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"&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;You\u2019re not alone if you can\u2019t afford your health insurance &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/health-insurance-deductible-what-it-is-how-it-works-1738655&amp;quot; title=&amp;quot;Health Insurance Deductible\u2014What It Is and How It Works&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;deductible&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;. No matter how much your deductible is, if you don\u2019t have that much in savings and you\u2019re living paycheck to paycheck, it can feel like your deductible is too high.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;If you can\u2019t afford your deductible, your options for dealing with it depend on whether you owe your deductible right now, or whether you\u2019re preparing in advance. If you\u2019re looking to the future and realizing you\u2019ll have to come up with this chunk of change eventually, check out \u201C&amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/how-to-budget-for-a-health-insurance-deductible-1738462&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Deductible Too High? How To Budget for a Health Insurance Deductible&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;.\u201D And if you enroll in an HSA-qualified health plan, try to &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/what-you-should-know-about-health-savings-accounts-1738951&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;make it a priority to establish an HSA and contribute to it on a regular basis&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, so that the money will be there if you end up needing to meet your deductible.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;If you have to pay your &amp;lt;a data-inlink=&amp;quot;MZ6kKFyfoGH1G4wUBVIG9Q&amp;amp;#61;&amp;amp;#61;&amp;quot; href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/deductible-1738691&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;4&amp;quot;&amp;gt;deductible&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; right now but you don\u2019t have the money, your predicament is tougher. If you don\u2019t come up with a way to pay, your care may be delayed or you might not be able to get the care you need. Here are some possible options.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;Negotiate a Payment Plan&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;While your doctor can\u2019t waive or discount your deductible because that would violate the rules of your &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/bronze-silver-gold-platinum-health-plan-values-1738905&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;5&amp;quot;&amp;gt;health plan&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, he or she may be willing to allow you to pay the deductible you owe over time. Be honest and explain your situation up front to your doctor or hospital billing department. Explain that you\u2019re not trying to get out of paying but that you\u2019d like the privilege of setting up a payment plan.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Although it\u2019s aimed at asking for discounts rather than setting up a payment plan, \u201C&amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/get-in-network-rates-out-of-network-1739069&amp;quot; title=&amp;quot;How To Negotiate With Your Provider&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;6&amp;quot;&amp;gt;How To Negotiate With Your Provider&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;\u201D gives tips on how to have a conversation like this with your doctor.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;The Caveats:&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ul&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;You may owe your deductible to more than one health care provider. For example, if you see the doctor and he or she orders blood tests, you\u2019d owe part of your deductible to your doctor and part of it to the blood test lab. This means negotiating two payment plans, not one.&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;If you don\u2019t keep up the payments on your negotiated payment plan, you\u2019ll seriously damage your relationship with your doctor, and you might not get another opportunity to set up a payment plan for future medical bills.&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/ul&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;Explore Cheaper Health Care Options&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;There\u2019s usually more than one way to treat a given health care problem. Are you using the least expensive treatment option that will work for you?&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;While switching to a less expensive treatment option won\u2019t make your deductible any smaller, the deductible will come due over a longer period of time and in smaller chunks. For example, if you have a $3,000 deductible and are getting a treatment costing $700 per month, switching to a treatment costing $400 per month will lower your &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;monthly&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt; expenses. You\u2019ll still end up paying the entire $3,000 deductible before your health insurance begins to pay. But, with the cheaper treatment, you\u2019ll spread that deductible over eight months rather than five months, making it easier to manage.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Can you get the care at a free &amp;lt;a data-inlink=&amp;quot;k8Y5Ixl4ei4KKDVMssYjXQ&amp;amp;#61;&amp;amp;#61;&amp;quot; href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/where-can-i-find-a-free-clinic-1738527&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;7&amp;quot;&amp;gt;clinic&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; or a community health center that will care for you regardless of your ability to pay? Some of these places will care for you for free, will charge you based on your income, or will accept what your health insurance pays as payment in full. &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/index.html&amp;quot; title=&amp;quot;This tool from the Health Resources and Services Administration will allow you to search for a nearby community health center using your address or your city and state.&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;externalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;8&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Check to see&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; if there is a community health center near you.