Medical Bills, Bad Credit, etc Heeeeeelp!

[tcsenter]

3 days later, they tell me its hepatitis A as they thought, I asked for the cure, and they told me there is none, and hand me a $7000 bill. $7000! For what?!? I absolutely refused to pay that bill since it was absolutely outrageous to begin with, they never told me how much any of this would cost even though they knew from the start I was uninsured

You were in the hospital for three days and don't remember what happened? Were you unconscious the whole time, or just really high on something?

$7,000 is remarkably 'average' for a three day stay in a hospital if you were admitted through the emergency room on an emergency basis. Hospitals don't tell you as a matter of practice how much each thing they do will cost before they do it. If you want to know, you have to ask them. If the basis of your attempt to weasle out of paying a debt that you owe is that they had some sort of obligation to tell you what the costs were before you incurred each and every expense, your premise is simply wrong.

Hell, they never even sent me an itemized bill, so I dont know what the hell I'm getting charged for anyway!

It is your responsibility to contact the hospital's billing department and request an itemized bill, they do not routinely send it without a request.

Sorry, your attempt to weasle out of your responsibilities is entirely based on your own ignorance, not any wrong-doing on their part. I personally wouldn't want to admit I was this stupid, but apparently that doesn't bother you.

 

[Ameesh]

get insurance for next time you fvcking leech, you are crying to all of us when you knew something could happen. and dont give me the line you cant afford it, you can always work it out if you have to. people like you piss me off. why dont you take reponsibility for yourself.

 

[BD2003]

Its not that I dont feel like I owe anything. I certainly dont feel like a owe seven thousand freaking dollars. To some people that isnt a lot. To me and my family, that is a year's income. Let me explain the situation a little further.

I spent 2 weeks throwing up things I didnt even know I ate. Feeling like I was being eaten from the inside. At 20 years old, aside from the day I was given birth to, I had never ever been in a hospital or seen a doctor. I knew the prices were outrageous, and I accounted for that, but I had no idea they were outrageous beyond belief. After 2 weeks one night I just lost it, and my dad eventually cracked, knowing he had to take me to the hospital. Then all of the above went down.

After I got out of the hospital, my dad assured me if it ever came down to it, he'd pay it off. But he convinced me to try his method, even though I was sure it would devastate my credit. But its not like I could pull $7000 out of my ass, so I didnt exactly have a choice in the matter. I got turned down for medicaid because they deemed my parents could afford it. My parents, who are retired, live on social security and medicare. Great system.

He told me they would give up after 2 years. 2 years have gone by and the calls have slowed, but theyre not gone. My credit is already ruined, as I was sure it would be, and contrary to his beliefs. So you can point the finger at whoever you want. Point it at me for being a bad person for not paying his bills. Point it at my father for being a cheap bastard or for not having a good enough job to afford these medical bills. Point it at the system for denying me medicaid when if anyone ever needed it, I did. Point it at whoever the hell you want. I didnt choose to be born into a family without medical insurance, and I sure as hell cant afford it on my own. Maybe if a few of you spent 2 weeks feeling near death when everyone is telling you "Damn, you should see a doctor" and having to shrug it off because you cant afford it, then maybe you'd understand a little better. I dont want sympathy, I dont want pity, and I dont need a fvcking lecture. All of this already happened, and theres nothing I can do about it anymore.

I cant afford $7000, and its not going to fall from the sky all of a sudden. Its so easy for anyone to say, oh, thats not THAT bad, but in reality, it is far more than I can afford. And above all, I cannot possibly fathom how the care I received cost $7000. I could have hired a full time nurse and doctor and stayed in the damn hilton for less than that. I received no tests other than a single xray, and a few blood tests for hepatitis, and after working in a blood lab for 2 years, I know they costs cents to perform. Hell, they even used me as a damn guniea pig for the residents to play around with.

So please, if you can genuinely help me, I would appreciate it. Should I send a letter to the collections agency first, or go have a chat with the hospital first?

 

[LostHiWay]

You should have made arrangements with the hosptial to pay the bill down. As long as you pay something each month they won't turn you over to collections. But since it's been sold to collections it's no longer the hospitals problem.

Whatever you do don't go to one of those "Help us reduce you dept" credit places that are "supposed" to be non-profit. THEY AREN'T. They won't even help you if you don't make a sizable donation. Plus they ding your credit report too..which looks almost as bad as a bankruptcy.

My advice:

Call up the collection agency and ask them how much they will settle for. You might have work a little (they're worse than car salesmen)..then talk to a family member or close friend to see if they can loan you the money. If that's not possible..

