Houston, TX Medical Bills Debt Relief Attorney

Medical Debt Relief Lawyer Easing Financial Burdens in Houston, TX

Medical debt can be one of the most frustrating types of debt to deal with, simply because it is generally due to circumstances that were beyond your control. While credit card debt might be the result of reckless spending, or business bankruptcy might stem from a lack of planning, medical debt usually stems from getting sick. People cannot predict or control when they will develop a serious illness like cancer or become seriously injured in an accident, yet they can be held responsible for the costs of treating these illnesses or injuries.

Attorney Vicky Fealy understands the serious financial difficulties that can come with a major illness or injury. The Fealy Law Firm, PC represents people who have an insurmountable amount of medical debt, and we work to resolve these debts while protecting our clients' financial interests. We can take a variety of actions on your behalf, from negotiating directly with the hospital and creating a realistic partial repayment plan to filing for bankruptcy on your behalf to free you from your medical debt.

Negotiating With Hospitals and Medical Providers

Hospitals are very well aware that a majority of their patients who have needed intensive treatments, such as long-term hospitalization, multiple major surgeries, or chemotherapy, simply cannot pay the out-of-pocket costs they are asking for. Patients without insurance can be billed hundreds of thousands of dollars after going through a traumatic accident or serious illness. In many cases, we can work with the hospital's billing department to negotiate the cost of your treatment and establish a plan without court intervention.

Filing Bankruptcy to Discharge Medical Debt

First, if you owe money to Medicare, you should know that this debt cannot be discharged in bankruptcy. You will still be obligated to pay the amount you owe to a government healthcare agency.

If you owe medical debt to any other type of provider, the odds that you can find relief from this debt in bankruptcy are high. A word of caution: if you have continuing costly healthcare needs, you may want to wait until those needs subside before filing. Bankruptcy can only discharge debt you already owe, not debt you will acquire in the future. If your condition is temporary - even if it is long-term - it may make sense to wait until you have completed treatment to file for bankruptcy.

People who are declaring bankruptcy due to medical debt are often treated with a greater level of sympathy and understanding as they go through the process. Your debt is not the result of poor financial management, and you deserve relief.

You will have two options. You can file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy, which essentially creates a repayment plan that will consume most of your disposable income for several years, or you can file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which means some of your assets may be liquidated, but you will walk away debt-free. Certain personal assets, including clothing, furniture, and vehicles used by family members, are exempt from the liquidation process. It is likely that you will be able to use exemptions to ensure that you will not lose any of your assets.

There are benefits and drawbacks to both types of bankruptcy. Your attorney will consider many different factors when they try to help you make the best decision possible. Your future earning potential is one factor. If your illness or injury has created a permanent disability, you may not have much disposable income that could be used for repayment. If you have already sold off a number of your assets in order to stay afloat during an extended illness during which you could not work, you may not have any non-exempt assets to be liquidated when eliminating your medical debts through Chapter 7.

Contact a Prarie View, TX Medical Debt Relief Attorney

If you are overwhelmed by medical expenses, The Fealy Law Firm, PC can help. Dedicated Harris County medical debt relief lawyer Vicky Fealy will work with the hospital and, if necessary, the court to bring you freedom from your medical bills. Contact us at 713-526-5220 for a complimentary consultation.