Major health procedure is usually expensive, therefore a financial assistance for hospital bills will be a great help, especially for the ones with low annual income. However, many people make mistakes by requesting the financial aid AFTER they are billed. If you do this, the chance is that you won’t get the help you need. This post is made under the assumption that the patient is not having an emergency treatment.
We recommend you to apply for a help before you get your major health procedure such as surgery. The hospital usually has a specific office that can help people who need financial assistance. Sometimes, when you’re lucky the hospital works together with some charities or government program to assist low-income families. This is the first step to do, especially if you have no insurance. The assistance will be in the form of vouchers or discounted services. We recommend you to call the hospital beforehand and ask about the financial services etc. Here are some of the government grants for hospital bills programs offered by the hospital:
The medical debts settlement
Even if you have debts as a result of the inability to pay the hospital bills, usually the hospital does have some options to settle the problem. Most hospitals don’t want to sue their patient because it is bad for their image.
Prescription Drug Assistance
Lower price on medicine and drugs is possible from the hospital. Of course, this depends on the level of your income, whether you are insured or uninsured, etc. Sometimes the pharmaceutical company works together with the hospital to help low-income families.
Government Financial Assistance for Hospital Bills
You can also turn your eyes to the government for help. As expected, there are programs available such as the Medicare and Medicaid. These programs are excellent programs that have helped many fellow Americans. However, if you are not qualified for these two programs but your income is still insufficient for paying the hospital bills, there are other alternatives available.
The COBRA health insurance premiums is a government assistance program that can give you a big discount on your hospital bills. Up to 65 of the cost is covered, as long as you are eligible for the help.
There’s also the Hill-Burton Hospital Free Care program, which is a health program for low-income people. There are often free health care services available or at least a heavily discounted cost. The program also offers grants for helping eligible people to pay their hospital bills. However, it is important to know that the doctor’s fee is not included.
Last but not least, there is charities program available that may be able to help paying the bill. Depending on the size of the charity program, they can provide small help and even free health care sometimes.
There are still other programs that may be able to help you cover your medical cost. Most are available from the government, disease-specific organization (such as cancer care) and the pharmaceutical companies. Contact them to find more information about the grants for hospital bills!
References:
- Seeking Financial Assistance For Your Medical Bills
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