Here are some ways to avoid being overcharged by medical bills & tips on how you can get rid of your medical debt

By: Darrell Castle

Americans are putting more of their take-home pay toward medical costs than ever before, according to NerdWallet.

Credit card debt is bad – we hear about it and witness it all the time. It’s become increasingly easy to obtain a credit card and swipe it to make purchases when your bank account says you can’t afford to.

However, despite how bad credit card debt has gotten in America, medical debt is worse!

Americans pay triple the amount in third-party collections of medical debt than they pay for bank and credit card debt COMBINED, according to NerdWallet.

How severe is this problem? Roughly one in every five American adults will be contacted by a debt collector regarding medical bills.

The worse thing is that these people are being overcharged on a consistent basis.

Here are some alarming NerdWallet numbers:

26% – this is the percentage amount that many hospitals are OVERCHARGING their patients due to billing errors.

63%– the percentage of American adults indicating they’ve received medical bills costing more than they expected.

What can you do to avoid being overcharged?

Always talk to the hospital officials about the bill ahead of time. This will give you a good knowledge of what you’re expected to pay.

Then, while in the hospital, keep a log of the time and date you’re in the hospital and when you leave. By doing this, you can prove the actual time you were a guest. You should also log the procedures and medication provided by the hospital.

Then, once the bill comes, you should order an itemized statement for a complete breakdown. Check this breakdown carefully and dispute any charges that aren’t correct.

What can you do if you can’t pay your medical bills?

If your medical bills are just too steep and you can’t pay them, you’re not alone. Many Americans are in debt and one of the top reasons, if not the top, is medical bills.

However, you should confront your medical bills before they get out of hand and begin to affect on-time payments of your other bills.

You can do this through a bankruptcy. By filing bankruptcy, you can discharge your debt that you can’t pay through a Chapter 7, or you can lump your debt into an affordable longer repayment plan through a Chapter 13.

What about your credit score?

Then, once the bankruptcy is complete, you’re free of that debt and can begin rebuilding your credit score that the late payments probably affected, because a good credit score is important.

At Darrell Castle & Associates, we not only want to help you get out of debt through bankruptcy, but we also want to provide you with the tools to succeed after it.

We do this by offering you – our client – free access to a credit restoration program with a $1,000 value. This program, 7 Steps to a 720, will teach you the tips and tricks the banks don’t want you to know in regards to re-establishing and rebuilding your credit score the RIGHT WAY.

And with us, you get a firm that’s received multiple Client Distinction Awards from Martindale-Hubbel for client satisfaction, so I can assure you that you’re in good hands.

Call (901) 327-2100 to schedule a free consultation with an experienced bankruptcy attorney today, or fill out one of the contact forms on this page.