What services are available to people with hospital bills that have gone to a bill collector?

Question

I'm thinking of those places that advertise on TV and say "this is not a loan or debt consolidation, we negotiate with your creditors", etc. Do any of these places help people with hospital bills that have gone to a bill collector? If so, any info on these services would be very helpful.

Answer 1

Medical bills are unsecured debts. You can pay what you can (say, $25 a month)...a judge will look at that if the hospital sues you and laugh at them.

Answer 2

Those companies will negotiate with collection agencies. Collection agencies buy debts at a discount from the original debt holder (in your case the hospital), so a lot of the debt management negotiators can knock off 25-50% of the debt since the collection agency is still making a profit. But be prepared, even though the debt is paid off, settling debts or using debt consolidation programs will negatively effect your credit.

If you can't pay your hospital bills, you should always contact the hospital asap after service. Most hospitals have programs to reduce or eliminate your cost based on your ability to pay.

Answer 3

I have had credit card bills and also two hospital bills that I had Consumer Credit Counseling Services (CCCS) handle for me. They charged me a fee of ONLY $50.00 and even split it up between the first two payments into $25.00 each. They had me make an appointment and discussed my other finances with me, u know, what I pay out each month for other bills and things like loan payments and cell phone bills, and they took the time to call the places and items I wanted them to handle for me. I didn't have to talk to the creditors at all. While I was sitting there they were able to tell me what I would be paying a month and broke it down. Unfortunately anytime you take things such as bills to places like that your credit isn't going to be any better than it may be now!! That is the only bad thing I can think of other than that I absolutely love that I went to them. And a bonus is any other time you get another bill you can send it to them and they can add it right on if you want. They let you know what your payment changes to and so on!! I would recommend it!! Goodluck!! Hope this helps!
P.S. CAT is also right!!

P.P.S. Mighty i don't know how much debt you have to be in but I am under 5,000 and still was able to go there!!

Answer 4

I work @ a debt collection agency and there are several helpful options. One a consumer credit counseling service, and yes they take all of your bills and divide it by what you can afford to pay usually 10-15 dollars a month, but you have to be REALLY in debt. The one you are thinking of is actually an attorney and they take their half first, then they do the same thing but again you have to be REALLY in debt then. My suggestion is just to call the agency they may be able to give you a settlement by going through the hospital your bills were originally through.


OH and they CAN still sue you through the hospital NO MATTER WHAT YOU PAY A MONTH!!

Answer 5

Yeah those companies do. They will help you get a morgage on your home or some other kind of liquidation of property to pay debts. They contact all your creditors (even collection agencies), and negotiate a settlement on your account. Keeping your funds in an escrow account. Then pay your accounts off for you.

Never dealt with too many of these companies before but thats the general case from what I hear.

Answer 6

A friend used one call DebtXS.com they call the companies you owe and negotiate for you. DebtXS.com, however, you wil have to pay taxes on the amount settled with the companies you owed.

There are other similar companies, but DebtXS is the only one I have heard of from my friend.
She said she was pleased, except for paying taxes!

There are many companies like them.

Answer 7

I'D HATE THAT HOLE IN YORE BRITCHES, HA''