Last year i went to the local hospital here in Weston, Wv for my severe hypertension. They told me they had to admit me because my blood pressure was so high. I stayed there for 4 days and my bill was over 6k. I have no insurance and no job, my fiance makes too much for me to get dissability and i didnt get excepted for the hospital to mark it off as charity because he made too much money as well! Well now i got a summons in todays mail to pay for this hospital bill. I need to answer it it within 20 days, what do i say to the circuit court?They are now taking me to circuit court to pay this bill. How can they get away with that, it was emergency care and i can not afford to pay it, how can they take me to court and force me to pay it off?? Any info would be great! If i could afford to pay it i would!!
2007-02-15 01:07:37 · 6 answers · asked by lhyer1972 2 in Business & Finance ➔ Credit
I was told by my regular doctor to apply for dissability and i can not work due to my condition. I have applied and the government denied me cause my Fiance makes over their limit. I have no clue why down here they are counting my fiances wages as my income. They do though, they say cause he pays my bills and all, that shows he supports me financially. I didnt apply for the "charity" at the hospital because they told me he made too much money a yr to be approved. This is what i dont like about living here in Wv, they count his income as mine and it isnt fair one bit. Of course he pays child support and they dont even count that in his income to start off with, so they claim he makes enough, but they dont count the actual income he brings home! Why i that?
2007-02-15 01:25:29 · update #1
First those who say he is not responsible don't know what they are talking about! I was in a similar position. When I applied for SSI because I have COPD I was sick enough but the man I live with made to much money. We are not married and I will never be able to collect his social security. We are buying a house the hospital [ that admitted me to ICU for 9 days last year ] has us on a payment plan the lowest amount they would accept is $500 per month ! I am not insurable because of the COPD. I have had asthma all my life so no insurance co. would insure me ever. Your only option is to set up a payment plan. They can and will try to take every thing you own ! If you try to take your name off anything now they will call it fraud. Oh yeah I own $40,000. Everywhere in the USA will count his income. Even the Feds. Our local paper has a list every week of people being sued for their houses by the local hospital. If you own very little or nothing you might want to check into bankruptcy.
2007-02-15 02:18:04 · answer #1 · answered by Star of Florida 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They can force you to pay because you authorized the service. I don't know how your fiance's income would have been an issue in determining your disability coverage because that person doesn't have any legal responsibility for your bills.
What you should do is work out a payment plan immediately with the hospital during the next 20 days. If/when you lose in court, a judgment can be taken against you, and the funds will be recovered, by whatever means necessary. Also they'll recover court costs.
2007-02-15 01:15:45 · answer #2 · answered by Venita Peyton 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
First, your fiance's income has nothing to do with your ability to pay, as he is not financially responsible for you unless you're married.
Second, if you cannot afford to pay the bill, who will? The hospital has "free bed" programs that are based on income and ability to pay. If you can't, you should have applied for assistance through the hospital.
Now, If the hospital won't let you apply for the above program now, you have nothing left but to pay the bill. Contact the hospital and see if you can make some acceptable payment arrangements before the court date. If not, show up in court and the judge will do it for you.
You are not entitled to free medical care. You are entitled to getting emergency medical care when you need it, and you did. Now, you can't ignore this and hope it goes away.
2007-02-15 01:14:12 · answer #3 · answered by Insurance Biz CT 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Medical Services in the US are never free. They will ALWAYS milk every penny you have out of you, especially if you have no insurance or are low income. You are 100% liable for the entire 6 THOUSAND dollars you spent in hospital care. The best you can do is arrange a payment plan where you pay very little per month, as suggested before. Of course, your only other option is to just not go to the hospital and die. Its final, but costs you nothing.
2007-02-15 01:17:32 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well for one you fiance is not liable for your debt and can not be counted as your income. He can only be held accountable if you are married. If you don't have a job and no insurance then all they can do is get a judgment against you, and if you have no job how can you pay? You might want to tell the courts that you had no job when admitted and still have no job.
2007-02-15 01:18:14 · answer #5 · answered by cajohnson667 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
OK I know this sounds silly, but if you can at least spare $5 a month then you can avoid this. You send them a $5 check once a month with the invoice number on it. Then they can't go after you for not making payment, they can't take you to court, and they can't continue to harrass you. The worst will be they send you a nasty letter every month stating what you still owe. Hey at least this way you're trying, and you avoid court. I am sure if you're considered someone who "makes too much" then 5 dollars isn't going to make or break you
2007-02-15 01:11:50 · answer #6 · answered by ♡LiL♥Kitten♡ 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