topic Re: Hospital immediately sent my statement to collections in Rebuilding Your Credit

Hospital immediately sent my statement to collections

Anonymous — Sat, 18 Jan 2020 20:59:56 GMT

Hi everyone,

Was involved in a accident where a guy hit me and so i was in the legal process of resolving any personal injury. I had a $300 deductible that took weeks to receieve and I received a call from the hospital stating they want to be paid in full.

The lady was very rude and i told her can we settle at $240 (20%) and she said she can but would have to get approval from her supervisor and she will put in the notes to give me a call back in 24 hours. I never received a call back and 5 days later i get a letter from TSI saying it went to collections.

It’s obviously saturday so little i can do, but would like to know what i can do to resolve this? Would like to pay it in full and removed from my credit (if it is on there now)?

Re: Hospital immediately sent my statement to collections

Brian_Earl_Spilner — Sat, 18 Jan 2020 21:06:58 GMT

Call or go to the hospital and have them recall the debt in exchange for payment. That's it.

Re: Hospital immediately sent my statement to collections

Anonymous — Sat, 18 Jan 2020 21:13:03 GMT

Anything i need to do or make sure of? I was going to call them on monday to get this resolved, the collection letter dates 1/12. Im worried about my credit score taking a hit.

Re: Hospital immediately sent my statement to collections

Brian_Earl_Spilner — Sat, 18 Jan 2020 21:22:04 GMT

If it's already been reported to the bureaus, there's nothing you can do about that for the moment. Once the hospital recalls the debt, the collection should be removed. I would just go in to the hospital to get a receipt, just in case.

Re: Hospital immediately sent my statement to collections

Anonymous — Sat, 18 Jan 2020 21:25:32 GMT

So this will affect my credit (greatly)? I have not done a annualcreditreport.com in over a year, so do you recommend i wait 30 more days and check this after it has been paid?

Re: Hospital immediately sent my statement to collections

RobertEG — Sat, 18 Jan 2020 21:26:57 GMT

While not enacted into statute, the CRAs entered into a settlement agreement with the offices of the AG of several states back in May 2015, titled:

“ In the Matter of: Equifax Information Services LLC, Experian Information Solutions, Inc., and Trans Union LLC

Assurance of Voluntary Compliance / Assurance of Discontinuance”

That settlement agreement includes the following specific provisions related to medical collections, which are now legally bindng upon the CRAs:

“3. Medical Collections

To allow appropriate time for insurance remediation and clarity on what a

consumer's individual payment obligation is for a medical account, the CRAs

shall prevent the reporting and display of medical debt identified and

furnished by Collection Furnishers when the date of the first delinquency is

less than one hundred and eighty (180) days prior to the date that the account

is reported to the CRAs.

The CRAs shall instruct Collection Furnishers on the use of the Metro 2

special comment codes of "BP" for debt identified as "paid by insurance" and

"AB" for debt identified as "being paid through insurance" and instruct

Collection Furnishers to remove or suppress medical accounts reported as

"paid by insurance" or "being paid through insurance" if such accounts were

in fact paid in full by the consumer's insurance carrier and were not the

obligation of the consumer.

The CRAs shall implement a process designed to effectively remove or

suppress known medical collections furnished by Collection Furnishers from

files within the CRAs' respective credit reporting databases when such debt is

reported either as having been paid in full by insurance or as being paid

through insurance. “

Thus, any reported medical collection will not be posted to your credit report until after 180 days from DOFD, and even if then posted, will be removed by the CRA if shown to have been paid via insurance.

Are those provisions satisfactory in meeting your needs?

If so, you can rely upon them to have any posted medical collection removed if added more than 180 days from DOFD, or if it is thereafter finally paid via insurance

Re: Hospital immediately sent my statement to collections

Anonymous — Sat, 18 Jan 2020 22:10:17 GMT

Thanks for posting. Well the incident happened over a year ago (and i was completely unaware of this bill or i wouldve have resolved it sooner). Apparently the bills they have sent did not make it to my mail until about 30-45 days ago, which i stated when they first called to hold off until the insurance company settles (which they did this week). It is basically the deductable from my insurance.

Last week, they called and just to get it over with can we settle to $240. She says ok but a supervisor has to approve and never receieved a call back just a collections letter today.

Wondering how this will impact me (score was 819 last month).

Re: Hospital immediately sent my statement to collections

Anonymous — Sat, 18 Jan 2020 21:53:16 GMT

If this happened a year ago, they didn't immediately send it to collections. Your title is misleading.

Re: Hospital immediately sent my statement to collections

Jnbmom — Sat, 18 Jan 2020 21:58:57 GMT

This was a year ago?? Yes title misleading so responses will not be accurate for the situation , as it appeared this “just happened”

Re: Hospital immediately sent my statement to collections

Anonymous — Sat, 18 Jan 2020 22:09:20 GMT

Sorry if i made the title misleading, so yes this accident happened about a year ago, however i was not aware of any bills until about a month ago (i did not receive phone calls or a statement until about a month ago).

Anyways i was in the process of resolving it and the moment i spoke to someone to get it resolved I guess they immediately sent it.

