Medical debt can be overwhelming. Here's how to get help.

Navigating medical debt, however big or small, can be a challenging process.

Copays and deductibles vary by provider, as do fees from hospitals, private practices and urgent care centers. National nonprofit group Dollar For, which helps people pay their bills through charity, said that Americans have $195 billion in medical debt.

"Medical debt is different from other debts. It's not a debt of choice, so we have to set it aside from other kinds of debt," said Ruth Landé, the vice president of provider relations for Boston-based nonprofit group Undue Medical Debt, which buys medical bills in bulk from collectors and pays them off. 

Newsday reached out to the social advocacy group Community Service Society of New York (CSS), as well as other experts and health professionals, for advice on what to do when medical bills start piling up.

Are there any options for people who are burdened financially by medical costs?

The answer is a definitive "yes," according to attorney and advocate Elisabeth Benjamin, the vice president of health initiatives at CSS — you just need to ask.

"The first thing I would say is to ask for a discount. If you don't have insurance for the procedure you're getting — if you're in your deductible or don't have coverage — then ask if they can knock down the price for you," she said. "You'd be surprised how often they will."

Benjamin said that if a procedure or treatment is denied by insurance, patients should appeal.

All patients are given access to these programs despite their income levels, but that their income is one of the factors evaluated in providing assistance.

"Patients should also ask for a payment plan or a reduction," said Dr. David Himmelstein, a professor of Public Health at Hunter College.

Himmelstein also suggests patients with financial need seek out safety net hospitals, which offer care regardless of income or insurance status, often treating patients who are on Medicaid or Medicare. Long Island safety net hospitals include Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, NYU Langone Hospital - Long Island in Mineola and Stony Brook University Hospital in Stony Brook.

Do hospitals write off/subsidize medical bills?

As of October 2024, New York State law requires that all hospitals offer financial assistance.

"Hospitals do write off and subsidize medical bills all the time," said Benjamin. She added that there's one uniform financial aid form that's used throughout the state, and you should fill it out and apply for it. All New York State hospitals are required to follow the Patient Financial Assistance Law, according to Benjamin. The forms and information can be found here.

Dr. Gerard Brogan, MD, Northwell Health's chief revenue officer, said that there are financial services available to patients who struggle to pay their bills and these services have been offered for at least a decade.

"What we're seeing more often than in the past are patients who have insurance but have very high deductible plans or plans that don't cover what the patient thought the plan covers," Brogan said. "They, like patients who may not have any insurance, may feel as if they're unable to pay their medical bills."

But, Himmelstein said, each patient's case is different.

"You can't always predict [which hospital is] going to do it and who's not," he said.

Can a hospital sue me over my debt?

Yes, hospitals can sue patients over unpaid bills.

In the first half of 2024, Stony Brook University Hospital filed more than 950 lawsuits against people believed to owe the hospital money, Newsday reported. But an October 2024 change in New York State law made it much more difficult for a hospital to sue a patient over unpaid medical bills.

In accordance with the change in the law, hospitals cannot sue patients that are 400% under the federal poverty line.

And "no health care provider can put a lien on your home or garnish your wages for medical debt," said Benjamin.

There is, however, one exception.

How does medical debt affect my credit?

Providers are not allowed to report medical debt to a credit reporting agency, nor can a credit reporting agency report a medical debt unless you used a nonmedical credit card, according to the New York State Department of Health.

But if a patient uses their regular credit card to pay for the medical debt, Himmelstein warned, it's treated not as a debt to a provider but as a debt to creditor. While the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau instituted a rule to end this policy in January, it has yet to go into effect due to a lawsuit in Texas trying to stop the CFPB, according to consumer advocacy group Public Interest Research Group (PIRG).

Where can I go for help?

In New York, patients can call Community Health Advocates at 888-614-5400, which is part of CSS, said Benjamin. The group will help people enroll in insurance, answer medical debt questions and help with lawsuits and bills.

Veterans can find medical debt assistance with the Department of Veterans' Services.

Learn how to apply for Medicaid here.

Learn how to apply for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), a federal and state program that provides low-cost coverage to undeserved children, here.

Nonprofit organizations:

• HealthWell Foundation assists with copays, premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses for essential treatments and medications.
• Patient Access Network Foundation provides financial support to underinsured individuals with chronic or life-threatening diseases, covering expenses like copays and travel costs. More than 80 diseases are covered.
• Patient Advocate Foundation provides case management for those with chronic, life-threatening illnesses.
• Undue Medical Debt (formerly RIP Medical Debt) buys medical bills in bulk from collectors.
• If you feel you've been unfairly targeted financially by a health care organization, file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau here.