GREENSBORO, N.C. — When you're laying in a hospital bed or a loved one is, you're focused on what the doctor is telling you and the steps to recovery after your hospital stay.
What inevitably comes, is the bill. In the case of a North Carolina family, The bill was $22,000. The mom wrote to 2WTK saying:
We filed for financial assistance but were denied. Spartanburg Regional Hospital offered a 25% discount if I paid in full or I could make monthly payments of $372.65 for 60 months. I offered to make monthly payments of $200.00 but Spartanburg said that was not enough to stop the collection process.
It's frustrating to be willing to pay the bill, but not have the billing department seem to want to work with you. 2 Wants To Know reached out to the hospital, simply asking them to look at this case and work on a payment plan.
Here's what happened: The hospital accepted the $200 a month payment plan, and get this, reduced the total bill by 30%, that's a savings of about $6,700!
2WTK was happy to help in the solution process, but we're not the only ones who can.
“Anytime you can pull someone else in, if that's going to be a bad look for the hospital to pursue it, it may be worth your while. But also remember to be diplomatic and not just angry because ultimately you want this group to work with you,” said Caitlin Donovan, National Patient Advocate Foundation.
Getting a third party involved can mean several things, if you're on Medicaid or Medicare, try your local delegation or organizations that provide case management to patients free of charge—like the National Patient Advocate Foundation. Depending on the amount of your bill, an attorney may be the best person to bring in.