Can't Afford a Recommended Test?

Nonprofit hospitals are legally required to have a written financial assistance policy and to screen patients for it — most people are simply never told this exists. Call the hospital or imaging center's billing department directly and ask for their financial assistance or charity care application, not just a payment plan. Separately, ask what the cash-pay rate is for the same test. Paying directly, without going through insurance at all, is sometimes genuinely cheaper than your in-network negotiated cost, especially at standalone imaging centers — it costs nothing to ask and compare both numbers before deciding. If you have an FSA or HSA, using those pre-tax dollars for the test lowers the real cost meaningfully. And most hospitals offer interest-free payment plans if you ask before the bill goes to collections, not after.