Carly Hill: How are we supposed to make an accurate, realistic budget when medical providers can bill you months or years after actually visiting them? In today's episode, Ashley will tell us about budgeting for her family and learning to incorporate these bills and payments into her budget. Ashley is a registered dietician and mom of two.
She has used the Debt Free Mom pay period budget template for awhile and customized it to help keep track of medical bills.
I'm Carly Hill and this is the Debt Free Mom Podcast.
Carly Hill: Ashley, can you share a little bit about before you customize the template and made a system that worked for you, can you share about what was so frustrating with the medical bills that you are receiving and trying to manage?
Ashley Mathewson: Anybody who's dealt with billers with, you know, insurance and medical bills, things like that knows the stress that can be behind it. Whether it's you're somebody maybe that doesn't utilize insurance very often or have medical mishaps and things very often, or somebody like our family who we went through a very trying time with one of our children that was just had a lot medically going on.
And so we were in and out of the hospital and the doctor's offices and not just one hospital, but multiple hospitals just trying to figure out what was going on with him. And of course, at the time, the last thing we want to deal with is medical bills and dealing with that when you just want your child to be healthy again.
And so, you know, usually medical bills do come later on, but because we had a year long of medical problems, we were getting them in the midst of the stress of that. And so, unfortunately, you really have to be on your A game. It feels like when you deal with the the billers and insurance and things like that, because we found out the hard way that there were some things that they did on their end, which cost us a lot of money.
And honestly, sent us to collections not once but twice when we felt like we were not in the wrong in both of those situations. So I'll briefly talk about those things now if you want me to but essentially the hospital had our son's medical insurance card. We've always had medical insurance for our family.
They had our card, they had a copy of it, they had the number on there, but somewhere along the line they had entered that medical number, the insurance card number, incorrectly. And so that was costing us close to two grand of a mistake on their end in hours and hours of calling insurance and calling the, the biller and ultimately we are out that money because it was just, you know, if we were to get a lawyer or anything like that, I mean, it would just cost us even more money than that. Sure. That's so, so ultimately that is what happened during that situation. And we've never got refunded that money. And then another situation we got a bill and it was from a lab. So not necessarily from the hospital that it was done at but the lab that tested two years after the fact. And so, it's like, that's interesting because I'm pretty sure we paid for that. But again, I didn't have at the time any kind of record keeping or, you know, anything like that. And so I had called the company on three different occasions and even left voicemails with them, never got a call back.
And then found out that we got sent to collections on it. So again, it wasn't that we couldn't pay that money, but that it was something I thought I had paid. I was questioning it. But then they were quick to send me off to collections. And so then at that point I called again and finally got ahold of somebody and they're like, well, because now that you're sent to collections, there's not much we can do about it.
So, you know, again, it's just unfortunate that, in this process I was told that in our state of Illinois, we can actually be billed up to 10 years past a service, which is absolutely
Carly Hill: ridiculous.
Ashley Mathewson: It's very ridiculous. And so, there was actually another situation and I think this was one of my breaking points was like, I've got to get organized.
I got to have documentation, things like that. But there's another situation where again, this same bad year that we went through with my son's health issues there was an anesthesiology bill that it didn't look like it went through insurance. So I called insurance and said, Oh, did you not cover any part of this?
They're like, no, we actually paid it in full. So we went back to the biller and said, you know, this was paid in full by our insurance. And then they were like, well, we need an updated EOB, which is an explanation of benefits. And so it's just like there's game back and forth that they're playing to try and get you to pay bills.
And I mean, that was probably two or three months ago that I last talked to somebody and have yet to hear, okay, you're a hundred percent in the clear. So there's not really a lot of communication on their end to reach out and make sure that you have the right information or updated information.
Carly Hill: It's so sad that it falls onto you that like the, the work falls onto you, even though you're not the one making the errors and that's, I think one of the most unfair things about the whole thing is that they can make like a little error, like reversing, you know, reversing two digits on your number or something.
