If I pay at least $20.00 a month on doctor and hospital bills can they give me a bad mark on my credit report?

Question

I live in Michigan and I am having a rough time financially and I have 4 different medical bills from a surgery. (which I can not believe what they charged between me and my old insurance company) Every month when I get a bill I pay $20.00 on it even though the bill says "pay in full" or "minimum amount due" and they have the total amount of the bill. I heard that as long as I keep paying them every month then they can not but it on my credit report, is that true??? Anything on this would help, please give me any feedback you have...Thank you

Thank goodness all four bills were originally each less then $300.00. They are all now under $200.00 each. But on the bills they keep moving the amount owed from 30days to 60days to 90days overdue.

I can not afford to pay them in full. I have not contacted them but of course they keep asking for full payment and I send them $20 or $25 each time.

Answer 1

Yes, they can hit your credit for late payments.

If the minimum is $50 and you pay $20, then $30 is late/not received. Late payments can be reported on a debt and will hurt your credit.

The best thing you can do is talk to the doctor/hospital and explain your situation. The doctor performed a service and deserves to get paid. You wouldn't go get a haircut and tell the stylist you couldn't afford it and will pay what you can over time. Doctors understand that medical bills are expensive and often unexpected but they are still running a business. If you are absolutely honest with them, they will usually work out a payment plan or reduced bill because it is more expensive for them to keep billing you over a long time period. Paying something is better than paying nothing but you HAVE to talk to them about your situation. You might be pleasantly surprised by the results.

If your totals are as low as your edit suggests, you could probably knock these bills out in a month or two by working a few extra hours each week or picking up some seasonal work. A little short term extra work could help you get rid of this medical bill stress all together.

Answer 2

Actually, because of the way medical billing works it will never show up on your credit until they turn you over to collections (as long as your bill stays with the hospital or doctor and not a finance company). You should call them and work out a payment plan to make sure this doesn't happen. Most will be more than willing to work with you.

If you had a $15,000 surgery and never paid a penny on it, the doctor could only get about $1,000 (maybe less) if they sell your account to collections. In this case, a $20 per month payment would not cut it! The time value of money would indicate that it is much wiser for the doctor or hostpital to get the $1,000 now rather than wait fifty months to get that same amount (because if they invested that $1,000 now they could make more than $20 per month anyway).

So, your answer depends on how much the debt is outstanding. Is it less than $10,000? If it is, I bet they will be fine with your small payments. If it is more than that, you had better call them ASAP because they would likely rather more money now rather than wait forty years (or more at your payment rate if the bill is $10,000 with NO INTEREST) for you to pay it off completely.

I hope this helped.

Even if they send it to collections, medical collections are really not that serious. You should avoid it collections, but when I was a mortgage loan officer I worked with MANY companies who completely disregarded medical collections in credit decisions.

Also, please know that they can never SUE you as long as you are making a payment (at least in my state).

Answer 3

Some of this is true and some is not.
You have to address the hospital or surgeon and tell them that you have to make payments. Some of them will ask you how much can you pay. Whatever the amount you tell them you will pay you have to abide by that. If you fail to do as you said you would they can demand full payment.
If the bill has a minimum payment due on it, you have to pay at least that stated amount.

Answer 4

No, this is not any longer actual. once you crammed out all that workplace work previously your surgical treatment, you agreed to pay notwithstanding the coverage company did no longer pay. Legally, this is all due and that they do no longer could settle for small month-to-month money. Did you confer with absolutely everyone approximately value preparations? maximum scientific institutions will purely carry an account for 3 to 6 months. Any value plan will require the full bill be paid off interior of that short while. fairly, they're going to possibly proceed to settle to your $20 money and save sending notices. finally they're going to turn you over to a set company and which could take place on your credit checklist. staring on the corporate and the quantity you owe, they might come to a decision to sue.

Answer 5

I had surgery and the doctor messed up so I had to have another surgery at my own expens. The total was around $1800 after my insurance paid. I called the doctors office and talked to them and just made payment arrangements. I only pay $50 a month and it's enough to keep them happy. As long as you call and be honest with them they are happy to work with you. Best of luck and happy holidays

Answer 6

when they quit billin than you have to worry == go to them and set up a payment plan and stick with it!!!