Can you get a payment plan for your medical bills?

Hospitals and clinics generally allow a patient to set up a payment plan if she is having trouble paying a large bill, according to Forbes. There could also be financial assistance available even for people above the poverty line.

Experts encourage people facing high medical bills to act as quickly as possible because negotiating is more difficult once the bills have been passed to a collection agency, as reported by U.S. News & World Reports. Patients should keep track of all bills and review them to check for overcharges.

It is also possible to contest an insurer's decision or to negotiate hospital bills down based on what other hospitals charge for the same service, Forbes advises.