Re: Hospital immediately sent my statement to collections

Azuieldrago — Sat, 18 Jan 2020 23:48:11 GMT

If those bills are from an accident and the other party is at fault, shouldn't their insurance pay the bill. If so, this is all moot point. Submit the medical bills to the insurance provider and tell the hospital that they are responsible for payment. They tried that same stuff with me when I got hurt at work. I told them it was a workmans comp claim, they were provided the information upon check in. All confirmed by my attending supervisor. So back to topic, if they are responsible for medical payments, make them pay for it. Tell the hospital off, and get it removed from your account as not the legal payer.

Re: Hospital immediately sent my statement to collections

Anonymous — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 00:04:08 GMT

He said his insurance paid, but this is his portion of the bill.

Re: Hospital immediately sent my statement to collections

Anonymous — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 00:33:21 GMT

This company has been a PIA in every possible way (the at fault partys insurance). Im surprised they are willing to settle at this point. Anyways it was the deductible left after my insurance paid for most of medical. The issue is i did not receive it until just recently and once I responded they seemed very hasty to get it resolved (which i dont mind, i pay what i owe). But like i said i dealt with a very rude rep that called and i assume she thought my negotiation to pay the bill 20% was noncompliance and thus turned it in.

I assume this can be common because one of the doctors i followed up with had sent in a bill two months before this case was resolved this week.

Re: Hospital immediately sent my statement to collections

Azuieldrago — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 00:34:02 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
He said his insurance paid, but this is his portion of the bill.

Then the others insurance company is still responsible for the debt. At fault, 100% responsible for all medical debts. If it is not related to the accident, then its OPs job to pay. The deductible is if OPs insurace was bill first. Even then, the at fault party is still responsible for that debt.

Re: Hospital immediately sent my statement to collections

Anonymous — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 00:43:52 GMT

I was not aware they were responsible to pay it. This company basically refused to pay for anything at first. I had to subgrogate with my own insurance because they valued my vehicle 60% less than market value. And according to my insurance, it was a lengthy battle that took over a year because they requested so much information and took their time before going through court proceedings.

I was told that my insurance paid for my most of hospital bill (which can get confusing because their is a hospital bill, then there is a physician bill, etc.)

I had no idea the other at fault party should pay the portion my insurance Didnt. I was under the impression once the case is settled, i would take some of my settlement amount and pay any outstanding debts.

Please for forgive me for my ignorance, this was my first collision where i had to deal with this.

Re: Hospital immediately sent my statement to collections

Anonymous — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 01:12:49 GMT

Did you offer the hospital 20% of the deductible? Why only part of the bill? From their point of view, they've been waiting a year and you offered them 20% of what you owe. I know that there was more going on with the accident and all.

Re: Hospital immediately sent my statement to collections

Anonymous — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 01:19:54 GMT

The negotiation came to consideration because when she called she was very rude and hasty on the phone. I told her the case is settled and just wanting for payment within 7-14 days, and she didnt care. I then told her would she mind taking $240 right now, and thats when she agreed and then put me on hold. 5 mins later she says i will have to wait until a supervisor calls, but they are agreeing to $240. Had no idea it was a year of waiting until recently.

Re: Hospital immediately sent my statement to collections

Anonymous — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 05:02:09 GMT

@Azuieldrago wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:
He said his insurance paid, but this is his portion of the bill.
Then the others insurance company is still responsible for the debt. At fault, 100% responsible for all medical debts. If it is not related to the accident, then its OPs job to pay. The deductible is if OPs insurace was bill first. Even then, the at fault party is still responsible for that debt.

There is no way to to know if this without knowing thr details of the case. The OP said the insurance companies were in court for a year. We do not have any details on how they settled. Regardless the hospital will require payment not covered by insurance FROM the OP. If the the other party in the accident is responsible for those cost that is up to the OP to pursue getting those funds not the hospital. Hospitals do not chase 3rd parties for payment.

Re: Hospital immediately sent my statement to collections

Anonymous — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 05:07:21 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
The negotiation came to consideration because when she called she was very rude and hasty on the phone. I told her the case is settled and just wanting for payment within 7-14 days, and she didnt care. I then told her would she mind taking $240 right now, and thats when she agreed and then put me on hold. 5 mins later she says i will have to wait until a supervisor calls, but they are agreeing to $240. Had no idea it was a year of waiting until recently.

I am not clear if you were offered $240 "for now" or if you wanted them to take $240 and consider it settled. If its the latter, I see why they "immediately" (well not immediately since its been a year) sent it to collections. Hospitals have dozens of calls like this daily. They really do not have the time to manage their own colllections. If they do not get their money right away they send it off to collections.

Re: Hospital immediately sent my statement to collections

Anonymous — Sun, 19 Jan 2020 06:31:59 GMT

There was no for now payment. The rep made it very clear no payment plan options, and it was due and they would settle the debt for $240. Then when i agree to pay it over the phone, they tell me they have to get approval, and will give a call back.

As for the year, i am assuming it was a year, but im not sure when they started pursuing the bill because i only received it about a month ago. It could very well have been paid by my insurance early last year, then after there was a remaining balance they forwarded that to me. But regardless, they sent it to collections and i am trying to figure out how greatly this will impact my credit and try to resolve it?