And then they go on their merry way. And you have to try to pull the pieces together of why is this not getting paid? Why am I getting billed? And also, you're the one that gets sent to collections, even though it's somebody else's error. I mean, it's sad, but I really do think like when anyone gets a medical bill, you basically need to assume that something is wrong on it. Like line item by line item and be like, is this the right date? Is this the right birthday? Is this the right service and question at like, just be being willing to be like, I don't understand what this line item is. I'm just gonna get on the phone right now and ask what it is can save you so much. I mean, as you're explaining those things just in the last couple years, I can think of three things very similar that happened in our family.
One, I went to a prompt care and the doctor that like they all just take turns covering the prompt care. And I got billed as if I had like chosen to go see that doctor and my insurance was like, well, he's out of your network. But the prompt care facility was in our network. And I was like, I didn't pick that guy.
I just went to the prompt care and it took over a year of me sending like written letters to the insurance company and to the doctor's office to like prove that I had seen him in a prompt care, not in a doctor facility. And so that was forever. And then when I had my second son, I had an epidural. And then after I had the epidural, they decided I needed a C section and took me into the operating room.
And on the anesthesiology bill, I was billed for an epidural and an epidural followed by C section. And so I was basically billed for two, two epidurals. Like they co in the medical coding. It's one coding. If you just get an epidural, then it's another different kind of coding if you get an epidural and then you end up being taken for a C section and they built me for both of those.
And that was like, I mean, it was like thousands of dollars. And I was just like, I called and I basically, you, you almost feel like you're insulting the person that you're talking to. Cause it's like, this should be basic common knowledge. Like I called and I was like, I can't get an epidural and an epidural followed by a C section.
And so then they were like, Oh yeah, that seems weird. And then the one other one was a similar one to your insurance thing. When Ruby was born, they put her birthday as one day later, like she was born on the 16th and they put her birthday as the 17th. So then her insurance started on the 17th, which meant that every single bill related to the day that she was born was uninsured.
And so again, it was just like, this is not my fault. Like her birthday is not this date. It's this date. But I had to like send copies of her birth certificate to prove that it had, you know, because the way insurance works, it starts on the day the baby is born. But they started it on the day after and of course she had thousands of dollars of bills related to being born.
And, and so it's just heartbreaking that it's like, it's not uncommon, you know, like that just in your family, you've had lots of things like that in my family, I've had lots of things like that. So I do think that people just need to approach it, assuming that when you get a bill and they tell you that you need to pay something like really go into detective mode on whether or not you actually need to pay that.
Ashley Mathewson: Yes. Yes. Absolutely.
Carly Hill: So you had those things happen, which is so frustrating, and I'm sorry that all of those things fell on to you both financially and time wise. And I can see how that kind of spurred you on to be like, I need a different system.
I need something to make sure that I can cover my bases and track myself. So what did you start to, what were the pieces that you wanted to pay attention to when you started coming up with a system for tracking it?
Ashley Mathewson: So I guess just to backtrack slightly before I answer that question, I also decided to go on a payment plan through the hospital. And so, you know, initially I was like, we don't need a payment plan. Like, I just want to like pay these off. I just want it to be over with. But then I realized, no, that's a way to also keep everything kind of in line and keep consistent with my budgeting as well. I'm like, well, I can pay this small amount once a month and maybe it takes me two years.
Like, when I maybe could have paid that off, it also allows me to have more money in my emergency fund pay something more realistic. So I know I didn't just answer your question, but that's kind of something that went into when I created this like spreadsheet was the payment plan portion.
So the first thing that I do is anytime we go to the doctors, the hospital have blood work anything like that I immediately enter that into my spreadsheet where I list who the family member is that had the service, what the service was, the location of the service, and then the date of the service.
So that is kind of the basic pieces of information that I include initially. Because a lot of times, unfortunately, we don't know the cost up front of what things are going to be. But once I do have the cost, I'll enter that information in and then I will enter in how it's paid or how it will be paid.
