Hi, This is my first visit. I had wrist surgery last summer, and I didn't have insurance. The hospital took half down, I thought, and then after day surgery that turned to overnight; I received a $15,000 bill. That 1500% higher than the agreement. I was overwhelmed. Now I am ready to take action. Any comments?.
That was a low blow, but very common for medical bills. Have they sent you to a collection agency yet? If not, you might have better luck fighting with them once it's in collections. Simple reason is that collectors usually violate your civil rights in multiple way and you then have a new avenue of approach that you don't have before collections.
First, get a super detailed itemized listing of every charge that makes up that bill. Hopistals are notorious for billing screw ups. Demand they remove all items that they can not prove you received. For a bill this high, it might be worth paying a medical billing expert to audit it. They can spot the mistakes and the over-charges. Second, most hospitals have a desk that works out payment plans. They may let you pay this off over a couple of years.
