I’m in medical debt and was denied financial assistance just now. What can I do from here?
I (20f) moved to the US less than 4 months ago and I’m already almost 10k in medical debt.
Within 2 months of being here I had a medical emergency. I have PCOS and have previously never had anything like this happen to me. I normally have late periods but when it comes it really isn’t ever this bad. My period finally came after months and towards the end of the almost month long bleeding (which was light to moderate) I started hoeing really heavy bleeding. And I mean really heavy. And along with it came the worst cramps of my life and I’m no stranger to painful periods.
I was bleeding so heavily and having cramps so intense I thought I was gonna pass out a few times. And the worst thing. Regular pain pills BARELY touched the pain.
So I went to the hospital but I was new to the country. No job yet, no insurance. They did an ultrasound, bloodwork, and took a pee sample to test that as well.
They recommended a combination of over the counter pain pills that worked really well together and it helped. But I pretty much had to ask what to do about the pain when it came back (the pain had subsided by that time cause I took opioid prescription pills belonging to my mother from her dental surgery).
A month or so after I got the bill in the mail. Then another then another. One from the hospital, 2 from other places that apparently operate in the hospital. The total? $9400. Over from that amount is from the hospital 8k from the hospital.
I applied for Medicaid. I was denied.
I applied for financial assistance from the hospital, I was denied. Reason? I couldn’t provide the documents they needed from me. I literally don’t have them. Tax information from someone whose never done taxes is impossible. Can’t give a bank statement if I have no bank account. Can’t give them pay stubs if I’m unemployed. I of course explained this via letter to the hospital and they received it.
I know I should have had a job by now but my step dad is the only one with a car and where I live doesn’t have public transportation so I’m stuck job searching within where he’s willing to travel. I’ve been going on interviews and apparently to a lot of places and I just got somewhere. I did a background check and I’m waiting to hear from them. Not that it’ll dent this debt cause it’s a minimum wage job.
I’m trying to not catastrophize but it’s getting harder and harder.
Does anybody have any advice on where to go from here? I honestly need it.
TLDR: I ended up in almost 10k in medical debt. I was denied Medicaid and denied financial assistance from the hospital. What can I do from here?
