Hospital bill collector, help!?

Question

I went to the hospital last year for dehydration and had no health insurance, so of course I have to pay. Well I have no job and no health insurance. I've told the bill collector that I want to make payments, but can't pay but maybe $20 a month. They said the least they would take was $50, but then even after that, I'd have to start paying $100 a month. I've thought about just sending them 10 or 20 dollars, but I'm afraid they won't take it and will sue. What do I do? The bill isn't but 1300 and I want to pay it, I just can't pay in full. My husband and I are trying to just get by as it is.

Answer 1

If they take it to court (most won't... they'll just sell it off as bad debt to collections agencies), you can explain your case there and say that it'd be putting an undue hardship on you and your husband. (I figure that if illegal immigrants don't have to pay, why should we? ...I don't think that'd hold up in court, though.) See if you can get assistance through your local Department of Health and Human Services.

Answer 2

Call the hospital and ask them if there's some kind of payment help for low income since you aren't working.

As for paying - write a letter offering payments and enclose the first one. Make copies and keep them and send the letter certified so you'll know they got it. Same with each additional payment. Keep track of all of it. Chances are since they're not getting what they want, they will try to sue you and get a judgement. Since you're not working, there's no wages to garnish and you'll be able to show the judge that you've made an honest effort to make monthly payments.

Answer 3

Honestly, if you send the $10-$20 and they accept it, you can keep making those payments as is. If they return it, let them take you to court because in court they will see your circumstances and probably put off your payments until you have employment. Collection Agencies know this, so they would rather not take you to court sometimes it costs them more to do that. So just send the payment in, preferably by check so you have record and keep paying on it until it is paid in full. What you don't want to do is agree to a payment you can not commit to, because then they have grounds for suit.

Answer 4

You might try this just to see what happens....call the hospital and ask for the social services department. If they don't have one, ask for billing and then ask to speak to a supervisor.
Some hospitals have a certain amount of money set aside to help people in situations like yours. At the hospitals in my area, the programs all go by different names i.e. Hardship, Forgiveness, or Payment Relief, but they are all, in essence, the same.
If you can prove that you did not have insurance at the time of your hospitalization, then you can apply for the forgiveness and have your medical bill forgiven. It's some sort of a tax write-off for hospitals and it's a win-win situation. Not many people know about it.
I hope that helps!

Answer 5

Send 20 a month if it is still at the hospital but you had better take the 50/month if it is actually at an agency.

Answer 6

I agree with Bloodhound...I have heard that they can't sue as long as you are sending payment. You could call the hospital billing department and talk to a supervisor, but if you don't come to a compromise, just start sending them payment.

Answer 7

send them 20 dollars a month . they cant sue you as long as your paying every month. bill collectors will tell you lots of things. they get payed based on how much they collect. don't worry the hospital will not sue you.and the collection agency cant sue you.

Answer 8

particular they might try this, what they're doing is making an attempt to serve her courtroom papers reason they're suing her, i think of it incredibly is rude the way they do issues yet, there's no longer something you're able to do, different than no longer answer the door, however the judgment continues to be there, and the series corporation will nonetheless trojan horse her.