As a young professional, you have a lot on your plate in regards to your finances. Not only are you in the process of getting your career off the ground, but you may be faced with mounting debt. For example, student loans have a way of biting into your monthly income. The same holds true for other expenses, such as rent and car payments.

In the event of a medical emergency, you could soon find yourself buried in more debt than you ever imagined possible. This is particularly true if you don’t have the best health insurance coverage.

What to do about high medical bills

Most medical providers provide the opportunity to setup a payment plan. With this, you aren’t expected to pay the entire bill in one lump sum.

However, this doesn’t make it any less painful. You still have to pay a certain amount of money each month, meaning that your financial situation could be put on shaky ground.

Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to negotiate medical debt like a pro:

• Keep track of everything. From your medical charges for each pill and dressing change to the names of the people you speak with about your bill, now’s a good time to become a top-notch record-keeper.
• Review each bill in great detail. Sometimes, this is all it takes in order to find a mistake that could save you hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars.
• Don’t wait. There is no point in waiting around to negotiate your medical debt. Once you have the bill in front of you, contact the appropriate party and see where things go.
• Offer a lump sum payment. You know that you can’t afford the total amount of the bill, but you can still make an offer for something less. You may be surprised at what the provider agrees to accept as a final payment.
• Get it in writing. Once an agreement has been reached, ask that they send you an email or letter detailing the negotiated amount as payment in full.
• Stick with it. You won’t always get what you want after the first call. Stick with your plan until you make progress.

From credit card debt to medical bills, young professionals are often put in a tough financial position. If you want to dig yourself out of debt in the near future, don’t hesitate to negotiate your medical debt.