Medical-bill resources everyone should know about

Sourced from you, our readers!

Hi there —

A couple of weeks ago, we shared a note we got from a med student named Thomas asking us if we had a one-page guide that he could share with his patients — a sort of “one-stop shop” listing the best resources for dealing with medical costs.

We didn’t — but we thought it was a great idea.

So we put together our best first draft. (You can check that out here.) And… we asked you what we were missing.

You came through in a big way. We heard back from over a dozen of you.

And wow. We wish we’d asked you about these resources sooner — because a lot of them are so great, and worth sharing.

Here’s a roundup — including two tools that are functionally their own one-stop shops to guide you through your options when it comes to medical bills.

Two existing “one-stop shops” for help with medical bills

If you want to know your rights in different medical-billing situations: Check out consumer advocacy group PIRG’s guide to your protections from medical bills.

Patricia Kelmar, senior director of health care campaigns at PIRG (who we’ve spoken with before on the show) said, “This comprehensive guide covers a lot but we broke it down into the different paths of a patient's journey.”

Scroll down on the page and pick the subject that best applies to your case — there are options like I am uninsured and need medical care or I received a medical bill I cannot afford to pay.

It will lead you to a page with more information about your rights and options in that situation.

And it’s available in Spanish.

Another great catch-all resource to check out… from the federal government: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services maintains an impressive, user-friendly website with a library of guides and resources, plus a quiz to get matched with an action plan based on your insurance situation.

You can use it before you anticipate a big bill, after you’ve got one, or if you’re planning on changing insurance plans.

Also available in Spanish.

Super cool. Plus: the person who wrote in to tell us about that government website was on the team that built these resources!

They told us they were thinking about setting up “office hours” at a local gathering spot to share bill-fighting resources and knowledge.

We love this idea — and we’re curious: Any chance you’d consider trying something like this?

Or: Have you ever done something like this? What does it look like? Write to us! we want to hear about it.

Some other great tips you sent us

1. If you want one-on-one help: Look for patient advocates and navigators — who specialize in helping you get your care and tackle billing issues — at the hospital itself.

   • Not every hospital has folks like this on staff, but a lot do. It’s definitely worth checking with your provider about getting connected. Ask if they have any patient advocates, navigators, or financial counselors in their system.

2. If you need help with Medicare: The State Health Insurance Assistance Program, also known as SHIP, is the place to go.

   • SHIP volunteers can help with everything from signing up for Medicare when you turn 65, to picking the right Part D drug plan, to screening you for programs that might help reduce your costs.

   • You can go to their website, click “Find Local Medicare Help” in the top right, choose your state, and find further details there.¹

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Thank you so much to everyone else who wrote in — we also appreciate your suggestions about fonts and design — and we’re going to keep building this resource out and incorporating your recommendations.

On that note: Please keep your feedback and additions coming. This is a work in progress, and we’d love to keep hearing from you. (You can comment below for all to see, or reply to this email if you’re low-key like that.)

And as this work-in-progress moves forward, we’ll keep you posted.

That’s all from me today.

— Claire

1. A dreary caveat — SHIP is one of the many programs that HHS has marked for defunding — but it hasn’t happened yet. Our fingers are crossed that it never does, but if you’re about to sign up for or are already on Medicare, it might be worth reaching out to SHIP for help sooner rather than later — just in case.