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    Medical collections

    Do hospitals try to sue you if you don't pay hospital bills if you have no insurance and end up in hospital? That is, send process servers to serve you papers.

    #2
    I am not aware of any that do, however, I am aware that if you are going in to pre-register for a surgical procedure that your primary care physician has pre-arranged for you, that surgical procedure's billing office can and will disqualify you if you cannot pay the deductible on the insurance, or a copay. You will be told to go to your local charity hospital.

    Now, with that said, I had excellent service when I fell and broke my arm and knee in 2007. All of this was declared in the BK paperwork.

    The medical provider attempted to get their claim prioritized above that of the IRS, our main debt. The trustee knocked them down.

    I would loved to have paid them, but just did not have the money, even years after the fact.
    "To go bravely forward is to invite a miracle."

    "Worry is the darkroom where negatives are formed."

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      #3
      Not in the United States. Not often, anyway. I'd think there would have to be some sort of fraud involved on your part to raise that possibility.

      Be aware that there are all kinds of different entities involved in a hospital stay. The hospital, the attending physician, the regular physician, the anesthesiologist, the ambulance company, even the ER - might all have separate billing practices. While I agree that it is a very small chance that any would actually sue you (I can't imagine worse advertising for their practice), there remains the possibility that someone will feel it is worth their while to try something. Usually they go the collections route rather than the lawsuit route.

      That being said, there isn't any law against you paying anyone back after discharge should you want to continue to have a good relationship with them. People do this all the time with their doctor or dentist.

      Comment


        #4
        It depends on the specific hospital and its collection procedures. For example, in this city there are 4 major hospitals, each owned by a different company. I have had dealings with two of them, and both were willing to negotiate and settle the debt for much less than what was originally billed because of the fact that I am poor.

        However, I have heard from several people--including some who have been personally sued--that one of the hospitals here does not settle, and goes straight to litigation if the requested payments are not made, even if the patient really cannot afford to pay that amount.

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          #5
          yes, most all hospitals after a certain point of attempting to collect all have their very own "sue em" attorney firms that work for them. they will sue you in a NYM...

          however, what you should do is apply for aid via the hospital, i'm not speaking about medicaid but many hospital are allowed certain types of grants i.e. hill burton grants to aid those that are unable to afford their care. each hospital has case workers or social workers that can work with you to help to see what you can apply for. but, if you just go in and get some procedure done and begin getting bills and never attempt to resolve the situation if will end up depending on the amount in a collection agency or an atty's hands you can count on that unfortunately.

          it's not too late, even if you have bills now, go to that hospital and talk with them about getting the bill reduced or eliminated due to your income limitations. most all will work with you, although, hopefully, you will not be in the very few circumstances that the hospital just turns a blinds eye on the situation. again, contact the social services dept of the hospital and see what can be done.

          best of luck...and by the way we had over 200k worth of medical bills when we filed bk. they all went away.
          8/4/2008 MAKE SURE AND VISIT Tobee's Blogs! http://www.bkforum.com/blog.php?32727-tobee43 and all are welcome to bk forum's Florida State Questions and Answers on BK http://www.bkforum.com/group.php?groupid=9

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            #6
            Originally posted by tobee43 View Post
            .

            however, what you should do is apply for aid via the hospital, i'm not speaking about medicaid but many hospital are allowed certain types of grants i.e. hill burton grants to aid those that are unable to afford their care. each hospital has case workers or social workers that can work with you to help to see what you can apply for.
            In January, while unemployed, I had a $3,700 emergency room visit. Upon leaving I was given a 'charity aid' form. The next day I sent required information.

            3 weeks later I received a reply..........$0 balance. Needless to say I was very thankful.

            (I want to add this covers the hospital.......not the doctors.)

            Comment


              #7
              Yes, they do. It depends on the hospital and the dollar amount. I worked in a collections firm that did service for many national hospital chains and they all have their own procedures.

              If you are not eligible for financial assistance or state medicaid, I would suggest calling the hospital to see if you can be put on some kind of payment plan. Even if you plan on filing bankruptcy, get on some kind of payment plan in the mean time.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by 12000debt View Post
                In January, while unemployed, I had a $3,700 emergency room visit. Upon leaving I was given a 'charity aid' form. The next day I sent required information.

                3 weeks later I received a reply..........$0 balance. Needless to say I was very thankful.

                (I want to add this covers the hospital.......not the doctors.)
                it was great they gave you the form before you left and i'm glad to hear it was all cleared up. no one needs to be sick and then get sicker with a 3700.00 bill to take care of.

                papie, yes exactly!! chances are if you don't qualify for the aid they will let you work out payments!
                8/4/2008 MAKE SURE AND VISIT Tobee's Blogs! http://www.bkforum.com/blog.php?32727-tobee43 and all are welcome to bk forum's Florida State Questions and Answers on BK http://www.bkforum.com/group.php?groupid=9

                Comment


                  #9
                  If you're asking whether hospitals sue people on their bills, the answer is heck yes. There is a collection law firm here called Carmen Porreca, which seems to do a lot of work for hospitals. Just searching on ONE of the county court websites for ONE year showed more than a thousand cases filed on behalf of hospitals.

                  If you're asking whether a hospital to which you owed money would wait until you're admitted to send a process server on an old debt, I have to say I hope not. And probably not, because by the time you're getting sued the case is probably with the collection/law firm. They don't know if you're in the hospital at any given moment.

                  I never had any luck asking for price reductions or charity, because I do have insurance and that evidently disqualifies me. At the same time, the deductible was WAY more than I could afford - I guess that's called "underinsured." I sent both the hospital and the radiologist letters asking for a payment plan, enclosing $50 money orders. They both accepted the deal, and I was able to pay them off eventually. [This was a post-bankruptcy event, so I couldn't include it in my case.]
                  Filed non-consumer no asset Chapter 7 on 7-12-10 after 4 foreclosures, 7 lawsuits including 2 deficiencies, 2 wage garnishments, a bank garnishment and a partridge in a pear tree. 341 held on 8-11-10. Discharge 11-4-10.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by SweetGeorgia View Post
                    If you're asking whether hospitals sue people on their bills, the answer is heck yes. There is a collection law firm here called Carmen Porreca, which seems to do a lot of work for hospitals. Just searching on ONE of the county court websites for ONE year showed more than a thousand cases filed on behalf of hospitals.

                    If you're asking whether a hospital to which you owed money would wait until you're admitted to send a process server on an old debt, I have to say I hope not. And probably not, because by the time you're getting sued the case is probably with the collection/law firm. They don't know if you're in the hospital at any given moment.

                    I never had any luck asking for price reductions or charity, because I do have insurance and that evidently disqualifies me. At the same time, the deductible was WAY more than I could afford - I guess that's called "underinsured." I sent both the hospital and the radiologist letters asking for a payment plan, enclosing $50 money orders. They both accepted the deal, and I was able to pay them off eventually. [This was a post-bankruptcy event, so I couldn't include it in my case.]
                    wow, that's like darn if you do and darn if you don't. no winning on that one. and, what a shame it is to have such high deductables!
                    8/4/2008 MAKE SURE AND VISIT Tobee's Blogs! http://www.bkforum.com/blog.php?32727-tobee43 and all are welcome to bk forum's Florida State Questions and Answers on BK http://www.bkforum.com/group.php?groupid=9

                    Comment

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