You were only 23 when you first found out that you had a chronic health condition. Over the years, you’ve had times where you were never ill. You’ve also had times when you needed hospitalization to get your condition under control.

Most recently, you had a two-week stay in a hospital while you were dealing with life-threatening complications of your illness. When you finally left, you went back to work, but you couldn’t go back full-time. Eventually, your employer limited your hours so much that you couldn’t make ends meet anymore. 

Dealing with medical debt is no easy feat. It can be overwhelming and weigh you down. In just a week, you managed to rack up thousands of dollars in debt, even with insurance coverage. The good news is that it’s possible to tackle and eliminate those debts.

One of the things you need to do right away is to stay informed about your opportunities to apply for financial support or assistance. Talk to the hospital about programs that they have available. If you can’t find support there, you may want to start comparing prices between hospitals and medical companies. If you find lower rates, negotiate your bills with the hospital to reduce what you owe. 

If you are trying to pay what you owe but can’t pay enough, negotiate. Your provider may be happy to put you onto a payment plan so that you pay what you owe over time. Most providers would prefer to receive some money rather than nothing.

Finally, if you truly are overwhelmed and can’t pay, your attorney may have more information for you about Chapter 7 bankruptcy and how it could help.