I just dont know what to do…
@MamaBear6 - I gather this bill is more than you anticipated & perhaps more than you can afford. Have you talked to the hospital billing department about financing? When there is financial hardship regarding the cost of a medical bill, the hospital billing department will normally help set up a reasonable payment plan that makes paying the bill more manageable.
Another option is to look into signing up for the WITT program - What is WiTT? - as it has a fundraising option. I can get answers for questions you may have about this. Currently, WITT is only available in the U.S., but the company hopes to offer their program internationally before too long.
I’ll be praying the finances work out so your surgery doesn’t need to be postponed. You’ve been through so much. This all just needs to be over with ASAP. 
6 Likes
Call UNC billing department they have payment options through access one. That’s what I used and am still using to payoff my surgery from October. They were very nice and helpful when I called.
6 Likes
Have you applied for Medicaid?
I wanted to reiterate this fact. Please call the hospital and ask to speak to the billing department. They will set up a payment plan with you. Especially given that this is a larger hospital system, it’s even possible that they have financial assistance and will help you with what you need on a sliding scale. I have had entire surgeries while uninsured by taking the initiative to advocate for myself in this manner. I hope you get the care you need!
1 Like
For anyone else that comes across this post — I had my first surgery at UNC Chapel Hill on January 8 and while I also got a message like this telling me what I owed upfront, I was not actually required to pay it upfront. They asked me if I could pay it and if not, could I pay anything down. I chose to pay $25 down just so something went towards it, but did not have to pay anything. I am having my second surgery August 2 and I’ve already received that message about what is owed upfront. This time, I hit my deductible and out of pocket in February for the year, so I don’t owe anything upfront at all. It’s different every time, for every patient, dependent on multiple factors, but you do not actually have to pay anything in order to proceed with surgery. This felt important to share.
5 Likes
Thank you for sharing your experience @slekeille, as I know this has been a problem for a number of our members.
2 Likes