r/HospitalBills 12d ago

Good bill

[deleted]

34 Upvotes

70 comments sorted by

View all comments

14

u/Cultural-Ad1121 12d ago

I believe your 401k does not affect ACA requirements. That is not earned income.

And the hospital cannot negotiate with you if they have an in network contract. It would violate their contract with the insurance.

8

u/krankheit1981 12d ago

Doesn’t it count as income if it’s pulled early? It’s also heavily penalized and taxed.

6

u/EmZee2022 12d ago

Not if the owner is over 59 and a half, I think. And the OP is 64, if she's that close to Medicare age. I do not know what impact it has on ACA subsidy eligibility.

I assume the OP has some kind of high deductible insurance with a high OOP limit, which would explain such a high balance owed.

To be honest, I'd suggest considering bankruptcy rather than taking money from the 401(k). 401(k) and IRA money is largely protected from bankruptcy and lawsuits.