So, we also have a health savings account. And so certain things I will like medications. We have a certain amount that we have set aside for medications. And so even those I will mark off as this is how much it was. This is when it was added onto our health savings account, little debit card kind of thing or when it was added to the payment plan.
And so, or maybe if it is something that was such a small amount. We just want to kind of pay it off. And so we do it right then and there. So, those are the core pieces of what information we have. We also and that's part of that, that template that I've added as a separate sheet within the Debt Free Mom budget template.
So it's all right there. I don't have to log into a separate document, anything like that. I can just have it readily available because I'm in that every two days, two, three days. And so, then we also have a separate folder for when we do receive bills. What's nice is now it'll show on the bill what is not included in the payment plan.
So as we get new bills then it'll, it'll show up on there, not included on the payment plan. So then I just get on the phone, call them and have that added to the payment plan. And that's the date then that of course I put in my spreadsheet that it was added to the payment plan. Every time they asked me if I want to increase the dollar amount on the payment plan is another thing you do not have to, you can keep it.
The low amount, because, you know, initially you might have only put a $700 bill on there. And so, you know, we would have had it paid off in, you know, however much however many months, but yeah, as things get added I just feel like where we're at financially I like having that small amount and, you know, still getting paid.
Carly Hill: But that's, that's, I think an important thing to point out is that for it's, it's totally different than like credit cards or something where it's like, as long as they see that you are paying a lot of times, as long as you're paying something, they're not going to send you to collections because they're, that amount is ultimately going down.
It's always 0 percent interest when you do directly through a doctor, like I don't, I don't even think a hospital is like allowed to charge interest. But it does make such a difference in the way that they communicate with you. If they see that like you're at least paying something. I have found, and we probably have worked with the same hospital network, I have found that they're, they're willing to at least be like, okay, like, we can do this for you, whatever, as long as they see that you're doing something, you're not trying to get out of paying it. You're just trying to pay it in a way that is that works for your family. And I do like that. Like they've asked me before, like when I've had, I had to set up a payment plan with them, I think a year and a half ago, and they were basically just like, how much can you pay a month, you know, like, so they, I think a lot of times, like I said, we, we kind of take what we're used to doing with like car payments or credit card payments and assume that it's going to work that way.
But it is one of the more flexible ways of paying something where, like you said, you can just decline. Like, I don't want the amount to go up. I just want it to be added to that. And, and they roll with that.
Okay, so you added this sheet. So what do you have like columns for like how much it costs and then keeping track of like when you paid and all that?
You described what you do once you go to the doctor. What do you then keep track of once you start to receive those bills?
Ashley Mathewson: Once I receive a bill and I have the actual dollar amount, of course, I put that in there. And then I, you know, mark the date that it was paid in there. And then that physical bill that I get as well, I have a medical folder that I put that in mark paid. I, you know, so I'm putting the dates on everything that I'm doing. So that way there's no question like this was paid the date. And we can kind of reference back to that. So, and then if there's any additional information that I have any type of, like I spoke to Susie or anything like that, I can also add like a little, you know, notes within that cell and document that as well.
I think any piece of information that I have. Towards something help support when I do have an issue that arises.
Carly Hill: Especially if you just talk to someone and they don't actually do anything. It's really important to get the date and the person that you talk to, because then a lot of times you call back and you're like, well, someone said that they would do XYZ for me.
And they're like, well, we don't have any record of that. Which is, again, so, so disappointing. When did you add that to your template? Like how long has it been?
Ashley Mathewson: Let's see here. It has been and I can open this up real quickly and see how far back. I've been doing this since December of last year. So not quite a year.
Carly Hill: So in that time, like nine months or so, have you had things come up where you have been able to use the data that you're, you're keeping track of in a way that you wouldn't have been able to before?
