, Connecticut's ACA Health Insurance Marketplace.
- Learn about the different insurance plan options.
Reduce or Eliminate the Bill
- Apply for financial assistance. This should be your first step if your bill is from a hospital or hospital-affiliate. Bills may be reduced or completely erased. You may qualify even if you have insurance, are working, your bill is over a year old, or you don’t qualify based on your income but have a lot of medical debt.
- Avoid paying with a credit card unless you can pay it off immediately. Paying with credit cards, including medical credit cards, turns medical debt into regular debt and removes medical debt-specific protections.
- Ask for a payment plan. If you don't qualify for free or discounted care through a hospital’s financial assistance program and to avoid putting debts on a credit card, ask for a low or no-interest payment plan directly with the provider; only agree to payments you can realistically afford.
Know your Rights
- Learn more about your rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) which makes it illegal for debt collectors to use abusive, unfair, or deceptive practices when they collect debts.
- If you're sued, do not ignore a lawsuit. Consult an attorney or a legal aid organization about whether to answer, contest the bill, or explore other options, including bankruptcy.
Keep reading for more in-depth information on what to do if you have medical bills you can’t afford.