It’s a fact that hospital bills are expensive. There isn’t really anything you can do to change that, and most people expect a high cost for a medical procedure. I mean, would you have more trust in a doctor charging $500 for LASIK eye surgery or one charging $50? No doubt a trip to the hospital will cost quite a bit, but there are numerous things you need to look at before paying the bill.
For starters, the hospital will not force you to pay an entire lump sum if you don’t have the money. It is possible to work out a payment plan and pay off the bill in monthly installments. However, the hospital may not tell you about this option, so you need to inquire about it.
You may also qualify for assistance or a discount based on your income. Most hospitals have financial counselors who can look at your situation and determine if the hospital can give you a discount or if the government can help you out. Each state has different rules and regulations, but there may be some financial assistance available to you if you don’t have health insurance or if your insurance company denies paying a portion of the bill. You might also be able to receive help from a public insurance program like Medicaid, but once again the hospital might not tell you this upfront, so you need to talk to your doctor about your options.
Something you must look out for is errors. We’re all human; everyone makes mistakes, even doctors. Hospital bills are infamous for errors (the Medical Billing Advocates of America claims that, out of every ten medical bills, eight have errors that could inflate the cost) so you must ask for three things: an itemized copy of your bill, a copy of your medical chart, and a copy of your pharmacy ledger. The ledger is important because it will give a list of the drugs you were given while you were in the hospital.
You need to be aware of the small errors, such as typos or duplicate billing, but there are some more subtle errors you might not know could even happen. You could be charged for a test that was ordered by your doctor, but then canceled. You could also be wrongly charged for a test that had to be administered twice because of a machine malfunction. The worst error, though, is upcoding, where charges are inflated to make the situation seem more serious than it actually was. For example, a doctor may have given you a generic prescription, but the hospital bill could list a more expensive brand-name drug.
You may have an expensive hospital bill, but that doesn’t mean you can’t pay for it. Look at your payment options, be aware of possible errors, and always ask questions if you don’t know what to do. If your doctor can give you clear answers to your questions, you will be in better shape when it comes to paying the bill.
He played clarinet for the Marching Tar Heels in 2005 and 2006. He also volunteered for STV, the student-run television station at UNC-Chapel Hill, in the spring of 2010. He shot video, wrote scripts, and acted for “Off the Cuff,” UNC’s longest running sketch comedy show. He has the rare distinction of having lived in a dorm all four years of his undergraduate college career. He was also on Franklin Street on the night of April 4, 2009. His future plans are to pursue a master’s degree in journalism and to one day work for the media as a sports journalist or broadcaster.
Being one of eight children, David realizes finance is an important topic to everyone, regardless of his/her knowledge of the subject. His interests are in personal finance, budgeting, and savings.
In his spare time, David enjoys watching sports and standup comedy, as well as doing crossword puzzles and writing in the first person. He also thoroughly enjoys trivia and, one day, hopes to participate on the game show Jeopardy!, where he will try to break Ken Jennings’ 74-game win streak.
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