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Negotiating with your doctor or hospital can definitely help you lower your medical bills. Many people don’t think of negotiating this way. You can negotiate with the seller when purchasing a home, and you negotiate on the price of a car – and you can surely negotiate with your doctor or hospital regarding medical debt. You have a good chance to get your debt under control and to stay away from filing for bankruptcy. Paying by credit card is not the answer because you cut your options or ability to negotiate with your medical professional, as the credit card company holds your debt now.

So How Do You Negotiate Medical Debt?

Do Your Research First

Understand that their is an act called the “Fair Debt Collection Act” that requires debt collectors to “treat you fairly and prohibits certain methods of debt collection.” Next, make sure to double check all medical charges you have received from your bills. Sometimes before negotiating it is best to get an “itemized bill” so you can see all the things you were charged for in detail. Make sure you were only charged for the services given to you. An itemized bill is needed because many doctors, hospitals and pharmacists make mistakes. With Medicaid, check your bill and make sure that you were not billed more than what is allowed. In the case of private insurance, make sure you review all your health insurance coverage, because sometimes some or all of the balance could be paid for by your health insurance company.

Approach Negotiation With The Right Style

Make sure to be delicate in your negotiation approach. For example, if you want bank to waive a bank fee, yelling at the customer service rep is less likely to lead to the removal of your fee than keeping calm and yet still direct. Explain to your hospital or doctor why you can’t pay. Usually they will understand if you have valid or reasonable reasons. You effectively need to prove that the charges received are too high for the income and expenses you have. Keep your cool as you want to sound in control, which only helps you in the negotiation process.

Requirements During The Process

First, act quickly, and be proactive. Second, Make sure to keep in contact with your creditors (organizations you owe money to such as physician, doctor, medical organization or hospital) and record all of the names and phone numbers of anyone you speak or spoke to. Make sure you document all the things you did, when you did them, and the outcome. If you have a call with a creditor, then try to record it if your state allows it as 35 states do. Third, never negotiate over the phone, or make sure any agreements or terms or via email or snail mail.

What To Strive For In Negotiation

First, you want to aim at having as many medical fees or underpayment penalties associated with your balance removed or reduced. Second, you want to negotiate a payment plan. Your physician, doctor, medical organization or hospital will often times take smaller payments over a longer period of time than have you not pay at all — so try strive for a reasonable payment plan or one that you can afford. If you do reach an agreement with your creditor (payment plan or payment in full), document it and send it to your creditor. If you are paying by check add to it “Cashing Check Constitutes Payment In Full.” Third, never take the first offer you get if they are eager. You need to sense how eager or quickly they respond with an offer because if you can get a 2nd or 3rd one they usually improve. The tough part is knowing when you should take an agreement or request a better offer. Lastly, if all else fails remember you can always threaten with bankruptcy for a payment plan or better agreement because usually with bankruptcy — the creditor won’t get paid.

1. Getting there late.

Walking frantically into a room full of people who have been waiting for you to arrive can be an embarrassing situation. Unless you are a magician, you might as well turn around and leave. It would take a miracle to get this audience to forget the inconvenience you have caused them. They probably have already passed judgment on you, deciding you’re an inconsiderate speaker rather than a viable expert in your field. Make the extra effort to arrive at least 1/2 hour before the event begins.

2. Apologizing before you start.

Starting off your presentation with “Uh, I’m sorry that I . . .” is the quickest, most assured way to lose your audience’s attention and leave them cold. Remember, YOU are the expert and true experts have nothing to be sorry for. The audience doesn’t care if you have a cold, woke up late, got caught in traffic, or tripped on a banana skin. All they care about is what information you’re going to give them that will benefit them in the shortest amount of time. Remember Love Story-”Love means never having to say you’re sorry.”

3. Not having a clear purpose.

Not having a clearly defined purpose for speaking is like driving to a restaurant in another city without a clue about how to get there. You’ll end up meandering, not really going anywhere, until finally the people in the car with you get frustrated, lose their patience, and take a mental exit, determined never to ride with you again. Decide why you are speaking, and to whom, and stick to it.

4. Pacing while you speak.

Walking back and forth is a BIG distraction to your audience. Not only will their necks hurt after the game of Ping-Pong that you just put them through, but you’ll have them anxiously wondering “Is this ever going to stop!?” Pacing keeps the audience from hearing what you’re saying. Movement is good; it keeps a presentation lively and interesting. However, it’s important to move with a purpose instead of meandering.

5. Swaying in the wind.

Like pacing, swaying in front of an audience is a HUGE no-no. Not only is it a distraction, it may even make your audience seasick. The best way to keep from swaying is to stand in the rooted position, which is when both feet are shoulder-length apart. Standing in this position will create a look of confidence and eliminate the temptation to sway.

6. Leaning on the lectern.

A surefire way to lose your audience’s confidence is to lean on the lectern. Not only does this casual style show a lack of respect to both the audience and the lectern, it also gives the appearance of a sloppy speaker. Treat the lectern as you would your child. Never lean on it, hit it, or leave it unattended.

7. Speaking in a monotone voice.

Speaking in a one-dimensional, monotone voice is boring, boring, boring. If you deliver your presentation using only one vocal pitch and rate, you’ll surely put your audience to sleep. People can’t grasp your message if they’re snoring. Therefore, it’s important to create excitement and keep interest by using a variety of vocal tones, pitches, and rates when you speak.

8. Avoiding eye contact.

The old adage “look above your audience’s head” is a bunch of hogwash and should never be done. If you don’t look at your audience, they’ll soon lose interest and ignore you, too. To reach your audience, you must connect with them. The best way to do this is by looking them directly in the eyes as you speak. That doesn’t mean you stare at them. It means you look at each person for about three to four seconds, then move on to the next person. Be careful not to bop your head from one side of the room to the other. Instead, slowly move from one person to the next in a sweeping motion.

9. Using the wrong hand gestures.

Inappropriate hand gestures such as placing your hands in your pockets or flailing them can be as distracting as pacing the floor. Keep hands and arms comfortably at your side ready to jump up and make a meaningful gesture. The best gestures are those that demonstrate an action or a point of measure. All gestures should add to the understanding of the message, not be distractions.

10. Taking a mental exit.

Forgetting what you’re going to say can really mess up a presentation. It can cause great awkwardness and often is hard to cover up. Typically, speakers forget what they’re going to say because they have either memorized their speech or relied too heavily on their notes. If this happens, simply return to the lectern, look down at your notes, pause and look up at your audience, and deliver the next line. The main message here is to not panic. Never let your audience see you sweat.

For more tips and articles, visit http://www.instantprospeaker.com