According to a 2009 report in "The American Journal of Medicine," 61 percent of individuals who filed for bankruptcy in 2007 did so in response to medical debt. Of these individuals, 92 percent had over $5,000 in medical debt. Medical debt affects the insured as well as the uninsured, as 75 percent of the individuals interviewed for the report had some form of health insurance.
Medicaid
Uninsured, low-income individuals with medical debts can apply for Medicaid through their local Department of Health and Human Services. Eligibility criteria may vary by state. However, if an applicant is eligible for benefits, Medicaid may pay for medical services a patient received as long as three months before receiving health insurance coverage.
Churches
Larger churches often provide assistance to their own parishioners and members of the community through a benevolence program. If a church does not have a benevolence program, the pastor may have a discretionary account that he can use to help individuals pay for medical bills. The process to request funds to help pay for medical debts vary by church -- some require applicants to fill out an application, while others only ask for copies of the medical bills. If a patient does not attend a church, she can ask her friends about benevolence programs at their churches or call local pastors to see if the church can offer medical debt assistance.
NonProfit Patient Assistance Organizations
An individual with a rare, serious or chronic condition might be able to find medical bill debt help through a disease-specific organization. As an example, those with cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS) can apply for co-pay assistance from the CAPS Premium & Co-payment Assistance Fund. In addition to providing assistance with medical debt, a disease-specific organization may also help a patient get free or low-cost medications. Medical social workers, case managers, doctors and hospital resource centers can help a patient learn more about disease-specific organizations and local agencies that provide assistance with medical debt.
Medical Practices
Hospitals and clinics sometimes offer discounts for medical services provided to low-income patients. To find out if a medical service provider offers a financial assistance program, a patient should call the provider's billing department or speak to the office receptionist. If the provider does have a financial assistance program, a patient may need to fill out an application and provide proof of income. If a medical provider cannot offer a discounted medical bill, or the adjusted amount is still too expensive, a patient can set up a monthly payment plan to help minimize the immediate financial impact of the bill.
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