Yes people do this all the time, but YMMV. I could be wrong, but I believe the hospital is not obligated to work with you. Depends on who you talk to, the type of procedure it was, your household income and more. You're making $70k/year supporting a family of 4 in a tech-hub like the Bay Area, but say you had an accident vacationing in Texas and now on the hook for $8k in hospital bills. Will the hospital look at your cost of living or will they see 70k and assume you should pay in full?