I broke my ankle and now i can't work for 6 weeks.My job won't pay me for my time off and i have no insurance to pay for my doctor visits and so on.My family is willing to help if i can't pay for my medical bills and doctor visits plus now therapy.Need to know what i can do to get some of those bills half off or something.I now have no job until i heal.Any ideas anyone.I'm in the need of good info right now.
2007-01-16 07:49:04 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Injuries
As far as medical bills go (I assume you already went to the emergency room, if not, for the love of god go - they can't turn you away) call the hospital's billing department and plead poverty, They may be willing to work with you and reduce the amount of the bill or work out a payment plan. They may even (cross your fingers) be willing to wait until you get back to work. That's what I did (I was in a car wreck, I had insurance, but the deductible was HUGE - the hospital reduced my bill and worked out a monthly payment schedule). Explain your position to any doctor or therapist you go to ("Just so you know, I'll be paying out of pocket") beforehand. Odds are they will do what they can to help you out for less than they'd charge a medical company (One doctor I went to gave me a week's worth of samples instead making me pay for a prescription of antibiotics).
See if your job will be willing to give you a leave of absence or a sabbatical (so the job will be waiting for you when you get back) Check with a temp agency to find a desk job while you're laid up. (A temp job might last a month or so).
When you get back on your feet (sorry, the pun couldn't be avoided) get some medical insurance and make paying for it one of your priorities (a bare-bones policy will run you about $100 - $120 a month if you're in good health). There are worse things that can happen to you (and more expensive. After the car wreck I needed CT scans - $12k worth - we won't even talk about the surgery.)
Keep your bills and when tax season rolls around, see if you can get the medical expenses written off.
Hope this helps
2007-01-16 08:07:14 · answer #1 · answered by LX V 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nothing you can do. You will get bills. Pay what you can even if it is $10 a month once your back to work. As long as you are making an effort to pay, they cant really sue you for it. They can try, but I recently went through a similar situation, and the judgement was suspended and is not on my credit report because I made payments all along, and will continue to do so, until I can pay it off. Aside from that in the future when your back to work either find a job with benefits or check out some alternatives. Try www.healthcaregiant.com they have some pretty reasonable rates for uninsured people.
2007-01-16 08:00:29 · answer #2 · answered by sixpac304 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Did you go to a hospital? if you did contact some one in a customer relations department (not sure if thats what they call it at a hospital) And tell them your problem. Most hospitals get government money (except private ones) and they set aside money for this very same thing. The best time to go to them is at the beginning of they year (they usually have more money at this time then at the end of they year). I have know some to get their entire bill paid this way. But if you went to a regular doctor (private practice) all I can say is ask if you can make payments. I am not sure what to tell you about the Therapy but check with your local hospital sometimes they will have free clinics that might provide that. As far as your everyday expenses ask your local government they may have programs that can help temporally. good luck
2007-01-16 08:04:07 · answer #3 · answered by Cajun mama 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
just go to the hospital. let them know you don't have insurance. they can set you up with a long term payment plan. it sucks to know that you'll be paying on it for a long time, but it's better than having permanent ankle pain, and a limp.
also, be sure to go over your bills with a fine tooth comb. if you have questions about anything you're being billed for, call and ask what it is. if it didn't happen, or it's an item you didn't recieve, you can dispute it. doing this will lower your bill. they always charge you for things that didn't actually happen. it's a way to get more out of insurance.
2007-01-16 08:00:34 · answer #4 · answered by knowitall 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Call the hospital. Tell them your condition of no job and that you can't pay your bills. They'll send you some forms to fill out to lower your hospital bill, but as far as the doctors are concerned I never did get them to lower their bills. However, you can pay them out a little at a time once you get back to work.
2007-01-16 07:56:32 · answer #5 · answered by Jeancommunicates 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ask if the hospital has a social worker who can help you find state/local resources.
Contact your local charities - i.e. Red Cross, United Way and see if they can help you or direct towards an agency that can help you.
Try to work out a payment schedule with the hospital.
2007-01-16 10:03:21 · answer #6 · answered by Treadstone 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1. Be sure to stock up on some food
2. Let you ankle REST
3. When you can get insurence, get insurence
2007-01-16 07:54:17 · answer #7 · answered by Chris W 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
go to the emergency room at a county or state hospital. you will wait but it could free
2007-01-16 07:55:53 · answer #8 · answered by auburntiger 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Walk it off
2007-01-16 07:56:17 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