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pnbplus1
Family
Member since 5/09 5751 total posts
Name:
Mommy
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How to best handle this debt collection issue?
My DH told me today that he got a call this morning from a debt collection place saying we owed $100. Turns out it's a co-pay from a stand-alone ER visit my toddler when he got an earache at night.
Thing is we never, ever received a bill and my DH found out that the hospital noted our address incorrectly (noted the incorrect city we live in).
DH was told it would hit our credit 8/15. He refused to pay over the phone directly and asked them to send a bill.
So, how should I go about handling it? I'm really upset bc it's totally not our fault that the idiot at the hospital took our address incorrectly from my DH's license! It should never hit our credit and it's not our fault. I don't want to pay a debt place, should I contact the hospital directly?
Help! I want to clear this up asap bc we are going on vacation in a few days.
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Posted 7/7/16 1:43 PM  |
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Blazesyth
*yawn*
Member since 5/05 8129 total posts
Name:
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How to best handle this debt collection issue?
If a debt collection place is calling, that means the hospital already gave up on it and took a small payment from the debt collection company.
I'm guessing the hospital can't legally take the payment. Why don't you want to pay the debt collection company?
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| Posted 7/7/16 2:00 PM |
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Pumpkin1
LIF Adult
Member since 12/05 3715 total posts
Name:
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How to best handle this debt collection issue?
I'd probably contact the hospital to confirm that they hired the debt collection service and, if they did, pay it.
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| Posted 7/7/16 2:35 PM |
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pnbplus1
Family
Member since 5/09 5751 total posts
Name:
Mommy
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Re: How to best handle this debt collection issue?
i'm just worried about our credit bc of the hospital's mistake
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| Posted 7/7/16 2:36 PM |
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MikesWife
Wanting...........
Member since 1/06 6887 total posts
Name:
Karen
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Re: How to best handle this debt collection issue?
This happened to me TWICE at ProHealth Kids in Wantagh. I never rec'd a bill from them directly. 6 months later I get a collection notice. Funny how THEY had my address right both times, but the urgent care center did not.
I called the collection agency and asked. She said that at that point it would not affect my credit as it had not yet been reported.
I just paid it. I won't go back there though.
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| Posted 7/7/16 3:08 PM |
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Kitten1929
LIF Adult
Member since 1/13 6040 total posts
Name:
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Re: How to best handle this debt collection issue?
Posted by pnbplus1
i'm just worried about our credit bc of the hospital's mistake
It's honestly not that bad if it hits it would be minor. Just pay it. Not paying it will be worse.
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| Posted 7/7/16 3:14 PM |
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StaceyWill
It's a girl!!!
Member since 6/10 21539 total posts
Name:
Stacey
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Re: How to best handle this debt collection issue?
As long as the collection agency sends the bill, and you pay it right away - it shouldn't go on your credit report.
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| Posted 7/7/16 3:16 PM |
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pnbplus1
Family
Member since 5/09 5751 total posts
Name:
Mommy
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Re: How to best handle this debt collection issue?
Posted by Pumpkin1
I'd probably contact the hospital to confirm that they hired the debt collection service and, if they did, pay it.
Thanks! I called the hospital and was upset. I asked how it could be that a debt agency could call us but they never could to ask about the bill.
The hospital billing office apologized and offered me a 20% discount if I paid in full, which i did, so I paid only 80, and they pulled it from collections. Emailed me the payment receipt and will mail the $0 balance letter. So I paid the hospital directly.
We are so careful with our finances so stuff like this really gets to me. They had both our city AND zip code incorrect. We were there at like 8 pm so I don't know what was wrong with the idiot taking our info. We even mentioned that we thought we had a $100 co-pay but he came back and said no.
Thanks everyone!
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| Posted 7/7/16 3:27 PM |
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Blazesyth
*yawn*
Member since 5/05 8129 total posts
Name:
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How to best handle this debt collection issue?
Wow. I'm surprised they took payment and pulled it from collections. Maybe they are affiliated in some way. I thought once they sold the debt it was in a large group of combined debt and that was it.
Interesting!
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| Posted 7/7/16 3:35 PM |
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NYCGirl80
I love my kiddies!
Member since 5/11 10413 total posts
Name:
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Re: How to best handle this debt collection issue?
Posted by pnbplus1
Posted by Pumpkin1
I'd probably contact the hospital to confirm that they hired the debt collection service and, if they did, pay it.
Thanks! I called the hospital and was upset. I asked how it could be that a debt agency could call us but they never could to ask about the bill.
The hospital billing office apologized and offered me a 20% discount if I paid in full, which i did, so I paid only 80, and they pulled it from collections. Emailed me the payment receipt and will mail the $0 balance letter. So I paid the hospital directly.
We are so careful with our finances so stuff like this really gets to me. They had both our city AND zip code incorrect. We were there at like 8 pm so I don't know what was wrong with the idiot taking our info. We even mentioned that we thought we had a $100 co-pay but he came back and said no.