Bankruptcy. Yes it's not good but really not as bad as most people think. After about a year you'll be able to get loans and credit cards again. You just won't get very good rates.

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: BD2003
Its not that I dont feel like I owe anything. I certainly dont feel like a owe seven thousand freaking dollars. To some people that isnt a lot. To me and my family, that is a year's income. Let me explain the situation a little further.

I spent 2 weeks throwing up things I didnt even know I ate. Feeling like I was being eaten from the inside. At 20 years old, aside from the day I was given birth to, I had never ever been in a hospital or seen a doctor. I knew the prices were outrageous, and I accounted for that, but I had no idea they were outrageous beyond belief. After 2 weeks one night I just lost it, and my dad eventually cracked, knowing he had to take me to the hospital. Then all of the above went down.

After I got out of the hospital, my dad assured me if it ever came down to it, he'd pay it off. But he convinced me to try his method, even though I was sure it would devastate my credit. But its not like I could pull $7000 out of my ass, so I didnt exactly have a choice in the matter. I got turned down for medicaid because they deemed my parents could afford it. My parents, who are retired, live on social security and medicare. Great system.

He told me they would give up after 2 years. 2 years have gone by and the calls have slowed, but theyre not gone. My credit is already ruined, as I was sure it would be, and contrary to his beliefs. So you can point the finger at whoever you want. Point it at me for being a bad person for not paying his bills. Point it at my father for being a cheap bastard or for not having a good enough job to afford these medical bills. Point it at the system for denying me medicaid when if anyone ever needed it, I did. Point it at whoever the hell you want. I didnt choose to be born into a family without medical insurance, and I sure as hell cant afford it on my own. Maybe if a few of you spent 2 weeks feeling near death when everyone is telling you "Damn, you should see a doctor" and having to shrug it off because you cant afford it, then maybe you'd understand a little better. I dont want sympathy, I dont want pity, and I dont need a fvcking lecture. All of this already happened, and theres nothing I can do about it anymore.

I cant afford $7000, and its not going to fall from the sky all of a sudden. Its so easy for anyone to say, oh, thats not THAT bad, but in reality, it is far more than I can afford. And above all, I cannot possibly fathom how the care I received cost $7000. I could have hired a full time nurse and doctor and stayed in the damn hilton for less than that. I received no tests other than a single xray, and a few blood tests for hepatitis, and after working in a blood lab for 2 years, I know they costs cents to perform. Hell, they even used me as a damn guniea pig for the residents to play around with.

So please, if you can genuinely help me, I would appreciate it. Should I send a letter to the collections agency first, or go have a chat with the hospital first?

You can genuinely help yourself by calling the collections agency and arranging payment with them. Even if it's $100 a month for the next 7 years it's better than having the marks on your credit history. Making progress on it is better than ignoring it.

How much money do you make? What do you do for a living? How many hours?

Even if you made federal minimum wage you'd make almost $11,000 a year before taxes - And you wouldn't exactly be paying huge taxes on that income.

Viper GTS

 

[dirtboy]

Originally posted by: BD2003
Oh believe me, I do know how much better it is to have insurance. I plan on getting it as soon as I can.

Someday when you have health insurance and you're paying the high premiums that go with it, I hope you don't complain. Always remember it is people like you that have caused prices in the health care industry to rise to the levels they are.

 

[BD2003]

I make nearly nothing, I'm a college student. Its hard enough to pay for school, I cant afford a medical bill on top of it.

 

[Ameesh]

Originally posted by: BD2003
Its not that I dont feel like I owe anything. I certainly dont feel like a owe seven thousand freaking dollars. To some people that isnt a lot. To me and my family, that is a year's income. Let me explain the situation a little further.

I spent 2 weeks throwing up things I didnt even know I ate. Feeling like I was being eaten from the inside. At 20 years old, aside from the day I was given birth to, I had never ever been in a hospital or seen a doctor. I knew the prices were outrageous, and I accounted for that, but I had no idea they were outrageous beyond belief. After 2 weeks one night I just lost it, and my dad eventually cracked, knowing he had to take me to the hospital. Then all of the above went down.

After I got out of the hospital, my dad assured me if it ever came down to it, he'd pay it off. But he convinced me to try his method, even though I was sure it would devastate my credit. But its not like I could pull $7000 out of my ass, so I didnt exactly have a choice in the matter. I got turned down for medicaid because they deemed my parents could afford it. My parents, who are retired, live on social security and medicare. Great system.