Ashley Mathewson: For example, one specific test that my husband had done, they sent us four separate bills. So one test, but four separate bills. And so if I would have got those, I would have been so confused. Like, I know I paid this and why are we getting this new bill for that? And so I was able to track, doesn't feel good to know that they can separate one thing into four separate bills or more sometimes. But like when was it was for a sleep study. And so it was like, one was, for the evaluation. And then there was a copay and then there was the actual study and then it was dropping off the machine. And then there was, I think there might have been like a reading the test. And so, so again, it's not great that they break it up that way, but at least I could s ee with my documentation. Okay. These are in fact for, you know, four or five different things, even though it was only one test. And then I can see, okay, this test actually cost us, right. You know, this amount of money.
Carly Hill: Yeah, that you're that, even though that's a silly way to do it, at least, you know, you're not being like triple billed for one thing.
Ashley Mathewson: Exactly. Exactly. Like I said, it wasn't that I caught an error on their end, but I was able to feel confident knowing, okay, even though this seems like a confusing way to bill somebody over one thing, at least I knew that this is how it was broken down. And
Carly Hill: yeah, and even if there isn't a problem, you do yourself such a favor by not having to try and keep.
Keep it all in your head because you have so like you said at the beginning, you have so many other things going on. You're just trying to make sure your family is healthy. Like you don't want to have to get on the phone and then be like, well, when did you pay it? And it's like, ah, sometime in May. I don't know.
You know? So like you're doing yourself such a service on the front end by keeping that keeping those records and keeping yourself organized so that if something pops up, you know exactly what you're going to open right away and be like, Oh, actually, I have a note here that on this date, I talked to so and so and I paid this.
And that really gets the process going a lot faster and going in your favor. Which is awesome.
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So now that you've had that payment plan and kind of worked into your budget, do you feel like you've stabilized a little bit in your budget overall? Because at least it's a little more known, or do you feel, do you still feel like there's things popping up out of the blue that are holding you back?
Ashley Mathewson: Yeah, no, I definitely feel like that now medical bills are like a, not a big stressor for me. Like it is relieved so much stress. I mean, it helps that my family is, knock on wood, pretty healthy right now. That definitely helps. And as far as my budget overall I mean, I still, we still have stressors. We still have we have a vehicle that every time something goes wrong, we're like, okay, we've got to get rid of this thing after this and then other thing happens and another thing happens. And so I have not figured out how to handle that and predict when you don't have a brand new vehicle how to go at it in a way that makes me feel less stressed like I did with my medical bills.
But yeah, we've, we've had kind of a year of, of you know, just like car expenses. Yeah.
Carly Hill: And honestly, like in the way you're describing it, they're they're really similar concepts of like, it's going to come out of the blue, and you're not going to know how much it costs until you've already done it, you know, like you, I mean, you can kind of estimate with a mechanic, like how much is this going to be, but in a similar way to those medical bills, it's It costs what it costs, and you just have to do it so that you have a vehicle to drive.
And the hard thing is when we have, and I, I say this with full knowledge in my own life, as we're currently driving a 2006 Prius and a 2008 Town & Country, is like the older the vehicle gets, the more likely it is that it's going to have problems, but the like catch 22 of that is that at the same time, you know, that you need to be saving up for the next vehicle, but the current one is starting to cost you even more.
So that's definitely a conversation that we've been in as well as like, when do you just bite the bullet and give up on the old one because it's costing too much versus being like, well, even though the repairs are unpredictable, they're still more manageable than like a car payment. But it is, I mean, there isn't like a one right way. I wish there was a rule of like, once it costs you this many dollars a month, then you trade and get a different one.
I think for us, what we've found, what I try to do in my head to at least make myself feel better when I have to pay those repairs is to calculate how much, how many months of a car payment that would be. So like, if we have, I know like on Wednesday, Kyle's car is going in for a timing belt and an oil change and two tires.
So all like regular maintenance stuff, you know, it's just like at certain intervals, this always needs to happen, but I don't know those intervals. So I don't know it until the mechanic is like, you need to do this. And I think it's probably going to be like close to $400, which feels like so much on such an old car, but that's like a month and a half of a car payment.
