can they send me to collection agency if i am making payments

[Anonymous]

i have good credit no marks on my report, just had a baby 4 months ago, been making payment every month. It should be paid off within a year. i received a notice from the hostpial saying that if it is not paid in full they will send me to a collection  agency. can they do this? the bill was about 19000  and i owe less then 1500.  they said they dont take paments . they said put it on a cedit card or get a loan. i do not want to do eather. thanks for any in put jim

[Anonymous]

It may well be that they have the legal right to do that, but I'm surprized that they'd actually do it.  With all the folks who don't pay a penny, I'd think they'd be pleased as punch to have someone actually paying it off.  DW and I had medical bills a few years ago, before we had insurance, that we were able to pay off over time.  Of course, that was an ER situation, and we told everyone the situation as we were entering the doors, so they were very helpful.

I'd try and negotiate something with them, and if that doesn't get anywhere, go over the heads of the folks you're talking with and straight to whoever runs the hospital.  Since the vast majority of your bill has already been satisfied, you're not exactly a deadbeat.

[haulingthescoreup]

Also, look up the hospital online and find who is on the Board of Directors. Hospitals have boards made of community members whose job it is specifically to see that the hospital is serving the needs of the community. You should be able to mail them c/o the hospital, but they are often business people, and you can find their business address in the phone book.

That's just really outrageous, that you've paid down from $19K to fifteen hundred dollars, and they're threatening to send you to collections.

[Anonymous]

Hi dizzy, welcome to the forum!

That is disgusting! Paying off that much, and not wanting to work out a payment plan for the balance??? OH! I'd be all over them like a frog on a junebug!

If the hospital is large, they will have a patient advocate(kind of like a counselor for patients with specific needs). Call them and visit with them. They must have some sort of a financial review board/department, or something. Do a detailed google search for the website and read all about the financing of health care. Something just doesn't sound right, imo.

Please do keep us posted dizzy.

"Never ever, ever give up. Never"

[Anonymous]

The same thing happened to my sister, her ins. paid most of the bill.  Then she made arrangements with the hospital to pay 100.00 a mth on her part.  She paid for abt 3 mths then they sent her to collections.  When she called they said thats just what they do after 3 mths.  So sad.  Good Luck, Vicki