He told me they would give up after 2 years. 2 years have gone by and the calls have slowed, but theyre not gone. My credit is already ruined, as I was sure it would be, and contrary to his beliefs. So you can point the finger at whoever you want. Point it at me for being a bad person for not paying his bills. Point it at my father for being a cheap bastard or for not having a good enough job to afford these medical bills. Point it at the system for denying me medicaid when if anyone ever needed it, I did. Point it at whoever the hell you want. I didnt choose to be born into a family without medical insurance, and I sure as hell cant afford it on my own. Maybe if a few of you spent 2 weeks feeling near death when everyone is telling you "Damn, you should see a doctor" and having to shrug it off because you cant afford it, then maybe you'd understand a little better. I dont want sympathy, I dont want pity, and I dont need a fvcking lecture. All of this already happened, and theres nothing I can do about it anymore.

I cant afford $7000, and its not going to fall from the sky all of a sudden. Its so easy for anyone to say, oh, thats not THAT bad, but in reality, it is far more than I can afford. And above all, I cannot possibly fathom how the care I received cost $7000. I could have hired a full time nurse and doctor and stayed in the damn hilton for less than that. I received no tests other than a single xray, and a few blood tests for hepatitis, and after working in a blood lab for 2 years, I know they costs cents to perform. Hell, they even used me as a damn guniea pig for the residents to play around with.

So please, if you can genuinely help me, I would appreciate it. Should I send a letter to the collections agency first, or go have a chat with the hospital first?

i dont care if you're throwing up hard boiled eggs and farting out popsicle sticks, you decided that you wouldnt take responsibility for your self and even now you are trying to blame your deadbeat dad for why you didnt. If you were concered soo much about the price of treatment you should have asked the hospital before you went for treatment. Its irresponsible tards like you that make everyone elses insurance cost soo high. Be assured im not giving you any sympathy or pity, you're a leech, and in proper leech fashion you should just declare bankruptcy thats what other people like you do to escape their bills.

 

[Ameesh]

Originally posted by: BD2003
I make nearly nothing, I'm a college student. Its hard enough to pay for school, I cant afford a medical bill on top of it.

whos fault is that? the hospitals? or maybe its your dads?


you are obvioslly not working enough if your sitting here posting on atot att 11am.

 

[BD2003]

Its real easy for you to be on your moral high horse and say all that sh*t. So what would YOU have done in my position?

And for your information, I am at work right now, on off time.

 

[kranky]

Call your state representative's office and ask them what state or federal agency covers hospital bills for medically indigent/medically needy people. You had no way to afford insurance and had to go to the ER. I think you could leave your parents out of it as you were a legal adult when this happened. I don't know why they would be legally obligated to pay.

It might be a long shot being as it's two years after the fact, but I think that's your best bet. If that fails, contact the hospital and see if they have their own program to provide medical care for uninsured people who can't afford to pay. Explain that you just can't pay (take your last income tax return and a pay stub in case you need to show them) and you don't want your credit rating ruined over this. They might ask you to pay $10/month or whatever, and if they do, I'd take that offer.

 

[vi edit]

There's always more time in the day to work. I deliver freaking news papers for an hour a day for $800+ a month to make up for my fiancee's lack of income while she's in school. At $800 a month, you can make your repayment in a year, and have $2600 to spare.

You can get your own health insurance for around $40 a month. That's really pocket change. Don't order a pizza once a week. Cut back on beer consumption. You're a weed smoker aren't you? I think I remember your posts about toking it up pretty regularly. You've oviously got some money to blow if you can afford the ganja.

 

[vi edit]

I don't know why they would be legally obligated to pay.

Things get really messy when you are in college. If you are taking more than 12 credit hours worth of classes, you are still considered a dependent of your parents, regardless if you get a single dime from them for college expenses.

 

[rufruf44]

If he's as broke as he stated, is bankruptcy an option to pursue ?

 

[BD2003]

Originally posted by: vi_edit

I don't know why they would be legally obligated to pay.

Things get really messy when you are in college. If you are taking more than 12 credit hours worth of classes, you are still considered a dependent of your parents, regardless if you get a single dime from them for college expenses.

Thats what the medicaid lady told me. The thing is, my dad was adamant about not signing or putting his name anywhere, so I dont think the hospital knows he exists.

To be honest, I have no clue how much insurance costs, or where to get it. I've never had it, and I know nothing about it. I've always understood it to be at least 3 digits a month.

And where on earth did you get a job that pays you $800 a month for one hour a day?

