Here is what you have to do: 1. Open your insurance agreements...read ..what is the % you have to pay. 2. Go to the hospital - talk to the person - in person billing dept. or the doctor who treated you....tell your situtation..Here is what they are going to do for you: reduce your bill, make it installment without destroying your credit history...Talk man Talk ..there is nothing wrong asking .Anyways they charge unneccesarily. 3.Tell them to bill the bill in such a way that the insurance pay more and there is less in your part.There are ways man..they know the trick and you read your insurace paper how can you minimize your pocket expense .What extra they have charged u which can be part of or can be made part of insurance. Talk and see if it doesn't work. one things i am 100% confident at least your payment would be made installment and certain % reduced.Do it before they send your bill to collecting agencies ..they will not be able to help u then