Thanks everyone!
Just be careful with that. It's very likely still with the collections agency - it's two separate things. If the collections agency contacts you again, you'll have to tell them to contact the hospital to see that it's paid (which they can do in seconds). But usually once it's at collections, if you pay the hospital, the collections agency has no way of knowing.
You really shouldn't worry about your credit. It would take a lot more than 1 contact from a collections agency to go on your credit. They use that as a scare tactic.
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| Posted 7/7/16 3:56 PM |
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alli3131
Peanut is here!!!!!!
Member since 5/09 18388 total posts
Name:
Allison
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Re: How to best handle this debt collection issue?
Posted by Blazesyth
Wow. I'm surprised they took payment and pulled it from collections. Maybe they are affiliated in some way. I thought once they sold the debt it was in a large group of combined debt and that was it.
Interesting!
You can always pay directly. The issue is that the hospital still owes the agency the collection share and the collection agencies hate trying to get the money back from the entity that hired them. It's easier for them to collect take their share and send the hospital the rest.
Most entities do not sell off the collections. It is done on a contract basis with an agency.
Debt gets sold off way after collections have tried and haven't got anywhere. Agencies buy debt then at pennies on the dollar and figure if they collect even a small portion they will make money on it.
I worked in collections for years and know the laws around it. There are very strict laws that protect the consumer but most agencies break the law each and every phone call.
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| Posted 7/7/16 4:47 PM |
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ziamaria
I love this boy!
Member since 4/07 3372 total posts
Name:
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Re: How to best handle this debt collection issue?
I have the same problem right now...took my son to the er in NJ while on vacation last year...she entered the wrong info for him, never got billed until collections notices I called my insurance, they said they'd take care of it and yet my credit has gone from 817 to 689 from this one freaking issue! I am LIVID and can't get a straight answer from anyone.
I refuse to pay since it was a lot of money and fully covered by insurance. Not in the wrong, yet somehow it is my problem.
I've been calling my insurance and the credit company off and on this week. So frustrating - i wish i could have this mistake attached to her credit - maybe then she wouldn't be so careless
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| Posted 7/8/16 6:35 AM |
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hcsf
LIF Adolescent
Member since 8/07 792 total posts
Name:
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Re: How to best handle this debt collection issue?
Even though it was sent to a collection agency doesn't mean it will affect your credit. My understanding is that medical bills can not impact your credit.
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| Posted 7/8/16 7:55 AM |
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OhBaby2
LIF Infant
Member since 1/15 309 total posts
Name:
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Re: How to best handle this debt collection issue?
Posted by hcsf
Even though it was sent to a collection agency doesn't mean it will affect your credit. My understanding is that medical bills can not impact your credit.
This is a recent change. Medical collection bills have been reporting on the credit bureaus for years but now they're not supposed to report it anymore so any existing ones can be removed and no new ones should go on your report. Still worth contacting the bureaus directly to be sure your score isn't impacted.
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| Posted 7/9/16 7:43 PM |
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LuckyStar
LIF Adult
Member since 7/14 7274 total posts
Name:
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Re: How to best handle this debt collection issue?
Posted by Kitten1929
Posted by pnbplus1
i'm just worried about our credit bc of the hospital's mistake
It's honestly not that bad if it hits it would be minor. Just pay it. Not paying it will be worse.
That's not necessarily true. It depends on what else comprises her report. I had the same thing happen with a bill when I was in college- 2 credit cards and then a $70 lab bill. Dropped my score 60 something points. I was VERY lucky in that the lady at the collection agency was extremely nice and had it removed from my report once I paid.
OP, you have to pay the agency, not the hospital. The hospital no longer owns the debt.
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| Posted 7/9/16 10:52 PM |
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Xelindrya
Mommy's little YouTube Star!
Member since 8/05 14470 total posts
Name:
Veronica
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How to best handle this debt collection issue?
I never pay a collection agency.
I believe its true we have a right to pay our debtors directly. They must at least try to settle with us directly with due diligent effort. And we have a right to attempt to settle with them directly. We are not forced to deal with collection agencies.
I had this issue with an apartment complex. Told them I have a legal right to settle direct with my debtor and they yes you do, gave me the info and shut down their record. Management had changed. But they HAD to prove new management had tried to settle with me directly, they had not. However in this case, I refuse to pay, instead I have a note for equifax, transunion and my bank explaining why I won't pay the $185 debt. We disagree. My overall credit rating, history is positive enough to prove this is a disagreement. I'm waiting them out. new management doesn't seem to care about old management's debt either.
I refuse to have my credit report show I paid a collection agency a penny.
I got a bill from a collection agency for something I paid. I called direct to the debtor who immediately corrected the issue and pulled it from the agency with a confirmation number. Again, I never deal with collection agencies. Period.
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| Posted 7/10/16 5:14 PM |
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