US Medical Term · billing
Payment Plan
Plan de Pago
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Payment Plan |
| Spanish (Español) | Plan de Pago |
| Chinese (中文) | 医疗账单付款计划 |
| Korean (한국어) | 납부 계획 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Kế hoạch Thanh toán |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Plano sa Pagbabayad |
| Portuguese (Português) | Plano de Pagamento |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | แผนการชำระเงิน |
| Japanese (日本語) | 支払い計画 |
What it means
A payment plan is a formal agreement between you and a hospital, clinic, or provider to repay a medical bill in smaller, scheduled installments over time rather than a single lump sum. Many facilities offer interest-free payment plans, particularly for low-income patients, and some will reduce or forgive balances through charity care. Federal rules require hospitals to offer payment plans before sending accounts to debt collection. Always ask the billing department about payment plan options before the bill is sent to a collector—once a bill goes to collections, your options narrow significantly.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
PAY-ment plan
plan de pago
You can say: 'Can I set up a payment plan for this bill?'
'¿Puedo hacer un plan de pago para esta factura?'
Also called 'installment plan' or 'payment arrangement'
También llamado 'plan de cuotas' o 'acuerdo de pago'
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026