 TITLE: How to Get Help Paying Medical Bills CONTENT: Consider a Medical Billing Advocate\n-----------------------------------\nIf you're feeling overwhelmed or aren't getting anywhere on your own, you could hire a medical billing advocate to work on your behalf.\nThe advocate may go through the same process described above—looking over your EOB and bill and discussing payment options with the medical provider. But their experience and expertise may help them quickly spot errors or know which options your provider tends to offer. Advocates can also try to negotiate on your behalf, working to get fees and bills waived or lowered.\nMedical billing advocates charge for their services, but they may help you save hundreds or thousands of dollars. Depending on the advocate and situation, you may pay hourly, by project, based on how much you save or a monthly fee (when retaining an advocate for ongoing services).\nAsk your employer if it retains medical billing advocates as an employee benefit. If not, it might not make sense to hire an advocate unless you're facing very high bills or a big stack of paperwork you can't manage on your own.\nIf you're interested in working with an advocate, you can find options from accreditation organizations and directories, such as the Alliance of Claims Assistance Professionals and AdvoConnection. You may want to interview and compare advocates to find one that's familiar with your insurance provider, medical situation and who charges a fee you can afford. END