When Your Medical Debt Becomes Too Much
What Are Your Options?
When you are facing a medical emergency, the last thing on your mind is the financial implications of hospital stays, medical procedures and treatments. However, once the dust settles and the bills start coming in, you may find yourself facing another kind of crisis.
Can Medical Debt Be Discharged in Bankruptcy?
The short answer is yes; medical debt is considered non-priority unsecured debt and can be discharged in bankruptcy. While you cannot target medical debt in bankruptcy, this process can help lower payments or eliminate the debt altogether.
Understanding Bankruptcy
There are two main types of bankruptcy, including Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. While both types address large debt, the way they work is quite different.
With Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the court considers what you owe and what income and assets you must put toward your debt. With this route, you are likely to have to sell some of your belongings, including property or vehicles, to satisfy your debt. The whole process takes about six months, and in the end, your eligible debts are forgiven. Your credit report reflects the bankruptcy for a decade, making it difficult to get a mortgage, a car loan or a personal loan.
Chapter 13 assesses what you owe, your income, assets and comes up with a repayment plan to make the debt more manageable. In most cases, monthly payments do not exceed 15% of your income. This process can stretch out for years, and certain criteria must be met.
Other Options for Handling Medical Debt
Bankruptcy is an extreme measure that has long-lasting implications on your credit. Fortunately, there are other options for tackling medical debt.
Review Your Bills
Medical bills can be daunting, and if you are like most people, the number you focus on is the total amount you owe. However, auditing your bills and looking for errors such as double charges, fees for services not ordered nor received, can knock hundreds or thousands of dollars off the bill.
Negotiate Costs
In some cases, you may be able to work with your medical provider to get lower costs for services. Some providers have sliding fee schedules for income-qualifying patients, especially those who do not have health insurance.
Investigate Financial Assistance Options
Local agencies such as charities and Community Action Partnerships often have emergency assistance for income-qualifying individuals facing medical debt that they cannot pay.
Talk to Your Medical Provider
Some providers would rather work out an affordable payment plan than send the debt to collections or see it end up in bankruptcy.
Preventing Medical Debt with Nevada Insurance Enrollment
While you cannot always avoid a medical emergency, health insurance can help ensure that your medical bills do not become too much to handle. At Nevada Insurance Enrollment, our health insurance agents help you evaluate your health needs and budget and determine what policies are right for you.
Recent Posts
How Much Will I Have to Pay For an MRI?
While MRIs are generally covered by health insurance, it is left to the discretion of your health insurance company to decide whether the test is medically necessary. If your provider determines that it is not, then you may pay for the procedure out-of-pocket.
Does Health Insurance Cover Sex Change?
Gender reassignment surgery in order to be considered medically necessary, certain criteria must be met, such as if a qualified mental healthcare professional provides a referral and medical or mental health concerns are present.
Catastrophic Health Insurance Explained
Like major medical health insurance plans, catastrophic health insurance covers the 10 essential health benefits outlined in the Affordable Care Act. However, if you have this type of plan, your out-of-pocket costs for services are considerably higher than with regular health insurance.
Search This Website
Most Popular Pages
By page visits (this month)
#1) Health Insurance Subsidy Chart
#2) Health Insurance
#3) Health Insurance WITH a Subsidy
#4) Insurance Blog
#5) Request a Quote
Top 5 Most Popular
By page visits (this month)
#1) Health Insurance Subsidy Chart
#2) Health Insurance
#3) Health Insurance WITH a Subsidy
#4) Insurance Blog Posts
#5) Request a Quote
Recent Posts
Surrogacy Laws in Nevada
Generally speaking, the intended parents are responsible for covering pregnancy-related expenses, including complications that may arise over the course of the pregnancy and delivery. The standard way to control health care costs is to purchase health insurance for the woman acting as the gestational surrogate.
HMO, PPO, and EPO. What Is The Difference?
Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) vs. Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) vs. Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO)
Will Health Insurance Cover Rhinoplasty?
As is the case with all elective surgeries, rhinoplasty is not covered by health insurance when the procedure is not medically necessary. Cosmetic rhinoplasty changes the overall appearance of the individual’s nose by reshaping it or reducing its size.
Does Health Insurance Cover Drug Rehab?
Many who struggle with substance abuse, also struggle with mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. Often, treatment will include medication, therapy, and rehab for both provided it’s medically necessary.