Hospitals ask patients to pay up front

Better check your bank balance before you get sick or injured bad enough to need to go to the hospital. CNNMoney is reporting many hospitals are asking patients to pay before receiving medical attention.
 
The report states the reason hospitals are taking the pay-first approach is because higher deductibles and costs for care are increasing the patients' portions of the bills. Some policies require patients to pay thousands of dollars before their insurance kicks in.
 
If patients can't afford up-front payments, some hospitals offer payment plans or loans and, the report states, patients can still choose to wait to pay until their insurance settles its portion.

Read more from CNNMoney.