Since early 2020, medical debt has become more of an issue than ever. If you were sick with coronavirus or if one of your dependents became ill, you may be exceedingly worried about the long-term effects, as well as completely overwhelmed regarding finances. It’s certainly not out of the question for many US citizens to be watching the medical bills pile up due to other medical problems too, as has been the case for a very long time; in fact, long before COVID-19 swept the world and the nation, medical bills were listed as the number one reason for filing for bankruptcy.
Recent news stated information from a recent report that over half of those who were sick with the coronavirus are now ‘struggling’ with medical bills.
“The good news in the report is that insurance losses during the pandemic may have been offset by federal efforts to help people get and maintain their insurance coverage,” said Sara Collins, vice president for health care coverage and access at The Commonwealth Fund.
“The bad news is that about a third of Americans continue to struggle with medical bills and medical debt, even those who have health insurance coverage, and medical bill problems were highest among people who were affected by the pandemic, either getting sick with COVID-19 or losing income during the pandemic or losing their insurance coverage. These people are stuck with large bills,” Collins said.
If you are unsure whether or not to start paying a large part or just a small part of the medical bills that are piling up for you, speak with an experienced medical debt attorney as soon as possible. While filing for bankruptcy may be the best option, this could also be an opportune time to negotiate with creditors and debt collection agencies. In the midst of so much financial strife for so many Americans, many agencies are more willing than ever to accept highly discounted sums.
If you are able to make a lump sum payment (and especially for pennies on the dollar) it could be well worth it to get the burden of debt off your back for good.
Speak with an attorney from Fitzgerald & Campbell, APLC as soon as possible to examine your options. Our attorneys have decades of experience in serving clients as they navigate through challenging financial situations, to include student loan issues, bankruptcy, and other debt management processes. We are here to help! Click here to schedule a free 30-minute consultation, call us at (844) 431-3851 or email us at info@debtorprotectors.com.