West Palm Beach Medical Debt Attorney
With the astronomical cost of health care today, the bill for a single illness, injury, or even a preventive medical treatment can easily reach five figures. With or without insurance, it may be an amount you simply can’t afford to pay. And medical bills add up quickly—just when you thought you’d seen the last one, another arrives in the mail. All this can lead to high medical debt that you may not know what to do with, as well as significant stress in addition to the medical crisis you just went through. At Kelley Kaplan & Eller, our West Palm Beach medical debt attorneys help clients with high medical debt by finding solutions that provide relief and an improved financial situation overall.
Ways to Overcome Medical Debt
Medical debt is a serious issue in Florida and across the country. For years, it has been the number one reason people file for bankruptcy. According to a 2016 survey, 20% of Americans with health insurance found that when trying to pay off their medical bills, they experienced serious financial challenges and even changes in employment and lifestyle. And for those without insurance, the number rose to 53%. These statistics show that people filing for bankruptcy haven’t necessarily made poor financial decisions, and medical bills can have a devastating effect on both insured and uninsured people.
So, what are some ways to overcome medical debt? First, it may be possible to negotiate with your medical service provider to pay a lower amount than you owe. (For them, getting something is better than getting nothing.) You may also be able to set up a payment arrangement, where you pay a certain amount that you can afford each month. Another option is Medicaid. If you qualify for Medicaid, it can be used to pay for medical expenses you’ve already incurred, but only within a certain time frame, so you must apply as soon as possible after receiving a medical bill.
Last (but certainly not least), bankruptcy can be a helpful and powerful solution for many people with unmanageable medical debt. It’s not easy to get out of debt alone, especially if you have limited resources, but filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy allows you to keep your essential property while getting rid of your medical debt and other unsecured debt, such as credit card bills and personal loans, which may be linked to your medical debt. If so, you’re not alone. Many people who can’t afford to pay their medical bills accrue additional credit card debt or resort to a payday lender. Bankruptcy puts an end to all this, and the creditors will stop calling you.
Talk to an Attorney about Your Medical Debt
Ignoring your medical debt will not make it go away. The sooner you address the issue, the sooner you can get your financial situation back on track. Contact Kelley Kaplan & Eller to speak with an experienced West Palm Beach bankruptcy attorney about your medical debt. We’ll provide you with options to arrive at the right solution for your needs.
