Medical bills... Did hospital forget.. ?
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 115
Medical bills... Did hospital forget.. ?
We just had a large medical bill. Around $4000 after insurance.
Its been 6 months. Small bills from doctors external to the hospital have sent it to me and i have paid them. Also i have recived one small bill from the hospital. So they know my address and everything.
They haven't send the large bill (Around $3000). Did they forget or a system glitch. I don't want to call them since i need time anyway to pay such large amount.
What do I do ?
Am i responsible eventhough they didn't send the bill ?
Will me credit rating be affected ?
have anyone faced a similar situation....
Thanks
Its been 6 months. Small bills from doctors external to the hospital have sent it to me and i have paid them. Also i have recived one small bill from the hospital. So they know my address and everything.
They haven't send the large bill (Around $3000). Did they forget or a system glitch. I don't want to call them since i need time anyway to pay such large amount.
What do I do ?
Am i responsible eventhough they didn't send the bill ?
Will me credit rating be affected ?
have anyone faced a similar situation....
Thanks
#2
Re: Medical bills... Did hospital forget.. ?
Originally Posted by Diabolo
We just had a large medical bill. Around $4000 after insurance.
Its been 6 months. Small bills from doctors external to the hospital have sent it to me and i have paid them. Also i have recived one small bill from the hospital. So they know my address and everything.
They haven't send the large bill (Around $3000). Did they forget or a system glitch. I don't want to call them since i need time anyway to pay such large amount.
What do I do ?
Am i responsible eventhough they didn't send the bill ?
Will me credit rating be affected ?
have anyone faced a similar situation....
Thanks
Its been 6 months. Small bills from doctors external to the hospital have sent it to me and i have paid them. Also i have recived one small bill from the hospital. So they know my address and everything.
They haven't send the large bill (Around $3000). Did they forget or a system glitch. I don't want to call them since i need time anyway to pay such large amount.
What do I do ?
Am i responsible eventhough they didn't send the bill ?
Will me credit rating be affected ?
have anyone faced a similar situation....
Thanks
#3
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Joined: Jun 2005
Location: Oz -> UK -> San Diego
Posts: 9,912
Re: Medical bills... Did hospital forget.. ?
Originally Posted by Diabolo
We just had a large medical bill. Around $4000 after insurance.
Its been 6 months. Small bills from doctors external to the hospital have sent it to me and i have paid them. Also i have recived one small bill from the hospital. So they know my address and everything.
They haven't send the large bill (Around $3000). Did they forget or a system glitch. I don't want to call them since i need time anyway to pay such large amount.
What do I do ?
Am i responsible eventhough they didn't send the bill ?
Will me credit rating be affected ?
have anyone faced a similar situation....
Thanks
Its been 6 months. Small bills from doctors external to the hospital have sent it to me and i have paid them. Also i have recived one small bill from the hospital. So they know my address and everything.
They haven't send the large bill (Around $3000). Did they forget or a system glitch. I don't want to call them since i need time anyway to pay such large amount.
What do I do ?
Am i responsible eventhough they didn't send the bill ?
Will me credit rating be affected ?
have anyone faced a similar situation....
Thanks
Or, you could try offering them 2K to settle it today in cash....
#4
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 115
Re: Medical bills... Did hospital forget.. ?
Thanks Sarah and Ozzidoc.
I had talked to my insurance and they have sent a check in January.
One of my co-worker faced the same hospital and insurance co . He got it within 2 months ( 2 weeks after the insurance payment).
Thats why i was spectical.
Negotiating for $2000 is a good option. Scared it might speed up my payment.
What if they never send me the bill ?
Have they ever forgotten or written of ??? ..... day dreaming I guess
I had talked to my insurance and they have sent a check in January.
One of my co-worker faced the same hospital and insurance co . He got it within 2 months ( 2 weeks after the insurance payment).
Thats why i was spectical.
Negotiating for $2000 is a good option. Scared it might speed up my payment.
What if they never send me the bill ?
Have they ever forgotten or written of ??? ..... day dreaming I guess
Last edited by Diabolo; Jun 16th 2006 at 3:45 pm. Reason: Additional details
#5
Re: Medical bills... Did hospital forget.. ?
Originally Posted by Diabolo
Thanks Sarah and Ozzidoc.
I had talked to my insurance and they have sent a check in January.
One of my co-worker faced the same hospital and insurance co . He got it within 2 months ( 2 weeks after the insurance payment).
Thats why i was spectical.
Negotiating for $2000 is a good option. Scared it might speed up my payment.
What if they never send me the bill ?
Have they ever forgotten or written of ??? ..... day dreaming I guess
I had talked to my insurance and they have sent a check in January.
One of my co-worker faced the same hospital and insurance co . He got it within 2 months ( 2 weeks after the insurance payment).
Thats why i was spectical.
Negotiating for $2000 is a good option. Scared it might speed up my payment.
What if they never send me the bill ?
Have they ever forgotten or written of ??? ..... day dreaming I guess
Knowing how screwed up the medical billing systems are, my guess is they have never sent you a bill...but have notified the credit agencies of your failure to satisfy the debt. Or at least that's what happened after the birth of IP jr...insurance paid $12,000, leaving a $400 or so balance, which we kept waiting to get the bill for- and we did, from a f**king collections agency!!!
#6
Re: Medical bills... Did hospital forget.. ?
