How To Get Assistance with Medical Bills

Medical bills often arrive when we’re at our most vulnerable: recovering from an injury, navigating an unplanned surgery, or managing chronic care. Even if you have insurance, an out-of-network healthcare visit can be unexpectedly costly. Because medical bills are frequently unplanned and confusing, medical debt is increasingly common, with over 100 million Americans carrying more than $220 billion in medical debt.

If you’ve received a medical bill your bank account can’t handle, don’t despair—there are ways to get assistance. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to take to manage your bills.

1. Ask for an Itemized Bill

Before you start to panic, call your provider’s billing department and ask for an itemized bill. Many medical bills contain errors—like services you didn’t receive, coding errors, duplicate charges, or denied insurance claims—that falsely increase what you owe. That’s why your first step should always be requesting an itemized bill, so you can understand each charge line by line and get any errors corrected if needed.

2. Negotiate Your Bill

Did you know that medical bills aren’t necessarily set in stone? You may be eligible for a discount or adjustment, depending on your provider’s explanation of benefits (EOB). An EOB is a document that explains the costs of your visit and how your claim was processed. Comparing your itemized bill with the EOB may reveal errors and give you negotiation power.

When you call your provider, ask, “What’s the settlement amount?” This is the portion of the account balance you’d pay to make the bill go away. If you do reach an agreement, don’t just take their word for it. Always get your negotiated settlement in writing to confirm the correct amount.

3. Ask About Your Options

Even if there are no errors on your bill, you can still reach out to discuss your bill with your provider. They may offer relief programs that ease the burden of your medical debt. Many hospitals also have patient advocates who can help you understand your bill, request financial assistance, and navigate insurance issues at no cost.

Some states even have laws that require hospitals to provide free or discounted care to patients, sometimes based on income level.

• California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington have protections that apply to all hospitals.
• Louisiana, Oregon, and Texas have protections that apply only to nonprofit or state hospitals.
• Colorado, Massachusetts, and South Carolina have state-run financial assistance programs.

Nonprofit hospitals in the U.S. are required to offer financial assistance based on income eligibility, so even if your state doesn’t mandate broader protections, your hospital may still offer significant discounts. Some providers even offer payment plans, often interest-free, to allow you to pay back your bill over a longer period of time.

If your bill has gone to collections, they may pause activity temporarily.

4. Apply for a Government Program

Depending on your age, income, employment status, and qualifying health issues, you could qualify for medical assistance through a government program. While these programs generally provide coverage for future care, some may help with certain past medical expenses depending on your situation. These programs include:

• Medicaid: Adults with a low income may be eligible for free or low-cost medical benefits through Medicaid. You may also qualify if you’re over 65 years of age, you have a disability, or you’re pregnant. Check with your state’s Medicaid agency to determine your eligibility.
• Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP): If your child is uninsured and under the age of 19, they may be eligible for medical or dental benefits through CHIP.
• Medicare: This federal health insurance program offers benefits for individuals over age 65. However, adults under 65 may also qualify for Medicare if they have disability, End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), or ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Medicare also offers a program called Extra Help that assists with prescription drug coverage.
• The Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Insurance Marketplace: This government-regulated service offers health insurance plans for individuals, families, and small businesses. There is no income limit. You can check your eligibility online.
• Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA): If you recently lost your job or lost your health insurance through another qualifying life event, you may qualify for COBRA. COBRA allows individuals and their families to temporarily maintain health insurance during a temporary lapse in coverage.

5. Reach Out to a Charitable Organization

There are countless nonprofit organizations designed to offer benefits and resources to people struggling with medical bills. These are just a few of the big ones:

• HealthWell Foundation assists underinsured people with chronic or life-altering diseases by helping with the costs of prescription copays, health insurance premiums, travel, and more.
• Patient Access Network Foundation (PAN) provides critical financial assistance to underinsured people to cover copays, health insurance premiums, and treatment costs. This nonprofit recently merged with the Patient Advocate Foundation to offer expanded assistance for patients in need.
• NeedyMeds helps people find affordable health clinics, connect with programs and discounts that can lower the costs of prescription medications, and access assistance with diagnosis-related costs.
• Dollar For helps patients apply for qualifying discounts or bill forgiveness programs within hospitals.

If you have a specific health condition, you may be able to find a nonprofit that offers assistance to people dealing with that condition, such as the American Kidney Fund for those with kidney disease or CancerCare for those with cancer.

Keep in mind that medical debt scams are very common, with scammers promising to remove medical debt from your credit report for a fee. A reputable organization or advocate will never pressure you or charge a large upfront fee.

6. Know Your Rights

Federal protections for medical debt have strengthened in recent years. As of January 2025, the CFPB issued rules to curb deceptive and unfair medical debt collection practices and remove medical bills from consumer credit reports nationwide, helping millions of Americans avoid long‑term financial harm from medical expenses. These protections help ensure that a medical emergency doesn’t damage your long‑term financial stability.

Medical bills are stressful, but with the right information and resources, they are manageable. We're here to help equip you with the tools and knowledge to move forward financially, even in the face of stressors like medical debt.