And so I'm like, okay, well, that's. better than than, you know, ditching it. I, I think we're on the edge, though, of that, of being like, it's no longer worth it to put money into this vehicle. And so it's not necessarily that I have a ton of advice as much as to commiserate with feeling in that situation.
I think at the end of the day, for us, we just end up relying on our emergency fund and kind of asking, like, is this money we want to pull from the emergency fund? Is it money we want to work into the budget? And a lot of times it is money I have to pull from savings because I can't just work a $500 car repair into the budget.
Like, when people say that, like, now that I've had this job for a while and people say that they just, like, work it into the budget and it's like $600, I'm like, what exactly is your budget? Like, what are you doing with the, what are you doing with the extra money that makes it able to just be like, whoop, just drop a $600 car repair in there.
So yeah, we do, we do rely on our emergency fund for those things. What makes it frustrating then is once you do that, then in the upcoming months, as you know, then it's like now, instead of using the money that I thought was going to go to forward momentum, now I'm just refilling the emergency fund. And then sometimes that can feel like a hamster on a wheel. Absolutely.
So when, when you look at the like car situation and the medical and all of those things, do you feel like you're at a point where you can kind of just keep trucking along until things settle down? Or have you guys started to maybe have conversations about like, Oh, we actually need to make changes to like income or expenses in order to grow that gap? Because sometimes just coasting is okay. But then other times, if we coast for too long, then we have to make changes.
Ashley Mathewson: Yeah. I mean, I think we're always, we're always evaluating our budget and always talking about that. In fact, something personal that we started probably a month or two ago is we have like these marriage meetings every Sunday morning we'll wake up and have our cup of coffee and we have a list of things that we'll talk about and communicate. Cause if anybody knows about having, you know, having kids and trying to communicate. It's crazy. And we don't always have a lot of time to communicate. So it's kind of been really a game changer for us. And one of the things we do talk about every single Sunday is finances. So, even though I'm doing my check ins every two to three days, he doesn't, he doesn't do that.
So it's nice for me to be able to be open and honest about this is where it's at and this is where it's in the future and things like that. So, yeah, I mean, I think, I think we're definitely moving in the right direction. And I'm feeling more confident and I, do want to build up our emergency fund and even more.
And it feels like we just keep getting hit by things to where I'm glad we have what we have in the emergency fund, but I feel like it makes it just that much harder to build it versus. So, yeah, I mean, I think we've made a lot of changes over the last year that I'm really proud of us for. And I think that would have been way worse off had we not done those things. But but yeah, I would, I would like to build it more and we just haven't really quite decided what that means for our family.
Carly Hill: So, I saw in your notes too that you're, you are somewhat recently a stay at home mom or have you been a stay at home mom for a while?
Ashley Mathewson: So I have been a registered dietitian. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. So, so yeah, I was a dietitian for 10 years and tried to do like the part time thing for, I think it was about two years. And it was just, it was kind of crazy for our family. Things at home that were making it even more crazy. And so, so yeah, I decided to just stay home because my husband did take a promotion that requires him to go on a good chunk of the day during the week.
And so that has been great. And I thought it would kind of just be a wash, honestly, because around the time that we did for me, make the decision for me to stay home was when we started doing the Debt Free Mom budgeting. We had no budgeting system before then I had no role in that whatsoever. So in my mind, I was like, Oh, well, what we pay in childcare will, you know, essentially be a wash for what I brought in and things like that.
And I mean, to a degree, maybe, but there's a lot more that goes into it now that I'm more knowledgeable on where our money's going. Yeah. So yeah, so it, it has now that I am like very on top of our money, where it's going, things like that it has made me feel more confident that me staying home right now was a good decision, even though you know, I'm not bringing in an income and and maybe growing the emergency fund in a way that I would have liked to right now.