It does take a while, but 6 mos seems an awful long time. I would pull your credit report and make sure they havent put it to some debt collector. If so, you can dispute it because you never received the bill. You can get your report free, from each agency, once per year.
As far as the bill itself, as far as I know, if you come to an agreed monthly payment, it will not be reported to the credit agencies (so long as it hasn't already gone). My close friend had no insurance, had a baby and got a bill for $18,500. She called them, they wrote half of it off, and she pays the nine grand off at $100 per month!!!
Similarly, I have bills from a period when I was uninsured, and negotiated payments with them. Have been sending of $10 and $20 a month to a couple and no adverse credit due to them.
Good luck!
As far as the bill itself, as far as I know, if you come to an agreed monthly payment, it will not be reported to the credit agencies (so long as it hasn't already gone). My close friend had no insurance, had a baby and got a bill for $18,500. She called them, they wrote half of it off, and she pays the nine grand off at $100 per month!!!
Similarly, I have bills from a period when I was uninsured, and negotiated payments with them. Have been sending of $10 and $20 a month to a couple and no adverse credit due to them.
Good luck!
#7
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 115
Re: Medical bills... Did hospital forget.. ?
Ooops...
I will surely check my Credit Report .
Yup screwed up insurance system i guess. I will wait for a couple of months more if my credit report is fine.
Even though i had insurance , my bill came to around $4000.
Do they negotiate on that amount ?
I will surely check my Credit Report .
Yup screwed up insurance system i guess. I will wait for a couple of months more if my credit report is fine.
Even though i had insurance , my bill came to around $4000.
Do they negotiate on that amount ?
#8
Re: Medical bills... Did hospital forget.. ?
Originally Posted by Diabolo
Ooops...
I will surely check my Credit Report .
Yup screwed up insurance system i guess. I will wait for a couple of months more if my credit report is fine.
Even though i had insurance , my bill came to around $4000.
Do they negotiate on that amount ?
I will surely check my Credit Report .
Yup screwed up insurance system i guess. I will wait for a couple of months more if my credit report is fine.
Even though i had insurance , my bill came to around $4000.
Do they negotiate on that amount ?
I have heard this many times, but never tried it myself. Perhaps it depends on how much you earn etc.,
#9
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Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 115
Re: Medical bills... Did hospital forget.. ?
Originally Posted by Lesley1020
I believe so. Depends on your circumstances I think. Same girl I mentioned before has a lot of medical issues, and even although she has insurance now, she still gets bills because of co-pays. I know she calls every time to discuss part of it being written off, and she is usually successful.
I have heard this many times, but never tried it myself. Perhaps it depends on how much you earn etc.,
I have heard this many times, but never tried it myself. Perhaps it depends on how much you earn etc.,
As soon as i receive my $3000 bill , i am going to negotiate and try how far it gets. Also looking for errors in my bill .
Last edited by Diabolo; Jun 16th 2006 at 5:37 pm.
#10
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Joined: May 2005
Location: Harvest, Alabama from Newport Pagnell, Bucks/Mitcham, Surrey
Posts: 413
Re: Medical bills... Did hospital forget.. ?
If your health insurance paid a large part of it, it may be that the contract with the hospital is such that the hospital have to write it off. In our area the contract that Blue Cross have with the local hospitals is that they will pay their part and the hospital write the balance off and cannot claim anything, other than copay, from the patient.
If your health insurance only cover say, 80%, and under the plan you are responsible you may want to find out the actual balance owed. Some hospitals don't bother sending but one or two statements then it's off to the credit bureau.
Negotiating with the hospital works. You could ask them what they will take for cash now lump sum payment. In a lot of cases they will reduce it by 30% or more just to get it paid. A lump sum now at a discount is worth more to them than $5.00 a month for the next however many years.
If your health insurance only cover say, 80%, and under the plan you are responsible you may want to find out the actual balance owed. Some hospitals don't bother sending but one or two statements then it's off to the credit bureau.
Negotiating with the hospital works. You could ask them what they will take for cash now lump sum payment. In a lot of cases they will reduce it by 30% or more just to get it paid. A lump sum now at a discount is worth more to them than $5.00 a month for the next however many years.
#11
Re: Medical bills... Did hospital forget.. ?
Originally Posted by Diabolo
What if they never send me the bill ?
Have they ever forgotten or written of ??? ..... day dreaming I guess
#12
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 4,820
Re: Medical bills... Did hospital forget.. ?
My darling Kate ..... Who has been in the medical profesion all her life here informs me that no debts for medical treatment can be refered to your credit history by law.
#13
Re: Medical bills... Did hospital forget.. ?
Originally Posted by Patrick Hasler
My darling Kate ..... Who has been in the medical profesion all her life here informs me that no debts for medical treatment can be refered to your credit history by law.
#14
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Re: Medical bills... Did hospital forget.. ?
Originally Posted by Patrick Hasler
My darling Kate ..... Who has been in the medical profesion all her life here informs me that no debts for medical treatment can be refered to your credit history by law.
As Ray said does anyone know if this applies to just some states ?
My mother inlaw is a Medical/Nursing Officer and she told me that it does not effect your history.
#15
Re: Medical bills... Did hospital forget.. ?
Originally Posted by Patrick Hasler
My darling Kate ..... Who has been in the medical profesion all her life here informs me that no debts for medical treatment can be refered to your credit history by law.