But if you’re having trouble paying your medical bills, you’re not helpless, either. There are ways to reduce, or at least more effectively manage, medical debt.

CONFRONT, DON’T IGNORE Procrastinating only leads to trouble. If your bills are turned over to a collection agency, the debt goes on your credit report and will remain there for lenders, and even potential employers, to see. You may have difficulty getting a loan and, if you do get one, you’ll be charged higher rates. So take action  even if that doesn’t mean writing any checks right away.

Proceed to Step 2:

SCRUTINIZE YOUR BILLS Look over your outstanding bills and make sure the listed services actually square with the care you received. Errors are common. If terms or procedures confuse you, call the hospital’s or doctor’s billing department and ask for an explanation.

If your insurer denied one or more of your claims, resubmit the bills, advises Mark Rukavina, executive director of the Access Project (www.accessproject.org), a nonprofit group in Boston that helps consumers cope with medical debt.

“If that doesn’t work, file a formal grievance or appeal with the insurer,” Mr. Rukavina said. “Even it that fails, most states allow insured patients the right to an external review by a certified third party, often a state agency. And patients should exercise this right.”

HIRE AN EXPERT Try first to negotiate with your providers for a discount or an extended payment plan. Explain that you simply can’t pay your bills in full right now, and you need some leeway.

If this tactic doesn’t work, or you don’t have the time or energy to haggle, consider hiring a billing specialist  a professional trained to spot errors who speaks the language that medical providers understand and respond to. (You can find a medical mediator at the Medical Billing Advocates of America Web site, www.billadvocates.com).