Medical Bills during a Chapter 13

[busby]

Hello all -

I filed for Chapter 13 in November 2007 which was confirmed in May 2008. I'm paying about 15% to unsecured and only my attorney fees ($3500) and one other claim ($50) are secured. Unsecured claims total about $52,000.

Unfortunately, I do not have health insurance and think I may need medical service soon. I've been relatively healthy and have never had any major medical problems. I'm 40 years old.

I am paying my mortgage outside the bankruptcy.

Is it possible that the medical bills will put my house at risk? Or can my bankruptcy be modified to include those bills?

Thanks in advance for any advice and suggestions.

[lrprn]

Is it possible that the medical bills will put my house at risk?

Yes, especially if the medical bills are far beyond your ability to pay out of pocket within a reasonable time frame (like a year).

Or can my bankruptcy be modified to include those bills?

No, these medical and other bills can't be added to your active Ch 13 because they will occur after you filed. Any bills that come after filing are yours to pay in full.

Sorry the news isn't what you hoped to hear

[Flamingo]

Hello all -

I filed for Chapter 13 in November 2007 which was confirmed in May 2008. I'm paying about 15% to unsecured and only my attorney fees ($3500) and one other claim ($50) are secured. Unsecured claims total about $52,000.

Unfortunately, I do not have health insurance and think I may need medical service soon. I've been relatively healthy and have never had any major medical problems. I'm 40 years old.

I am paying my mortgage outside the bankruptcy.

Is it possible that the medical bills will put my house at risk? Or can my bankruptcy be modified to include those bills?

Thanks in advance for any advice and suggestions.

__________________________________________

As stated by the previous poster, any bills you incur after your Chapter 13 filing are your responsibility. In your situation, you may want to see if you can work out a payment plan as to your medical bills with the provider - explain to them you are in active Chapter 13, review your budget to see what you could pay each month and go over the situation with them. If you don't pay the bills, they can eventually obtain a judgment against you to garnish your wages or put a lien on your house. This is all just reality; I know how difficult it is when things like that occur during a Chapter 13.

[ruggal]

Regarding the medical, the bills obviously are your responsibility after filing. I would suggest shoping around. Do you THINK you'll need something done or do you KNOW what needs to be done? Call around to different providers and get the costs, and explain your situation. You may be suprised at the variance in costs, as well as the flexibility of each office. Ask them what they get from the insurance companies for the same service, and negotiate.

I've had some horrible experiences during our uninsured period...I won't go into detail, to save space. We have insurance now, but our dental coverage is limited...my husband needs new dentures BAD, and I've spent the last couple of weeks playing let's make a deal with various dental practices in the area. I'm getting costs anywhere from $2800 (bill to insurance, pay out of pocket)to $895 (pay day of service, submit bill to insurance).

Good luck....