BySample Letter To Request Financial Assistance For Hospital Bills
Have you ever been snubbed seeking medical help because you can't cover the cost? Or rather had hefty hospital bills? Whichever the case, you aren't alone. According to a survey by Healthcare.com, 35% of U.S. adults have pending medical debt, and 62% of them received medical care while aware they couldn't afford it.
Many hospitals are often open to negotiating a realistic payment plan and a . Even so, it's not that straightforward, and you'll need to arm yourself with insurance and medical records along with a few reasonable solutions to your situation. That's where DoNotPay chips in – to help you .
Understanding Your Hospital Bill
It's vital to understand the charges you've incurred if you wish to contest a medical bill. Ask the hospital you owe for an itemized bill to understand the details better. An itemized bill includes a list of CPT Billing codes, which describe various healthcare procedures and services.
Look up the bill codes online through the American Medical Association to see if they describe and match the services or procedures you received. If you notice CPT codes not corresponding to any received services, inform the billing department about the issue and fix it.
Requesting an Extension Date for Your Hospital Bill
Sometimes, you only need a little bit more time to clear your bills. If that's the case, you'll need to schedule a phone call or send a request letter to the health care provider you owe the bill asking to delay the payments or instead lower the amount. In your request letter, don't forget to include:
- You name
- Your address
- Appropriate documentation
- Date of service
- The exact billed amount
Be formal and frank about your situation, and if asked, be ready to explain your financial hardship in detail and when you expect to settle the bills. Assuming they agree to modify the date of payments, you'll have bought yourself some additional time to generate more income or seek assistance. If still not enough, you could ask the medical care provider for a bill extension or a more reasonable payment plan.
How to Negotiate Lower Hospital Bills by Yourself
Whether for a diagnostic test or a relatively advanced procedure, the due hospital bill amount after your visit can be surprising, with or without health insurance. While there are consequences of not meeting hospital bills, having one doesn't make it a wrap for you.
Yes, it's possible to negotiate to . While some may deem contesting the bill as strenuous and intimidating, getting that bill discount is worth the shot. A survey by LendingTree reports that 93% of people who tried to negotiate their medical bills had them discounted, with some dropped altogether.
Some useful tips that could prove useful in your hospital bill negotiations include:
| Research Pricing | Search the billed health care service on nationwide databases such as FAIR Health or Healthcare Bluebook by procedure and zip code to get the average, fair price. If the difference is significant, employ that information as leverage in your negotiations. |
| Consult the Hospital Patient Advocate | Most healthcare providers have a patient advocate who addresses issues and complains before, during, or after receiving a hospital service.
In addition, they help patients deal with insurance and hospital bills and can also offer information about any ongoing financial assistance grants or programs. |
| Verify Billing Accuracy | Hospital bills are prone to overcharges and errors. Watch for charges on canceled services or procedures, incorrect codes, and duplicate billing. Also, refer to your insurer's Explanation of Benefits to identify any claim the hospital might have missed out on.
More strategies that could help your hospital bill negotiation case include:
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How DoNotPay Can Help
Through DoNotPay's Negotiate Bills product, you can reach out to the service provider you owe (a hospital in our case) and schedule a phone call. Even better, you can send them a respectful yet assertive letter requesting some relief from your due bills.
What to Do:
- Go to the Negotiate Bills product on DoNotPay.
- Choose whether you want us to call and negotiate your bill for you or send a bill negotiation letter on your behalf.
- Provide the details that will help us negotiate your bill including the company name and how much your current plan costs.
- Enter your contact information, including phone number, address, and email.
And that's it! DoNotPay will make the letter or call contact within a few days and that way, expect to have made a significant step towards lowering your bills.
Why Use DoNotPay to Help Negotiate Lower Hospital Bills
- Fast – We'll quickly schedule a call or generate and send a letter requesting a lower bill.
- Easyw – We'll handle the tedious groundwork towards achieving a discounted bill.
- Successful – Relax and watch DoNotPay relieve some, if not all, of your medical bill burden.
Can DoNotPay Help Me With Other Bills?
Of course. DoNotPay works across all companies and can indeed help you with other bills such as:
Other Services That DoNotPay Covers
Negotiating lower hospital bills is nothing but a glimpse of what DoNotPay can do. We boast more products that will prove useful when addressing different issues. Some include:
- Airline flight compensation hacks
- Send demand letters to anybody in small claims court
- File a complaint
- Notarize any document
- Connect with an inmate
Sit back and let DoNotPay make life easier!