 TITLE: How Do Medical Bill Payment Plans Work? CONTENT: How to Pay for Medical Expenses When Money Is Tight\n---------------------------------------------------\nGetting on a medical bill payment plan won't guarantee that you'll be able to afford to pay off your balance. If you need more help paying medical bills, there are a few options you can consider.\nFor starters, request an itemized bill if you don't already have one, and review it for double charges or for services that you didn't receive. Also, make sure your insurance company paid everything it was supposed to—depending on how health care providers code services, it may not get covered even if it's supposed to be. Check your benefits and call your insurance provider if you think a service or procedure should have been covered. When you talk to your insurance company, be sure to note who you talked to and what exactly was discussed.\nIf you can reduce your bill through these efforts, it could make a huge difference. If they don't solve your problem, however, there are some other ways to get help paying your medical debt.\nConsider reaching out to government programs. For instance, you may qualify for Medicaid, which provides free or low-cost medical benefits to those who don't make a lot of money. If you have kids, you may also be able to apply for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which will cover them for medical and dental care until they reach age 19.\nAlso, look to companies and nonprofit organizations for assistance programs. Some examples include:\n*   Pharmaceutical company patient assistance programs.\n*   CancerCare for specific cancer diagnoses.\n*   [HealthWell Foundation]([]=open) for a variety of diseases.\n*   Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for patients with those diseases.\n*   Patient Access Network Foundation for several different diseases.\nAdditionally, many states have laws that limit how much a hospital can charge if a patient's income meets low-income criteria based on the poverty guidelines for that state. END