 

[vi edit]

I deliver newspapers for the local paper distributer. Takes me an hour a day to deliver them, an hour and a half if I'm feeling slow and dogging it.

As for the medical insurance, my friend only pays ~$44 a month for straight medical insurance(HMO, of course, but better than nothing). It doesn't cover optical or dental, but it covers basic medical emergencies and doctor visits. I believe he gets a break from medicine perscriptions with it as well.

If you are not covered by your families insurance, it would be in your best interest to aquire your own coverage. All it takes is one stupid drunken move, and BAM! Broken arm/ankle/foot/ect. Medical insurance isn't something you want to be without. You may have the best immune system in the world, and healthy as a horse, but one wrong step on an icy sidewalk and you'll be in the poor house faster than saying "I've fallen and I can't get up".

 

[rahvin]

And above all, I cannot possibly fathom how the care I received cost $7000. I could have hired a full time nurse and doctor and stayed in the damn hilton for less than that. I received no tests other than a single xray, and a few blood tests for hepatitis, and after working in a blood lab for 2 years, I know they costs cents to perform. Hell, they even used me as a damn guniea pig for the residents to play around with.

If you cannot fathom that it cost that much than you have VERY limited experience. You couldn't have hired a nurse to watch you for a single day for $7000 let alone emergency room service, room and board at a hospital and 24 hour medical care for 3 days. I went to the emergency room and spent all of about 6 hours there a year ago, it cost well over $3000 for those 6 hours. A room in a hospital typically costs over $1800 a day. These are facts of our modern medical system and a large portion of those costs is due to lawsuits and deadbeats like yourself that don't pay. Most adults pay (wether directly or through their company) close to $120 a person for medical coverage. For a family of three this is over $4000 a year for medical insurance to cover just such events. Had you needed a transplant the cost could have hit a quarter of a million dollars. Thank god your liver didn't fail and the hospital was able to monitor you for failure. So when you talk about how expensive this bill is keep in mind you could have paid a thousand a year for coverage or risk the $7000 visit to ER. You choose the later, live with the consequences and pay the bill.

If you were concered soo much about the price of treatment you should have asked the hospital before you went for treatment.

No ER would even discuss it with you. They are prohibited by federal law from refusing ER coverage to anyone regardless of insurance and costs are irrelevant and the ER staff wouldn't even know to begin with. If you ever end up in ER ask them how much it will cost, they will give you blank stares.

 

[BD2003]

Youre right, I did have very limitied experience. It was the first time I had ever been to a hospital. Should I have had medical insurance? Absolutely. I know now thats its fairly stupid not to. You can call me a deadbeat, I know I'm being a deadbeat. Cant say I had much choice in the matter. How many of your friends had to pay their own medical insurance while they were in high school?

vi, who is his HMO?

 

[vi edit]

HMO = Health Management Organization.

It's a health insurance provider. Basically it's a plan offered by a specific group of doctors or medical office that require you to visit only the doctors within the HMO for your medical needs. They also only cover specific things and may not cover strange tests or things they deem "unneccessary". It's not preferrable to a PPO plan with offers far greater personal choice, but it still is far better than having no coverage.

HMO's generally offer lower rates, but less selection/choice/coverage.

PPO's have higher rates, but offer far superior doctor choice and coverages.

 

[rahvin]

Originally posted by: BD2003
Youre right, I did have very limitied experience. It was the first time I had ever been to a hospital. Should I have had medical insurance? Absolutely. I know now thats its fairly stupid not to. You can call me a deadbeat, I know I'm being a deadbeat. Cant say I had much choice in the matter. How many of your friends had to pay their own medical insurance while they were in high school?

vi, who is his HMO?

Your school will offer medial insurance to students. It's just basic emergency coverage with typically a student clinic. Very HMO like but it'll save your ass if you ever get hurt. Look into it, should be under student services on your college webpage.

We know your dad is a deadbeat but don't use that as an excuse to not pay the bill. You did use the medical services you should pay them. DO NOT talk to the collection agency. They haven't "purchased" the bad debt, talk to the hospital about negotiating payment. Collection agencies have standard contracts where they typically pay the hospital 40% of anything collected. Now depending on the contract the hospital may refer you back to the collection agency but I wouldn't talk to the collections people first. In all likelyhood you can still negotiate with the hospital, although you would have had much better luck if you had talked to them about it on the first bill. A big bill like that with failure to pay on it will destroy your credit for a long time.

 

[BD2003]

Any websites I could check out to get more info?