It has been estimated more than 450,000 people in the San Diego area are dealing with medical debt. RIP Medical Debt tells NBC 7 Responds that San Diegans owe close to $670-million dollars, sitting in collections right now.
Delinquent accounts are typically sold off to third-party collection agencies three months after a patient receives their final bill. So how can you prevent your account from ending up in collections?
“I always say it’s never too late to reach out for help,” said Bruce McClary with the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, “The longer you wait to get help, the fewer options there are.”
McClary said the first thing anybody should do is have an open dialogue with the care provider. He said sometimes you can negotiate the cost, try to come to an affordable agreement or set up a payment plan.
“You have every right to talk to them about bringing down the cost of services,” McClary said, “It doesn’t just start and stop at the cost of medication, it can be procedures that you have to go through at the doctor’s office.”
Another tip McClary has is to look the bills over when they come in.
“Pay attention to the bills, don’t ignore them,” he said, “If you ignore them, the problem gets worse and it’s going to be much more complicated to take care of.”
Local
NBC 7 Responds is helping to erase some of the medical debt in San Diego County. NBC Universal Owned Television Stations has made a donation to RIP Medical Debt to help forgive up to one-million dollars of debt locally.
To find out how you can help those in need, click here.
