Assalamu Alaikum, I had a surgery about a few months ago and I didnt have health insurance at the time. The hospital has charged me an enormous amount of thousands of dollars which I cannot pay. They increased the price on my surgery because I didnt have health insurance. Is this counted as a debt? I heard it would be haram to pay them all the money they requested because they increased the price almost 3 to 4 times. Please help me out. JazakumAllahu kheirun.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

If this amount that is required from you is a fee for the surgical operation that is due in the hospital for the people who do not have health insurance, or that this is the fee for the operation in case one pays by installments, and you conducted a contract with them that you will pay them by installments, then this amount is a debt on you and you are obliged to pay it when you become able to do so.

On the other hand, if the amount was duplicated because of you delaying payment after the contract was conducted, then this is pure Riba and it is forbidden. In this case, you are obliged to pay them the original debt only without the interest even by tricking and evasion.

However, if you are not able to evade paying this Riba, and you are obliged to pay it, then you are not sinful as we clarified in Fatwa 88360.

Also, for more benefit on health insurance, please refer to Fatwa 82599.