Can a Dr.'s office turn you over to a collection agency if you make regular monthly payments?

Question

I have been making regular payments ranging from 20- 60 a month on a bill and they turned it over to a collection agency after I had it down to $50.00. I have always heard they can't if you make regular payments. Any help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

They can and do. Most won't if you are making an effort to pay them, but I guess they can get really irritable (to say it nicely) and turn it over to a collection agency. As far as the law goes, the law itself wouldn't do anything as long as you were paying....like a lawsuit or whatever....the judge wouldn't grant or file a judgement against you if you were paying.

Answer 2

Sure they can, because you haven't paid it in full. However, if you were making monthly payments, it was pretty stupid for them to do so -- if you were that close to paying it off they will end up handing almost all of that over to the collection agency as their fee.

Once it's turned over, the doctor can't take the debt back. If you can, pay it in full within 30 days of the notice -- then it won't appear on your credit.

I have heard many times that items under $100 rarely turn up on your credit...I'm not sure if it's true though.

Answer 3

Yes, they can. There was one collection lawyer in this city and when he couldn't collect the bills fast enough , with higher payments, the old blood sucker , garnisheed the poor womans paycheck. She was so embarassed , because he sent the garnishment request to her employer and they took more money from her , that way. These bill collection agency's and lawyer, don't give a damned, if you even have enough for a loaf of bread. Try to get rid of them. Then to top it off , they will make sure you have a bad credit record. Good luck.

Answer 4

Actually if you are paying something on it they aren't supposed to send it to collection. Maybe it was a case of they sent the wrong one. call your Dr's office and ask them why it got sent to collection since you've been making regular payments. This happened to me once and they "wiped the slate clean" since it was their fault. I had about $100 left to pay and they said not to worry about it and corrected it with the collection agency.

Answer 5

Hello, I am here to ask a question. I received a doctor bill for $137.16 February 12,2015. I had already paid on the doctor bill January 26, 2015, $1,242.00 on my credit card. I guess this is the balance after my insurance had paid their part. The bill said it was due on February 25, 2015, for the amount of $137.16. I went to call in yesterday, March, 19, 2015, to pay this remaining balance of $137.16 on my credit card. The lady answered in the billing department and I told her I was calling to pay off the remaining balance for the doctor bill that I had received in the mail. She did not give me her name, all she said was what is your account number? I gave her my account number, and even gave her my name. When she came back on the phone, she said you would need to call this phone number. I took down the number and before I could ask her the question why she was giving me another number to call, she hung upon me. I never have received a letter telling me the doctor bill had been turned over to collections. When I called the phone number, of course the name was a collection agency, when I answered she transferred me to a very nice lady, and she gave me her name, and I ask her why would I be turned over to a collection agency, when the doctor bill was not even 30 days old? It says on the bill dated February 10, 2015, the due date for the bill was February 25, 2015, I said when I called she did not even tell me it was turned over to a collection agency. She gave me the phone number and hung up in my face. She said have you received a letter from the doctor telling you that you were going to be turned over to collections, if the bill was not paid? I said all I have received is one bill showing were I had made a payment in January for $1,242.00 on my credit card, it showed that payment and a remaining balance of $137.16. She said I am trying to find your name and I do not see where that you have been turned over to collections as of this date. She said I will send Jennifer, an email, and see why this is being turned over to us? She said that is all that I can do. I told her I am going to mail in a check for the full amount of $137.16 today. She said they probably want take the payment since they have turned it over to us. I said you just told me that you don't have any information that my account has been turned over to collections with you? She said wait until next week about the middle of next week, next Wednesday, March 25, 2015, and I will call you back when I here from Jennifer, and then you can pay us. So I did mail the check yesterday March 19, 2015, can they refuse my payment? Even though, the account is not even 30 days old. The statement plainly say due date: February 25, 2015. It is not even 30 days. March 25, 2015 it would be 30 days. Can a doctor's office turn you over to collections that quick. Even though you paid a large amount of money and the account was in good standing. Can they ruin my credit now. But, I did go ahead and mail in the check for the full amount of $137.16 will they not accept the payment? What can I do to not let this ruin my credit?

Answer 6

call the scientific institution and ask them approximately their coverage. If that's their coverage, that must be the reason you have been contacted with the aid of a series business enterprise. I think of hospitals have an incredible type of customers who pay on the bill, and perhaps that's overwhelming. besides, touch the series business enterprise, and if the quantity isn't what you experience it is going to likely be, you have 30 days to respond from the date of their letter. you are able to dispute the charges and which means there'll be a time of discovery. they are going to ought to deliver you each factor regarding the bill (who that's from, all your previous money, etc.). in the event that they do no longer respond without postpone to you, or if there's a discrepancy, your money to them heavily isn't valid. --- Toni D.

Answer 7

no i have been turned over like that,,if u dint have a written agreement ,if they are tired of the small amounts they turn u over,,that is a total myth about regular payments unless u have a written agreement,plus i was paying 20 $ a month the hospital said nope we want more they garnished alot more each month..good luck

Answer 8

That's pretty jerky of them considering you had it almost paid off.

Surely they know how much the healthcare system in this country sucks and not everyone is lucky enough to be fully insured.

Best of luck to you.

Answer 9

i think it is possible