> if you can't reasonably afford to pay it.

It's true you can negotiate, but it's also true their bar for "reasonably afford to pay it" absolutely can include emptying your savings and other assets.

Hospitals' bar for reasonably afford is low, in my experience. They want proof that you make poverty line wages or below to write it off, below 300% of poverty line (around 38k) for reductions.

To totally write off, sure.

But they will often vastly reduce and/or over 0% interest long term payment plans.