Why do I see zero balance

[u/thisiscrazyaf1]

I noticed that my relatives’ hospital bill ER has been completely discounted, and the current balance is zero. I hope it hasn’t been sent to collection, and their application for charity has been approved. How can I ensure this? Ps: all this happened in 45 days.

[u/Ok_Relative_9931]

More than likely they got approved for charity or the hospital just decided to use their charity funds to clear it regardless of whether the patient got approved for charity.

Hospitals and medical debt tend to remain owned by the original party, so even if a collection agency was hired, the balance wouldn’t zero out on the hospital’s side until it was paid off one way or another.

Non profit Hospitals offer charity care. But also, they regularly review accounts with typically large balances and utilize any excess charity funds to clear those accounts on a regular basis, based on the type of services and the likelihood the hospital is to see the balance paid by the patient. Sometimes you don’t even need to be formally approved for charity for the balance to be cleared.

[u/thisiscrazyaf1 → u/Ok_Relative_9931]

Got it. Thank you. It was a huge bill.

[u/ElleGee5152]

If they were approved for charity and the balance is $0, that is what is supposed to happen. They can always call to verify their balance over the phone.

[u/thisiscrazyaf1 → u/ElleGee5152]

The app shows 0 balance with 100% amount discount