How to get relief from unexpectedly high medical bills

NEW YORK — Unexpectedly high medical bills are common in the United States, but there are ways to get relief. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, one in five Americans are affected by outstanding medical debt, for a total cost of $88 billion.

In a 2022 study, the bureau found that roughly 20% of U.S. households report that they have medical debt, with collections appearing on 43 million credit reports. As of the second quarter of 2021, 58% of all bills in collections on credit records were medical bills.

Medical debt affects households unevenly, too, according to the agency. Past-due bills are more prevalent among Black and Hispanic people than white and Asian people, and medical debt is more common in the Southern U.S., in part because states in that region did not expand Medicaid coverage.

While the process of fighting high medical bills can be time-consuming and frustrating, advocates stress that patients shouldn’t be intimidated by the system. If you’ve received a surprise medical bill, here’s what you should know:

When Luisa, 33, received a medical bill for over $1,000 after an emergency hospital visit for a viral infection, she was able to have the whole amount covered by the hospital after appealing to their financial assistance policy.

“At first I thought it was just a cold, but it turned out to be something I needed specific medication for,” said Luisa, who asked to be identified only by her first name due to privacy concerns. “It was really bad by the time I went to the ER.”

Luisa had heard about the patient advocacy organization Dollar For thanks to a viral video, and she filled out the nonprofit’s online form after receiving her surprise bill. The organization contacted the hospital, which was based in central Florida. Eventually, the hospital contacted Luisa directly to let her know she did in fact qualify for financial assistance. Even though she had already paid a portion of the costs with a credit card, Dollar For was able to get those payments refunded.

Laws governing hospital charity care require that nonprofit hospitals lower or write off bills for individuals, depending on household income. To determine if you qualify, you can simply Google the hospital along with the phrase “charity care” or “financial assistance policy.” Dollar For also provides a simplified online tool for patients to see if they qualify.

“Federal law requires hospitals to have these programs to keep their tax-exempt status,”…