I’m Only 27, and I’m Already Overwhelmed by Medical Debt
Key takeaways:
Tarah Roy faces mounting medical debt while coping with chronic health issues.
Her limited income forces her to choose between paying bills and covering basic needs.
She recently lost her job and doesn’t see a way to resolve the debt.
My Bill of Health is a series of stories about the financial strain of healthcare. To share your story, email patientstories@goodrx.com.
Tarah Roy gets calls from collection agencies almost every day.
On a recent afternoon, she says, an agency called at 1:25PM and again at 2:05PM. They use different numbers with her local Western Oklahoma area code to increase the chance she’ll pick up.
Raised with a strong work ethic, Tarah isn’t the kind of person who lets bills go unpaid.
But now she has no choice. At 27, she has multiple health issues, and she lost her job in July 2024. After she and her husband pay living expenses, there’s nothing left for her medical debt.
“I’ve got food in the fridge,” she says. “I’m able to live and not be miserable, even with this cycle of debt. But at the same time, it does feel like an anchor, like clipping the wings of a bird.”
Medical problems, medical debt, and no answers
Tarah, who is Latina and lives in Elk City, Oklahoma, has faced health challenges her whole life.
She developed hypercalcemia as an infant. In fourth grade, she caught infectious mononucleosis (mono), which led to chronic fatigue syndrome. She broke her hip at age 13 when she fell from an all-terrain vehicle, and she says the broken bone wasn’t treated properly. As a result, she has ongoing hip and spine problems. She also has polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
But Tarah didn’t start accumulating medical debt until recently. Growing up, she qualified for SoonerCare, Oklahoma’s Medicaid program. That support ended when she turned 19. Then, she found jobs that included health insurance, and she could pay off any bills.
What’s the best way to negotiate a medical bill? Review your bill, do your research, and follow these steps.
What if I think a bill collector is harassing me? Know your rights. Third-party debt collectors are not allowed to threaten you. Learn more here.
What’s a financial assistance program, and how can it help? Many hospitals offer these kinds of programs to help low-income people pay their bills.
But rising healthcare costs and limited income have made managing her health — and her debt — harder than ever. A procedure she paid $200 for a few years ago now costs her $400. Her income hasn’t kept pace. She made $10 an hour when she started her convenience store job and $12.50 when she left. After her latest job loss, even basic medical care became out of reach.
For a while, Tarah had two insurance policies: one through her work and one through her husband’s job. But even then, she had uncovered expenses, like a $4,000 ambulance bill.
Now, Tarah is facing new health uncertainties. She had to quit her job when she developed a lump on her neck that made lifting and carrying painful. She’s undergoing testing to pinpoint the cause of the lump, but it’s a slow, expensive process.
Read more like this
Explore these related articles, suggested for readers like you.
“I’ve been waiting 3 months to figure out what’s going on with me, and I’ve racked up over two grand of medical debt in that time,” she says.
What it’s like to be young and poor with a disability
Tarah is already getting gray hairs.
“I’ve been in flight mode my whole life. That takes its toll on the body,” she says, adding that she would rather be gray than bald.
She feels out of step with other young adults around her. In her town and in her Latine culture, she explains, people marry and start families young. Many high school classmates are buying cars and houses now.
“I’m sure they’ve got debt, too, but at least they have something to show for their debt,” she points out. “Medical debt is the most useless debt there is.”
She says her young, healthy friends don’t realize how lucky they are.
Tarah also has a lot of insurance anxiety, especially with the new health issues she’s facing. “I am super paranoid about losing my insurance,” she says, referring to the insurance she has through her husband’s job. “I don’t think anyone should have to worry about whether they have insurance or not.”
Facing stigma and cultural expectations
Tarah comes from a tough, hardworking family.
“Being Tejano [Texans of Mexican descent], a minority, you had to work,” she says. She explains that her female relatives either held outside jobs or put in long hours on family farms and ranches. “The stay-at-home wife wasn’t a thing,” she says.