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;Take an Early Distribution from Your Retirement&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;By choosing to take money from your retirement to pay your health insurance deductible, you\u2019re borrowing from your future to pay for your present. This isn\u2019t a very good long-term plan. But, if you\u2019re facing a situation where you &amp;lt;em&amp;gt;may not have a future&amp;lt;/em&amp;gt; if you can\u2019t pay your &amp;lt;a data-inlink=&amp;quot;mv2PSE1kvxqpnfEywT7Avg&amp;amp;#61;&amp;amp;#61;&amp;quot; href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/understanding-pre-existing-conditions-1738432&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;9&amp;quot;&amp;gt;health insurance&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; deductible, then you might consider this an option.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;If you take a distribution from your traditional IRA before you\u2019re age 59 1/2, you\u2019ll owe income taxes on that money as well as a penalty tax. However, in some cases, the penalty can be waived if the money was spent for a qualified medical expense and if your &amp;lt;a data-inlink=&amp;quot;BaxYrtXfwZ1qyk63AH7iNQ&amp;amp;#61;&amp;amp;#61;&amp;quot; href=&amp;quot;https://www.verywell.com/how-to-write-off-medical-expenses-as-a-tax-deduction-1739001&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;internalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;10&amp;quot;&amp;gt;medical expenses&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; were more than 10 percent of your income. Learn the IRS rules about using an early distribution from your IRA for medical expenses.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Two options may help you avoid the early distribution penalty:&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ul&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;You may be able to withdraw the money you contributed to a Roth IRA without a penalty. This doesn\u2019t apply to the earnings and investment gains in the Roth IRA, but only to the funds you actually contributed. Learn more in \u201CWhen ROTH IRA Withdrawals Are Tax-Free And When They Are Not.\u201D&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;li&amp;gt;Some 401K plans will allow you to take a loan of up to $50,000 or half the amount in your 401K, whichever is smaller. Commonly, the loan is paid back over a period of five years with money automatically subtracted from your paycheck. You\u2019ll pay interest on the loan, but you\u2019re paying that interest to yourself\u2014the interest goes into your 401K. If you lose your job before the loan is paid back, you have to come up with the remaining balance or it\u2019s considered an early distribution and you\u2019ll pay both income taxes and a penalty on it. Learn more in \u201CNine Things to Know About Borrowing from Your 401(k).\u201D&amp;lt;/li&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/ul&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;Sell Your Stuff&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Nobody wants to sell their stuff to pay for something as mundane as a health insurance deductible; but, desperate times call for desperate measures. If you can&amp;amp;#39;t get you your next round of chemotherapy because you can\u2019t pay your health insurance deductible, then it\u2019s time to think about how to raise the funds.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Start by considering selling off valuable but unnecessary things like your jewelry, bicycle, surfboard, iPod, or motor scooter. Move up to selling other valuables like your car or wedding ring only if you\u2019re really desperate. You&amp;amp;#39;re likely to get a better price for things if you sell them yourself on a platform like Craigslist or eBay than if you take them to a pawn shop or consignment store, but selling them yourself takes more effort.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;Charge It&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Using a credit card, personal loan, or home equity line of credit to pay your health insurance deductible is a dicey proposition. It amounts to mortgaging your future and getting deeper into debt just to meet your basic expenses. If you can\u2019t pay your deductible now, how will you pay next year\u2019s deductible while you\u2019re also paying off your debt from this year\u2019s deductible?&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;On the other hand, if you need medical treatment to save your life, prevent permanent disability, or keep you healthy enough to keep your job, using credit is the lesser of the evils.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Credit doesn\u2019t have to mean a credit card. It can also mean borrowing from the equity in your home, a friend or family member, or taking a personal loan from a bank or credit union.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;h3&amp;gt;Access a Workplace Financial Hardship Charity&amp;lt;/h3&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Many large employers have an employee-assistance charity program. Funded by small donations made by individual employees, these donations are subtracted from donors\u2019 pay in equal amounts over the year.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Employees facing a one-time financial hardship may apply to the charity for financial assistance. These charities don\u2019t usually require you to be a donor in order to get help, but rules about how much financial assistance will be provided, who qualifies, and how the money is disbursed vary from program to program. Your human resources\u00A0or employee benefits department is likely your best source of information.\u00A0\u200B\u200B\u200B&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Sources:&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Internal Revenue Service, &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/401k-resource-guide-plan-participants-general-distribution-rules&amp;quot; data-component=&amp;quot;link&amp;quot; data-source=&amp;quot;inlineLink&amp;quot; data-type=&amp;quot;externalLink&amp;quot; data-ordinal=&amp;quot;11&amp;quot;&amp;gt;401(k) Resource Guide - Plan Participants - General Distribution Rules&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;.\u00A0&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<https://www.verywell.com/cant-pay-your-health-insurance-deductible-what-now-1738549>