Medical debt is rising for older adults — how to push back before you pay

(Aging Untold) — Medical debt is a growing problem for older Americans. About 8 million people ages 50 to 64 — roughly 1 in 8 — had medical debt in 2023, according to AARP. We are breaking down what to do before you pay a single bill, and where to turn for help. Ask for the bill before the procedure, not after Amy O’Rourke, an aging expert, said getting cost information ahead of time gave her the power to make a different choice about her own care. “I had a scheduled medical procedure, and I got the invoice ahead of time. And I looked at it and I was just shocked. It was so high,” O’Rourke said. “I called the office and I said, ‘It’s just so high. Is there anything we can do?’” That call changed where she had the procedure done. “Instead of having the procedure at the hospital, I had it in an outpatient center, and it lowered the bill considerably,” O’Rourke said. “Look at the bill and just assume that you can negotiate the costs individually. Don’t just accept a bill and pay it.” Don’