Carly Hill: At the same time, if you think about the way that your finances operated before you budgeted, what you're contributing now is probably even more valuable to your family than a paycheck because bringing in a paycheck and not really managing it or not really having a plan for how you're going to use it, you see less progress that way than you do with having someone who is like, I'm on top of this. This is my domain. You know, I take care of this for our family. So in a lot of ways, I would guess that you're contributing more to your family finances right now than you were when you worked.
Ashley Mathewson: And even from a monetary standpoint of it, just the stress of knowing that we're not rushing from point A to point B to if somebody is sick, it's not a scramble trying to figure out who's staying home, who's taking them to the doctor and who's, yeah.
So I mean, it's, yes, definitely it's, it's, it's been good for our family. It's probably not a forever thing by any means, but for now, and it's, it's been really good.
Carly Hill: And that's an important part, too, is it is hard when we're in the thick of like our gap being small and expenses that we have to cover. It's hard to realize that it can be temporary, right? It's kind of just easy to be like, Oh, my gosh, this is how our finances are just like gonna be forever. I know I get into that way of thinking of just like, if, so, if, if like two months in a row feel tight, I'm like, well, we're screwed. Yep. But, but it is, it is refreshing to remember that those can be seasons that we go in and out of, as I think both you and I are kind of like a couple years away from like our kids all being in school, and like, so I, I remember that too.
I know people that are a few years older, further along than me. Who say, you know, like that time in your life where little kids are at home and you're just with them all the time is one of the most financially strapped times that you'll probably ever be. And so I, I always took that as a big comfort when people would tell me that, cause I'm like, okay, it's okay to be financially spread thin at this little season of our life where the little kids are home and child care is expensive and all that. We will move into another season. But it can feel, it can feel stressful to think about the future if we kind of project like, well, what if the way it is right now is how it's always going to be? But it can be helpful to remember, like, okay, we can, we can kind of coast for now. And as long as we're covering everything, making a little bit of momentum, we will step, we will step into a season where then we can make more progress.
Ashley Mathewson: And I think it'll make it feel that much more like I'll appreciate it that much more to know there were times when it was harder to grow that gap and build that emergency fund and I don't think that like I did in the past, I'll be like, you know, just look at the checking account or just look at the savings account and think, oh, we have all this money, and be more, you know, carefree about things. I'll really think through when we do have the money to go on a vacation and do those things that, that are our goals in the future.
Carly Hill: It's exciting to think about taking the. Like, like you had said, you know, before you had the income and then once you stayed home, now you have the good financial management skills.
It's exciting to think about a time where you maybe have both, right? Like if your kids are all in school and you could just even do part time, like one or two shifts or something and then add that to all the great habits that you already have. It's really exciting to think about all the things that you could do with that dynamic duo together.
Absolutely.
One question I wanted to ask is what kind of advice would you give to maybe somebody who's like a new parent or something? And so they haven't dealt with a lot of medical bills. They, you know, maybe they've been healthy in their adulthood, but even, even when you have healthy kids, they're still just like birth and checkups and all the things that make it complicated.
What would you recommend people do as they're starting to get some of those things and they haven't had to go through that process before of checking in with insurance and everything?
Ashley Mathewson: I think really trying to understand what your insurance covers and, even when you're pregnant and looking for a pediatrician, you want to obviously go to a pediatrician and maybe the hospital that they're associated with that is under your insurance.
And yeah, just really understanding what your portion of things will be before you have them. I know that's hard to do when your child is sick. You just want to do all the things, and you get all the tests and do you know, and again, to a certain degree, you know, that's what you do for your family and you worry about the expense later.
But but yeah, as much as you can research just taking a pause and making sure is this the best facility to get this thing done? And is this the right timing for us to get this thing done? And then yeah, just like you said just question every bill that you get Just assume that it hasn't gone through insurance or that you didn't get billed correctly. It's terrible that way, but I think that has been one of the most for us is just question everything just another bill? Okay, pay it. And another bill? Ok, pay it. And then of course if you can track the things that you do pay, I think that's beneficial as well because I mean, we've been able to track at least know, okay, prescription wise, these are what we pay as a family. And then for the health savings account, put that amount into there that is tax free.
