Appropriate_Toe_2770 OP t1_itst4lg wrote on October 26, 2022 at 1:11 AM

Reply to comment by Sleuthiestofsleuths in Help needed from finance people by Appropriate_Toe_2770

I am not going to lie that sounds like one of the smartest processes I have ever heard. One issue - would you actually risk letting (let’s just say) a $2,500 bill report? You don’t think they’ll have any tactics for that?

Because logically that actually sounds incredibly slick. As people have mentioned though, if they own they debt how couldn’t they prove I owe it?

Sleuthiestofsleuths t1_itsveu3 wrote on October 26, 2022 at 1:29 AM

Yes, the collection agency owns the debt. They buy it for pennies on the dollar and the hospital writes it off. So, no money that you pay will go to the hospital (this is different if it's a law firm collecting FOR the hospital.) If it's a collection agency, the hospital has written it off. If this collection agency can't collect, they'll sell it to another agency for even less than they paid. The MO of these agencies is to bully, threaten, and intimidate you into paying. Because of HIPAA they can't prove you owe it, but most people don't know that. And to answer your question about the $2,500 bill.....yes, I would and yes, I did. I have insurance and it was one of those things that I didn't even know wasn't paid until I got the nasty letter. I tried to pay the hospital but they wouldn't take it because it had been written off and turned over to collections. Therefore, I did not pay collections and I told them exactly what I told you. I know several people who have also dealt with this and, of those who were reported, every single one got it removed. This is one small corner of our very messed up healthcare system. We need to advocate for ourselves.

Appropriate_Toe_2770 OP t1_itswwnj wrote on October 26, 2022 at 1:41 AM

This is why I came here for this. You have an excellent way of thinking.

Should I specifically email the hospital to confirm it is written off? I do know in some instances a health care system will pay a cost to collect - right? Like they give up with a guarantor after a year (still want the revenue) but basically pay a collection agency to then call for the money everyday?

Sleuthiestofsleuths t1_itsz80e wrote on October 26, 2022 at 1:58 AM

I just did a little research and apparently, out of every 1,000 unpaid medical bills, a hospital will sue for an average of 1.73 of them. Fewer than 2 people per 1,000!! And they're not going to do it for a measly $2,500. You can confirm it's been written off, if you like. But just know that the hospital will verrrry likely never sue you and will not report to credit agencies. A collection agency cannot legally collect the debt if you challenge them, because they cannot prove it. If they should happen to report you, you can have it removed by challenging them with the credit agencies. Also, in case you didn't know - if you tell a collection agency to stop contacting you, they have to. As part of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, passed in 2021, you can send a letter to the collector telling them never to contact you again. Keep a copy of the letter. If they continue to contact you, you can sue them. You definitely have rights, so please use them!!

wessex464 t1_itszm15 wrote on October 26, 2022 at 2:01 AM

Sleuth is straight up not correct. Think about this for a second, do you really think there is some magical get out of medical debt free loophole? Of course not, that's absurd. Regardless of the experience he/she has had or a few friends have had, this isn't actually a thing. You may get lucky and the debt collector may not have the proper paperwork for the debt or you may irritate them enough that they stop bothering you, but they absolutely can and do verify these debts every day. It's worth a shot to ask(in writing) to verify it, but don't expect some magic "gotcha" to happen.

Appropriate_Toe_2770 OP t1_itt59zc wrote on October 26, 2022 at 2:48 AM

No but I do believe there is enough people willing to pay after getting called every single damn day, to keep an industry alive. I really do. While if you fight it long enough it’ll work in your favor.

Like sleuth said we need to advocate for ourselves in this “very messed up healthcare.”