Yes. Your hospital bill is negotiable.

What hospitals accept for payment is not set in stone. There's the hospital's list of charges and then there's what they actually collect. Hospitals are required to offer discounted or free care to patients who meet financial eligibility guidelines. And most will negotiate with any patient having difficulty paying their bill. It's best to have such discussions before care takes place. It can enable the hospital's billing office to help find some assistance, such as Medicaid, Medicare or private and hospital charity assistance if the patient is eligible. Uninsured patients have the right to negotiate even after hospital care has been given, with the best deals often offered to people who agree to share their financial information and show a willingness to start paying the bill. Here are 7 tips to help you save money on your hospital bill.

1. Let your doctor know your financial circumstances

Get a full picture of what will be done during your stay, as well as any related tests and follow-up visits. If you're worried about paying the hospital bill, ask whether it's safe to delay the treatment or procedure. Perhaps you need surgery for a sinus condition that's bothersome but not life-threatening. A delay, if approved by your doctor, is an especially good idea if you or a spouse is in line for a job that will pay health benefits or if you've maxed out your flexible spending account for the year. Also ask if there are tests that can be avoided safely, such as for cholesterol and glucose if you've recently had those checked.

2. Choose a non-hospital if possible

One way of saving money might be to avoid the hospital for some procedures. Consider having tests and procedures, such as colonoscopies, MRIs and CT scans, done in independent surgery or imaging centers, or at an accredited doctor's office. This can save hundreds of dollars. Hospitals have far higher expenses, including a large physical plant, a larger staff and the need to write off millions of dollars in care for people who don't pay or who pay at a reduced cost. Your doctor should be able to recommend independent.

3. Shop hospital costs

Some websites, like Healthgrades , can tell you what many area hospitals charge. Healthgrades charges about $8 for a report. Finding the least expensive hospital can lower your out of pocket costs greatly. For instance, costs for a caesarean section in Southern California vary from $18,000 to $30,000, excluding doctor costs, depending on the hospital selected.

4. Check out financial assistance

Meet with a financial counselor at the hospital as soon as possible. Hospitals are required by law to let patients, insured or not, know about the availability of charity care, discounts and government programs that can cover all or part of their bill and about any other programs that can help take care of hospital charges. You may qualify for free or discounted care if your income is below 350% of the federal poverty or your medical costs are more than 10% of your family's annual income.

5. Be prepared when checking in to the hospital

Expect hospitals to ask for payment for the deductible and any other patient share of the bill before service. You don't always have to pay the deductible or your share of the hospital bill immediately, but you do have to come up with a plan to pay it off. Don't use a credit card to pay a hospital bill, unless you're sure you'll be able to pay it off in full by the due date. Letting the credit card bill go past one cycle adds interest fees and could increase your interest rate. Also, it's virtually impossible, to negotiate charges once they've been paid by credit card. A better idea is to ask the hospital for a no-interest rate payment plan. If you can't foot your share of the bill, hospitals might be able to discount your deductible, copay or coinsurance if you qualify under its financial screening process.

6. Get an itemized statement

Insured patients will typically get a summarized billing statement; the insurer gets more specific cost information. Request an itemized bill and ask the hospital for deciphering help if needed. Hospital bills often have errors in them, including misplaced decimal points, charges for tests or procedures not done, even care on days you weren't in the hospital. Look for charges you think were unnecessary. For example, if you recently had a cholesterol blood test, but the bill shows another one you were not told about beforehand. If your bill is huge, you may want to hire a medical billing advocate.

7. Don't ignore your bill

A bill for cancer surgery or an appendectomy or a meniscus repair has to be paid. Ignoring it will simply result in it being turned over to a collection agency. You cannot negotiate with the hospital to lower your bill once it's been turned over to a collection agency.