Something Your Hospital Isn’t Telling You: “Everything is negotiable.”
Photo: lovemetwee
Hospitals (in most cases) are not unreasonable. They’d much rather bargain with you than the alternative.
Think about it from their point of view: Hospitals are between a rock and a hard place when it comes to collections. The gov’t pays peanuts and the insurance companies are no more interested in giving hospitals their due than they’re interested in lowering your rates. Bankruptcy is at an all time high in this country, one of the driving forces of which is medical bills. Also keep in mind that collection agencies usually take 25% or more for their services.
Realizing all of this, keep your hospital in the loop if you owe them a wad of cash but are coming up short. Let them know what’s going on and what you can realistically pay; you may find them more accommodating than you think.
