Q: Where can I go for help paying my hospital/medical bill?

A: As health care costs soar nationally, millions of Americans struggle to pay hospital bills or afford prescriptions. You are not alone.

Two-thirds of people who file for bankruptcy cite medical issues as a key contributor to their financial problems, according to a recent CNBC report. A 2019 Health Affairs article found that 1 in 6 Americans have past-due health care bills on their credit report, a debt totaling $81 billion in all.

Help is available, and here’s how to find it:

Once a month, the volunteers who run Medina Cares meet to decide how much to give a family hit with a medical emergency and without money for necessities.

The nonprofit organization’s grants have helped Medina County residents buy diabetes equipment, pay rent or get their car repaired, said Medina Cares board President Gregory Nichols. Last year, the group distributed $7,500 to 26 families that it raised through donations and fundraisers.

State and local programs and organizations like Medina Cares offer various kinds of helping hands, from prescription drug discount card programs to help with living expenses. Local health systems offer interest-free payment plans.

Here is a list of some programs that offer assistance with medical bills and with living expenses during a medical crisis, along with do’s and don’ts on handling medical debt so it doesn’t wreck your credit rating:

Hospital Care Assurance Program (HCAP)

Assistance: Help with unpaid hospital bills for Ohioans at or below the federal poverty level and who are ineligible for Medicaid coverage. HCAP is a state and federal program administered by the Ohio Department of Medicaid. It can help with bills at most hospitals.

Contact: Patients interested in applying for HCAP should contact the business office of the hospital where care was provided and ask for an application.

Cleveland Clinic

Assistance: The Clinic has a financial assistance program for patients who qualify. The health system also offers interest-free payment plans and other financing options for up to five years for patients who do not qualify for one of its programs. Financial advocates are available to help patients understand and calculate their potential hospital bill before they receive care, and explain payment options.

Contact: Visit the Clinic’s website for an online application for the HCAP.

CHN Housing Partners (formerly Cleveland Housing Network)

Assistance: Credit counselors work with clients to manage debt, from medical and other types of bills.

Contact: 216-574-7100

Stephen A. Comunale, Jr. Family Cancer Foundation

Assistance: Provides day-to-day financial assistance — such as utilities, rent or mortgage payments — to people who live in or are being treated in Summit County, and are being treated for cancer.

Contact: 330-835-5985

Free Clinic of Medina County

Assistance: Helps people sign up for prescription assistance programs and helps diabetics sign up for assistance with supplies and medications.

Contact: 330-764-9300

Medicare Premium Assistance Program in Ohio (MPAP)

Assistance: Helps Medicare recipients pay for Medicare premiums, deductibles and coinsurance.

Contact: Medicaid Consumer Hotline: 1-800-324-8680.

Medina Cares, Inc.

Assistance: ​Medina Cares, Inc. is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization in Medina County that gives temporary assistance to county residents between 19 and 59 years old who are in a medical crisis.

Contact: Fill out assistance request form online or call 330-461-0718

MetroHealth System

Assistance: Connects patients to programs that may help pay for health care costs, including Medicaid.

Contact: Call the Financial Eligibility Team at 216-957-2325

Ohio’s Best Rx

Assistance: A prescription drug discount card program designed to help lower the cost of medications for eligible Ohioans of any age.

Contact: 866-923-7879

Ohio Healthy Families

Assistance: This is an Ohio Department of Medicaid program for families that include a child or student younger than 19 and that meet income requirements. The program helps with paying medical bills from doctor visits, prescriptions, hospital treatments, pregnancy services, dental care, mental health, substance abuse treatment and immunizations.

Contact: Medicaid Consumer Hotline: 1-800-324-8680

Prescription Assistance Program of Lake and Geauga County

Assistance: Help with medication costs.

Contact: 440-352-1999

University Hospitals Financial Assistance Program

Assistance: Patients who meet financial eligibility requirements may have their bill for emergency medical or medically necessary care discounted.

Contact: Complete a Financial Assistance Application. The application must be submitted within 240 days of receipt of the first post-discharge bill received for the service for which you are requesting financial assistance. Call 216-844-8299.

In addition, here are some tips for dealing with medical bills you can’t afford, from MoneyUnder30.com:

1. Don’t use credit cards to pay off medical bills. It can lead to more debt because of high interest payments and hurt your credit score.

2. Ask the doctor or hospital for an interest-free loan and negotiate your monthly payment.

3. If your debt goes to a collection agency, know your rights and what the agency can and cannot do.

4. Always keep proof of payment.

Editor’s note: In her column, patient advocacy writer Julie Washington will answer readers’ questions about navigating health care systems. (She will not address individual treatments.) Your comments may be published in a future column. Send questions and comments — including name and city and daytime phone number — to jwashington@plaind.com. You can also find Julie on Twitter @JulieEWash.