That was also very beneficial. I'm sure the paycheck looks a little smaller, but in the grand scheme of things. We're, we're still getting that money which is the free portion of it. So, that's something I definitely didn't learn in school. Things I definitely didn't learn in school. You know, I hate that I've had to learn it the hard way, but that the more research and things that you can just ask questions about and I think, I think as a society, I never would have talked about my finances, let alone on a podcast. I think as a society, I think we are becoming more open about those things because we realize the more we're open, the more we can educate ourselves and learn from each other. So, you know, just kind of learning through other people's mistakes or, you know, experiences.
Carly Hill: I think really asking questions of even just like family members or even, you know, co workers who, you know, have the same insurance where you're like, Is this how they operate for you? And I think starting to ask those questions and also be willing to ask the questions before there's a problem, like you said, is so helpful because then it's not a high stress moment.
You know, like if you get a bill, and it's just a regular bill. It's a pretty low key conversation to just call and be like, Hey, I got this bill and I just want to have somebody explain it to me. That's a much easier conversation to have than getting the bill and like, not really like almost like suffering silently, like just kind of like being confused.
And then you get like a collections letter or something. And then that's a more high stress heated conversation where you're really upset and you're really confused. So I think being proactive about being like, even if there's one tiny little thing that is $12 and you don't understand what it is, just getting in the habit of being willing to, like, I'm going to get on the phone and I'm just going to ask a question.
And then you'll probably learn something that will then help you with some future bill as well. I wish we got paid for that time because it does take so much time. I mean, I think I said that before I started recording, but it really is like a part time job to manage all of those pieces.
And really have to like, be your own advocate. That's I think that's another that's something that I would say too, is to not feel like you just have to listen to what they say to kind of get like your, which this is hard for me to do, especially on a phone call. I can be, I can be really brave, like in an email or a text message, but like to get on the phone and be pretty assertive, you know, not mean at all, but just like clearly communicate and assertive.
I understand that you think that I haven't paid this, but I have records that I have. I'd be happy to send you those records, you know, like getting those the, that really professional tone of voice that, that lets the other person know, like, okay, this person knows what they're talking about and they're on top of it can really go a long way.
Mhm. I agree. Thank you, Ashley, for coming on. I unfortunately, like we said before we record, unfortunately, this is not a rare occurrence. Like I think a lot of people listening are going to be like, yep, I have my own stack of medical bills. I have my own things that I've worked through. I have my own issues or errors that I've had with insurance.
So I hope just like you just said a minute ago, I hope that by you and I having this conversation and then sharing it, that people can be. willing to take more of a proactive role in managing those medical bills and certainly not paying more than they need to and also not being more stressed than they need to.
Just like in last week's episode, Ashley has found ways to make medical bills and paying for medical bills, less stressful by utilizing tools like the Debt Free Mom budget template and customizing it to her family's needs. Some of the key takeaways from this episode. Number one, keeping records helps you to know when a bill has an error. So because of Ashley's records, she was able to see when bills were accurate and when they were something that she had already paid for.
Number two, using payment plans is a great way. To manage the stress of large medical bills. Unlike credit cards or other large debts, these payment plans are 0% interest and can help your family to cover your medical bills Without having to drop a large chunk of cash at one time. And number three, having a clear budget in advance can help you to know how much of a payment you can or can't afford. So whether you currently have large medical bills to pay for or not, we highly encourage you to create an accurate realistic budget so that when bills like this come up, you have a tool that is easily adapted and adjusted for your needs, including medical bills.
Thanks for listening to the Debt Free Mom Podcast. If you want to join me as a guest on the show, go to dfmpodcast.com. The Debt Free Mom Podcast is hosted by me, Carly Hill, and is produced, edited, and mixed by Kyle Hill. Music for this episode was written by Kyle Hill. Hit subscribe wherever you're listening to join in with every new episode as we grow our confidence and contentment in our personal finances.
