Mariel Segarra

At LifeKit, we've reported on how to apply for financial assistance, also known as charity care, from a hospital.

Even if you haven't met your deductible yet, hospitals might lower or eliminate your bill depending on your income.

Another option is to get on an interest-free payment plan with your hospital or doctor's office.

And here's how that works.

Imagine it's January.

You have a $6,000 deductible and you have to go to the hospital for something.

Then you get a bill and it's $2,000.

You're expected to pay that bill directly to the hospital because you haven't hit your deductible yet.

But that doesn't mean you have to pay it off all at once.

Ask the medical billing office to put you on an interest-free payment plan.

That way you can pay in installments every month without accruing interest.

Now, it is possible that when you ask, they'll say no, but these types of payment plans are very common.

And to be clear, we're not talking about signing up for a credit card or a loan.

This is just an installment plan that you set up with the billing office.

And before you start paying, you want to confirm in writing that you won't be charged any interest.

Another strategy, if you have a high deductible health plan, is to see if you can benefit from timing your health care visits so that if you're going to hit your deductible, you do it early in the year.

This is our third takeaway.

Be strategic about when you schedule expensive procedures and visits whenever possible.

Of course, if you've already met your deductible in a given year, that's also a good time to get your expensive medical care done.

We'll have more Life Kit after the break.