Definitely. I've had to deal with medical bills constantly over the years. You call. You email. You document every single interaction. You work out a payment plan. (Helpful hint: If you ask for an itemized bill from the hospital, often times the bill miraculously ends up just a bit smaller. Yeah, they know they sometimes have superfluous charges that should not be listed.) If you can't meet their payment plan options, apply for hardship with them. Sometimes, due to divorce or job loss, they can miraculously find funds or reduce their payment expectations.

But yes, you need to document all the correspondence. Ask for things in writing to leave a paper trail. Yes, it is possible the bill may go to collections because that's just what hospitals do after so many months, BUT, if you have spoken to them and established a plan with them, they generally won't send it to collections.

The good news is that medical debt no longer is reported to credit agencies as quickly and has a bit less impact on your credit: How Do Medical Bills Affect Your Credit?| Capital One