Friend got hurt, has over 100,000 dollars in insurance bill,what should he do??

Question

My friend got shot in the leg two years ago, and he has like over 130,000 dollars in insurance bills cause he didnt have any insurance, are there any programs or anything he can do to help him pay off this debt and fix his credit????

Answer 1

Bankrupt, they usually are lenient for doctor bills.

Answer 2

If he was shot by someone else, he might be able to get assistance from the state's victim assistance programs.

However, that can be a pretty long process. So, while he may want to go ahead and pursue it, he'll probably have to consider some other alternatives also.

The first thing he MUST do is contact those he owes and try to set up a payment plan. Even if he can only pay them $10/month, it's my understanding that they are required to accept that, as long as he is consistantly making a good-faith effort to pay something. (I work in insurance, so paying bills without insurance isn't exactly my field of expertise...) I can tell you for certain, though, if he ignores them, they WILL send these bills to collections. And that's when things will get really ugly.

Also, some (not all) hospitals will agree to "write off" part of the bill (and sometimes a significant portion of the bill) if you do call and try to make arrangements to pay, while they'll sell the full amount of the debt to the collections agencies if it goes that far.

Answer 3

If he didn't make arrangements with the shooter (assuming an amicable relationship) or sue the shooter then there's nothing he can really do about his credit. If he's got extraordinary medical bills, he can contact the local medicaid representative for his county and apply for a medicaid spend-down. That way he'll get some help with his creditors and they won't be able to go after him for the full amount. They can only go after him for the amount that the state determines he's able to pay off.

The only other thing he can do is go to a credit agency and get certified that he's unable to repay his debt. Then file for bankruptcy and wipe the debts clean. 5 years after the bankruptcy discharge his credit will be decent again. In 10 years the bankruptcy will disappear altogether.

Answer 4

Try contacting the hospital where he was treated and ask for a social worker - they can often set you up with a charity to help you pay the bills.

Otherwise, start making payments - even $20 a month.

Answer 5

If you're friend is that much in the hole with medical expenses, he may want to consider filing bankruptcy. In all honesty this is the most drastic measure you should ever consider taking, especially because it ruins your credit for a considerable amount of time, but if he does this, he will gain solvency as far as his mounting medical bills go.

Answer 6

has he asked the hospital to waive the bills ,sometimes they have programs for that ,and i hate to say banckruptcy ,or just pay what he can on a regular basis,he could sue the person who shot him thats all i can think of hope he is ok good luck

Answer 7

Not that I know of. But those kind of medical bills usually justify filing bankruptcy. It's going to ruin his credit, but it seems the logical thing to do.

Answer 8

sue the idiot that shot him. also, he should try to get a grant from the government so that he can pay all of it off, and he wont have to pay back a government grant. the best part is that he can make us tax payers pay for that loser that shot him'e expenses.

Answer 9

You don't say how who or why he was shot. (He could sue someone.) If the hospital accepted him w/o insurance they will let him make payments and as long as he keeps them up it won't affect his credit.Where was he shot? Inside a building? Sue them.

Answer 10

Yes he should contact the billing companies and they can probably set up a payment plan for him