It's Just Me
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I would definitely try to make arrangements with the hospital. Some Hospitals will provide financial assistance and lower your bill considerably.
Then make payment arrangements to pay the balance, some will let you pay as little as $25 a month.
Don't forget that the Radiology Bills, and Emergency Physician Bill will be a whole different deal. Sometimes they will cut you a deal if the hospital has. Then make arrangements to pay them a small amount every month too.
Keep proof of all of the above and of any correspondence or payment arrangements made.
How do I know all of this? I have been there! I am currently paying on 2 emergency room visits, and just lately the Emergency Physician Billing place has been giving me a hard time, even with me making payments on time. Luckily, I have proof of my payment arrangements, so the situation has been cleared up.
Not paying a Doctor/Hospital Bill can ruin your life, your credit, everything!
9 years ago, I was in the hospital for a week; I had cat scans, iv drugs, the whole shebang. No insurance and about a $8,000 bill.
I thought I could get away with not paying it, and no one ever called me, or sent me collection notices or anything. Out of sight, out of mind, right?
6 years later I get served with a Garnishment Suit, and risked losing my job over it!!!!
I had no choice but to file Bankruptcy and now I am having to completely rebuild my financial life! Please don't make the same mistake!
Hope this helps! Good luck! |
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Tim
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If you don't pay your bill and it goes to collection, you can kiss your credit goodbye.
Contact the hospital, explain your situation and make a payment plan that they will accept. |
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M v
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Several options:
1) apply for heath insurance though welfare-they go back 3 months.
2) make payments
3) Dont pay it and loose your good credit |
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Rex
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The bill will go to collections, just like any other. Doctors have as much right to pay as you do.
They should set up a payment schedule for you, you don't have to write the check all at once. |
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JD
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yeah you need to pay. it doesn't matter what you went in for or what happened. you have an outstanding bill. the bill collector's will come and yes it will affect your credit. sucks, but true. try to contact them and ask if you can pay a little at a time. |
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GDAYFAN932
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They report you to collections. But you can set up a paymet plan. Which would be best. As for it affecting your credit history, it will if you leave it outstanding enough, |
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axelle
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You can negotiate with the hospital and tell make what is called an offer in compromise of xx amount. Or you can make monthly payments. |
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danzahn
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Pay it. Its your obligation, don't be a freeloader. Just make payments on it until its payed off. |
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hisChamp
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This has happened to me. Twice. One was a billing error and I was able to let my insurance handle it. The other hospital emergency visit was something that I did owe and was not able to call them and set up a payment schedule.
Unfortunate, but that's life. Anyway, they did not bug me with collector letters or calls but after 3 or 4 attempts to get me to call, they simply put the unpaid debt onto the 3 major credit reporting agencies: equifax, experian, and trw. If good credit means something to you, make a payment schedule as soon as you can. |
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Amanda
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It does go on your credit report under medical collections, luckily most lenders do not look at this negatively. |
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Jay
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Finance it with them, do monthly installments.
I went to the hospital in 2005, and I found out recently that I forgot to pay it. I was in the military shortly after until May of this year (base closed, long story). Anyway, I forgot all about the medical visit and it was just bad credit sitting on my credit report thanks to my negligence. I just found out about recently and paid it off, but it had hurt me for a while and I never knew about it!
Just do what you can. They will work with you. |
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Paula
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It will eventually go to a debt collector if it's not being paid. Just try to work with them and ask for a payment plan. As long as you make some sort of payment to them whether 50 dollars or more it's still something and won't hurt your credit. |
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triq033
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Hospitals can be very lenient when it comes to these kinds of instances. First you'll receive notice to pay or else you'll be taken to court by a "bill collector company" (the hospital will give them the cases). When I say lenient, the bill collector or hospital itself should have a policy where you can make payments monthly (although with interest rates and fees seeing as it'll have to go through ANOTHER agency). That's your best bet right now if you can't pay it off. This way it won't ruin your credit or get lawsuits. Be straight forward with them and tell them you can't pay and what options you have. They would be more than willing to help (because transferring your case to the bill collectors costs them money). Good luck.PhantomGames.net |
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Me myself and I
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PAY THE DAMN BILL
and get health insurance you can get it for about $85 a month |
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Don
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Sorry but unless you make a deal with the hospital to try to pay them, they will turn you over for collection and file with the credit bureaus. It will affect your credit. You have done the right thing looking into the financial aid. Hospitals will usually work out a long term payment plan. You should at least try.
Good Luck. |
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loancareer
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The Financial Aid form - or - charity care form was the right first step. Be sure you maintain contact with the hospital and don't let the matter pass. Be a pain in the butt! If you fall off the face of the earth and they report it to the credit companies as a collection or judgment it WILL destroy your score.
Hospitals are not considered private parties so that gives you a couple of advantages. They cannot add interest on to the balance and they cannot garnish your wages. If all else fails offer to send them $10 a month and they have to accept it.
Ignore the problem and it can get hairy. I've known of instances where hospitals have been allowed to intercept and freeze tax refunds if a bill is not in repayment. |
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Danielle G
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if you don't contact them to atleast set up monthly payments they will send you to a collection agency. they can garnish your wages and it WILL go toward your credit. |
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Ladythang
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It does go on your credit now. It didn't used to but I guess too many people didn't pay. You need to make payment arrangements with the hospital. As long as you pay continually on it they can not put it on your credit. |
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aswkingfish
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1st the debt is yours as a result of playing dangerous. You can not pay the bill and then your credit will be hurt, and later payment of the bill will not recover the damage done. You stated you don't want that route to happen. Contact the department listed on the bill in person or by phone and set up a payment plan. Most hospitals and emergency treatment centers will do this rather then have to lose the account to a collections firm. I wont go into the financials as to why here. This should allow you to make a small payment without suffering severly in the wallet and it saves your credit.
2nd if you start a payment plan you must stick with it until the debt is payed off, otherwise default is just like a loan default and will lower your credit score.
3rd some states do have help with health care. contact your states welfare or health services office to see if they may help you. |
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Its only me, again !
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In britain its free !! |
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Jessica t
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check to see if they will take less if you had had insurance they would have only charged them about half of what they charge you |
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drjay
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Jessica t. You posted the hospital charges the patient more without insurance than the insurance companies. I don't know where you got that completely false statement. The hospitals always cut your bill by 1/3 if not more for self-pay patients. It even sounds a little funny to think you will pay more than big insurance companies. Why do you think insurance companies charge crazy rates if you're at risk to be in the hospital. I've done medical billing in the past and what the insurance companies pay is so much more than what you would have to pay with out insurance.
I LOVE IT WHEN PEOPLE SAY THINGS THAT ARE UTTERLY STUPID IT MAKES THE REST OF US SOUND SMART |
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