The number one cause of all debt and bankruptcy in the United States is medical bills, medical debt. It can feel daunting and downright scary being confronted by this, not knowing your rights or what you can do about it.
If you have medical bills to pay right now or know you may need to in the future, then you’ll want to listen in on today’s episode.
Dr Virgie educates us on the three steps you should take to pay your medical bills, what to do if you can’t afford your medical bill, busting myths and sharing the top 5 reasons people end up overpaying their medical bills.
Meet Dr Virgie…
Dr. Virgie Bright Ellington is an internal medicine physician and medical billing expert.
A dedicated patient advocate, Dr. Virgie practiced more than 20 years in primary care and psychiatric settings and as a health insurance executive.
Dr. Virgie now helps patients understand complex medical procedures, communicate effectively with their healthcare providers, and avoid financial devastation from crushing medical bills through her "What Your Doctor Wants You to Know" series.
She is the author of "What Your Doctor Wants You to Know to CRUSH MEDICAL DEBT" and the host of the weekly "Ask a Doctor - What Your Doctor Wants You to Know with Dr. Virgie" show on the VoiceAmerica radio network.
“The number one cause of all debt and bankruptcy in the United States is medical bills, medical debt. Unfortunately there's some numbers that say up to 30% of that is bills that people did not owe, or there are bills that they were overcharged.”
-Dr. Virgie Bright Ellington
Timestamps
03:46 - Meet Dr Virgie
07:20 - Why you shouldn't sign papers in the hospital accepting liability for costs your insurance doesn't cover.
13:27 - The three steps to paying your medical bill
17:33 - What to do if you can't afford to pay what you owe.
19:31 - Are there different steps for bills from your doctors office?
20:35 - Why do healthcare facilities agree to your payment plans.
21:35 - Myth Buster: Can they send your bill to collections if you keep paying as little as $10 per month?
25:05 - The top 5 reasons people overpaying on their medical bills?
31:10 - Surprise billing and what it means for you
32:11 - Book recommendation
Want to take the stress off your shoulders? Ready to learn how to create AND stick to your budget?! Check out my Free Workshop: How to Create and Stick to a Budget (even when you are overwhelmed)! Go to budgetsmadeeasy.com/workshop and get started today.
And if you enjoyed the podcast today and got some great takeaways, I’d really appreciate it if you followed the Money Mindset Podcast so you don’t miss out on future episodes.
Resources and Links Mentioned:
- Free Budgeting Workshop: budgetsmadeeasy.com/workshop
- Medical Bill Checklist: https://crushmedicaldebt.com/medical-bill-paying-checklist
Book Recommendation:
- Your Money or Your Life - Joe Dominguez & Vicki Robin
Connect with Ashley:
Connect with Guest:
- IG: https://www.instagram.com/therealdrvirgie
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DoctorDiaries
- Website: crushmedicaldebt.com
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealdrvirgie
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCmA-WL2ucIfDelCMr1wzgKg
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drvirgie