If a big hospital bill just landed in your mailbox and your stomach dropped, take a breath. You may not have to pay all of it (or any of it). In this episode, Jared Walker, founder of Dollar For, explains how hospital charity care (financial assistance) works, who qualifies, and how his nonprofit walks patients through the process for free.

Try This Now:

1. Check eligibility for yourself or a loved one: dollarfor.org/inspiredbudget
2. Already in collections or on a payment plan? Apply anyway—you may still qualify and get past payments refunded.
3. Not eligible? Ask for an itemized bill, look for errors, and call to ask for a settlement amount.

You Might Like:

• Get the FREE Goodbye Debt Tracker!
• Grab my FREE Budgeting Cheat Sheet.
• Get the Budget My Paycheck Spreadsheet.
• Follow Allison on Instagram! @inspiredbudget
• Check out Inspired Budget's blog.
• Take my FREE class on How to Budget to Build Wealth!