As one example of her family’s strength, she describes how her grandmother’s grandmother left five children with relatives and returned to Mexico to fight in the Mexican Revolution. “Coming from a family like that, and sitting at home on my butt — it’s demoralizing,” she says. “Not working feels like a personal failure.”
Although Tarah walks with a limp because of her hip problem, she looks healthy. She says people minimize her problems and tell her she’s too young to be sick.
“I qualify for a handicap sticker on my vehicle, but I don’t use it,” she says, explaining that she doesn’t want to face judgmental comments and scornful looks.
Tarah says almost everyone has an opinion or suggestion about her health. “I don’t think it’s always judgment, more just people wanting to help,” she says. They tell her to lose weight or try alternative remedies. But the answers aren’t that easy.
Tarah says some of the misunderstandings fall along generational lines. “Some older people think people my age just want to get out of work,” she says, adding that she continued to work full time with chronic pain.
She points out that she’s living in a different world from her grandparents. She remembers her grandfather bartering to repave a dentist’s driveway in exchange for dentures. “You can’t do that anymore,” she says.
For now, the goal is survival
Tarah and her husband rent an apartment above a restaurant her family owns. Living in a small town reduces expenses, she says, but their income barely covers their monthly bills.
“If I have to ignore a bill,” she says, “it’s going to be something I can get away with. I’d rather eat and keep the electricity on.” That means she’s often forced to neglect the medical bills.
When she does try to address the debt, she doesn’t get far. She remembers offering to pay $100, only to have the collection agency representative ask her, “Is that all you can do?”
Her hip problems could be repaired, but it would take four surgeries and leave her unable to work for months. “What price do you put on not having a disability?” she asks. “I can’t afford that price.”
Leaning on family, faith, and her sense of humor
Although she doesn’t see a way out of the debt, Tarah draws strength from her family and her faith.
“I literally have Matthew 6:34 tattooed on my wrist,” she says, referring to a Bible verse that encourages people not to worry about tomorrow. “My grandfather was a Baptist preacher, so I grew up in the church,” she explains. “I think faith does keep me from going completely insane.”
Keeping her sense of humor helps, too. She says, “If you can’t laugh, you’ll cry, or be very angry.”
She says she has a history of getting out of impossible situations “almost unscathed,” and she hopes that will happen again. “All I need to do is win the lottery and medical bills won't matter,” she says. “A girl can dream, you know.”
Tips and resources for coping with medical debt
Tarah wants people to understand that medical debt can happen to anyone, at any age. “There's a lot of stigma,” she says. “But it’s not a character failing or anything like that.”
If you’re struggling with medical debt, Tarah’s story offers several takeaways. While she draws strength from family, faith, and humor, she also recognizes practical tips can help.
1. Prioritize essentials
Cover food, housing, and utilities first. When your income is limited, these basics come before medical bills.
2. Communicate with healthcare professionals and collection agencies
You may be able to negotiate your medical bills and avoid your debts going to collections. Ask about payment plans or reduced settlements. Be firm, and let them know what you can realistically afford.
3. Know your rights
Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, you have the right to limit collection calls, dispute charges, and request validation of your debt.
4. Look into financial assistance programs
Many hospitals and clinics offer aid for people who have low incomes. See if your healthcare professional has financial assistance programs that could lower your bills.
5. Seek Medicaid or low-cost health coverage
If you’re uninsured or can’t pay your medical bills, apply for Medicaid or look into Affordable Care Act marketplace plans that may reduce your out-of-pocket costs on future healthcare expenses.
This article is solely for informational purposes. This article is not professional advice concerning insurance, financial, accounting, tax, or legal matters. All content herein is provided “as is” without any representations or warranties, express or implied. Always consult an appropriate professional when you have specific questions about any insurance, financial, or legal matter.
Why trust our experts?
