Is it possible to settle medical debt without professional help?

You can negotiate with the hospital on your own. But, I would suggest you to take help of an expert, because he/she knows the nitty gritty of the game and can guide you through the debt repayment process well.

You can negotiate with the hospital provided you have good negotiation skills. Contact the billing department and inform that you can't pay the total bill since your financial condition is not good. Check out the bill and find out if there are any error.

Negotiating with the hospital is the best option. However, if you're not confident or you were not successful, you can take professional help to do it.