What Happens If You Don't Pay For Your Medical Bills?

Not paying medical bills on time and in full can cause trouble, and Missouri Title Loans, Inc. is here to tell you all about it. Failing to settle your medical bills by their deadlines can cause you to experience late payment fees, among other issues.

In this guide, you’ll discover the five things that can happen if you don’t pay your medical bills. Then, you’ll also find helpful tips to avoid those problems altogether.

5 Things That Can Happen If You Don’t Pay Your Medical Bills

Suffering an injury or falling sick can turn your life upside down, especially if it involves hefty medical bills.

While your recovery should be the top priority, you must also ensure you pay those bills on time and in full to avoid the following problems:

1. Increased Costs 

Your medical bills are likely quite expensive already, with treatments, medications, and other charges being added to them. 

However, failing to pay that bill could make it even more expensive if extra charges like late fees and other penalties are added.

Unfortunately, those increased costs can worsen your situation the longer you leave them unresolved, as they’ll lead to the other issues on this list.

2. Denied Medical Services

Your current round of medical treatments might be over, but some people will require even more shortly. Failing to pay your medical bills could cause a physician to deny you any future medical services until your previous bill is paid.

In other words, you’ll want to pay that first medical bill just in case you need to see the doctor again for a follow-up later.

3. Credit Score Damage

Sometimes, your inability to pay your medical bill could be reported to the major credit agencies. This could damage your credit score, lowering it significantly.

As you can imagine, a lower credit score has far-reaching effects. You might struggle to access other forms of credit in the future, such as qualifying for a credit card or loan from a traditional financial institution like a bank.

4. Dealing With Collection Agencies

In more severe cases of unpaid medical bills, dealing with collection agencies might be another problem.

As your doctor or hospital continues to receive no payment from you, they might turn to various collection agencies to do it on their behalf.

That could also mean other legal troubles, as those agencies do everything they can to collect the money you owe.

5. Stress And Anxiety

Last but certainly not least, you could also suffer adverse outcomes that have nothing to do with money or numbers, like stress and anxiety.

The stress from unpaid medical bills could trouble you, further delaying your physical recovery.

What You Can Do To Avoid Medical Bill Payment Issues

Managing your medical bills and ensuring you pay them on time can be pretty challenging. That’s especially true if you’re focusing on your recovery and have other life responsibilities to take care of.

Here are a few ways you can avoid medical bill payment issues and avoid the problems described earlier:

• Review: First and foremost, review your medical bill carefully and read the fine print. You must understand how much you owe and when your payment deadlines are.
• Payment plans: Next, explore all available payment plans. Hospitals and doctor’s offices will probably have plans to help people in your position.
• Financial assistance programs: Beyond that, you can also explore assistance programs by the local, state, or federal government and its agencies. You might qualify for help depending on your situation and where you live.
• Budget and prioritize: Review your budget and pay your medical bill first.
• Emergency loan: Lastly, consider getting an emergency loan. A quick loan could help you pay the medical bill so you can focus on what matters most: your recovery.

One example of an emergency loan you might find helpful is a title loan.

Suppose you own a car with a lien-free title. In that case, you can use that title as collateral to borrow up to $15,000 to pay your medical bills.

The exact amount you could qualify for will depend on your car’s value, which a representative will assess. That will happen with an inspection as you go through the process to get a title loan.

One of the most important benefits of this type of loan is its speed. The process is straightforward and quick, but you could get paid as early as the same day or the next business day if approved!

Get Emergency Money Now!

The problems that result from not paying medical bills are plenty, and they’re not worth the trouble they bring. For example, you’ll have to deal with late payment fees, among others, for unpaid medical bills.

Follow the steps detailed above to avoid those problems, and remember that Missouri Title Loans, Inc. is always ready to help you with an emergency loan. Take the first step by submitting the online form with your information so our representative can call you back soon!

Note: The content provided in this article is only for informational purposes, and you should contact your financial advisor about your specific financial situation.