How to Handle Ongoing Medical Expenses and Bankruptcy

While it’s common knowledge that medical debt is one of the largest causes of bankruptcy, there’s an underlying issue that’s often unrecognized: medical expenses can continue. Whether it’s cancer treatments or future complications, the need for medical treatment can continue beyond the medical debt that triggered the need for a bankruptcy. So what happens when you have to file for bankruptcy and have ongoing medical needs and bills that will continue beyond the bankruptcy?

About Ongoing Illness and Bankruptcy

If you have a medical illness that will require continued treatment that you cannot afford, it’s crucial to sit down with a bankruptcy lawyer. A Fort Worth bankruptcy attorney will help you determine the proper strategy in terms of when to file for bankruptcy and how to continue getting medical treatment after the bankruptcy. Remember, it’s illegal for any health provider to stop providing treatment because you cannot make payments. If they do so, it could potentially be malpractice.

However, your medical debt might be so bad that you cannot wait until you receive all your necessary treatments to file for bankruptcy. This is where meeting with a bankruptcy attorney is truly beneficial. Just the process of filing can grant temporary relief such as automatic stay grants. This gives you some breathing room financially and provides time for you to determine whether or not you want to proceed with the rest of the process.

Aside from helping you determine the perfect timing, a skilled bankruptcy attorney will help you craft the perfect solution for your situation. For instance, a Chapter 13 might be the best option for you now, but a bankruptcy attorney can also help you switch that Chapter 13 into a Chapter 7 later on if you need to do so.

Remember, there are some solutions that you can take on your own to alleviate medical debt. For example, if you take medications on a daily basis, consider using generic brands, which are just as effective but only cost a fraction of the price. Also keep an open line of communication with your physician and ask if there are alternative treatments that are just as effective but don’t cost as much.