Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 8947 Location: Grinning like a Cheshire Cat,
Thanks: 179
Thanked:198
Posted: 09-24-07 18:08pm
You need to go to the hospital. The thing
about medical bills is that most hospitals
forgive a lot of debt every year. You can
make payment arrangements and, often, they
will drop a bill down to what you can
afford.
I get really tired of people who say they
can't visit a doctor because of the
expense. I know what it is like, I had an
infant and no insurance. I would have paid
more with insurance to see our doctor than
I did when I paid cash. It isn't
that expensive unless you need a
lot of testing done. Hopefully you don't.
|
everyday_struggle
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 30 Jul 2007 Posts: 304
Posted: 09-24-07 18:16pm
Ingi
wrote:
You need to go to the
hospital. The thing about medical bills is
that most hospitals forgive a lot of debt
every year. You can make payment
arrangements and, often, they will drop a
bill down to what you can afford.
I get really tired of people who say they
can't visit a doctor because of the
expense. I know what it is like, I had an
infant and no insurance. I would have paid
more with insurance to see our doctor than
I did when I paid cash. It isn't
that expensive unless you need a
lot of testing done. Hopefully you
don't.
how about if you already went there and
never paid the bill? should i go to a
different one? and if i havent paid their
bill will they say something?
|
Mabel
Moderator
Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 8947 Location: Grinning like a Cheshire Cat,
Thanks: 179
Thanked:198
Posted: 09-24-07 18:22pm
everyday_struggle
wrote:
Ingi
wrote:
You need to go to the
hospital. The thing about medical bills is
that most hospitals forgive a lot of debt
every year. You can make payment
arrangements and, often, they will drop a
bill down to what you can afford.
I get really tired of people who say they
can't visit a doctor because of the
expense. I know what it is like, I had an
infant and no insurance. I would have paid
more with insurance to see our doctor than
I did when I paid cash. It isn't
that expensive unless you need a
lot of testing done. Hopefully you
don't.
how about if you already went there and
never paid the bill? should i go to a
different one? and if i havent paid their
bill will they say
something?
Why aren't you paying your hospital bills?
Seriously, you could have spoken with them
before it went to collection
(preferrably as soon as you get the bill)
and they will sometimes make arrangements
($25 a month) and even knock off some of
the charges (for instance, a tylenol
should not and does not cost $12, so it
seems a no brainer they are over-charging
on some things). Don't let those bills
just sit somewhere in collections. They
now cost you more money than they would
have if you'd have only paid a few dollars
a month ~ on arrangement ~ than if you
think you can forget them.
You cannot forget about them. They'll
follow you everywhere.
Most hospitals, especially public
hospitals, have to serve you whether you
have the ability to pay or not. That is
why insurance rates are so high. Go to the
hospital you always go to.
|
young Girl
Especially EHEALTHy
Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 13932 Location: everythings better in, texas USA
Thanks: 1
Thanked:0
Posted: 09-24-07 18:25pm
like ingi said some hospitals have to
serve you even if you have an unpaid
hospital bill.
if its an emergenncy they certainly have
to see you they cant just turn you away
because you have an unpaid bill.
|
everyday_struggle
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 30 Jul 2007 Posts: 304
Posted: 09-24-07 18:29pm
Ingi
wrote:
everyday_struggle
wrote:
Ingi
wrote:
You need to go to the
hospital. The thing about medical bills is
that most hospitals forgive a lot of debt
every year. You can make payment
arrangements and, often, they will drop a
bill down to what you can afford.
I get really tired of people who say they
can't visit a doctor because of the
expense. I know what it is like, I had an
infant and no insurance. I would have paid
more with insurance to see our doctor than
I did when I paid cash. It isn't
that expensive unless you need a
lot of testing done. Hopefully you
don't.
how about if you already went there and
never paid the bill? should i go to a
different one? and if i havent paid their
bill will they say
something?
Why aren't you paying your hospital bills?
Seriously, you could have spoken with them
before it went to collection
(preferrably as soon as you get the bill)
and they will sometimes make arrangements
($25 a month) and even knock off some of
the charges (for instance, a tylenol
should not and does not cost $12, so it
seems a no brainer they are over-charging
on some things). Don't let those bills
just sit somewhere in collections. They
now cost you more money than they would
have if you'd have only paid a few dollars
a month ~ on arrangement ~ than if you
think you can forget them.
You cannot forget about them. They'll
follow you everywhere.
Most hospitals, especially public
hospitals, have to serve you whether you
have the ability to pay or not. That is
why insurance rates are so high. Go to the
hospital you always go
to.
at the time i wasnt working and other
situations didnt allow me to pay those
things. They are sitting in collections
right now, but are they collecting
interests? i dont understand how they
would cost me more otherwise.
|
young Girl
Especially EHEALTHy
Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 13932 Location: everythings better in, texas USA
Thanks: 1
Thanked:0
Posted: 09-24-07 18:30pm
everyday_struggle
wrote:
Ingi
wrote:
everyday_struggle
wrote:
Ingi
wrote:
You need to go to the
hospital. The thing about medical bills is
that most hospitals forgive a lot of debt
every year. You can make payment
arrangements and, often, they will drop a
bill down to what you can afford.
I get really tired of people who say they
can't visit a doctor because of the
expense. I know what it is like, I had an
infant and no insurance. I would have paid
more with insurance to see our doctor than
I did when I paid cash. It isn't
that expensive unless you need a
lot of testing done. Hopefully you
don't.
how about if you already went there and
never paid the bill? should i go to a
different one? and if i havent paid their
bill will they say
something?
Why aren't you paying your hospital bills?
Seriously, you could have spoken with them
before it went to collection
(preferrably as soon as you get the bill)
and they will sometimes make arrangements
($25 a month) and even knock off some of
the charges (for instance, a tylenol
should not and does not cost $12, so it
seems a no brainer they are over-charging
on some things). Don't let those bills
just sit somewhere in collections. They
now cost you more money than they would
have if you'd have only paid a few dollars
a month ~ on arrangement ~ than if you
think you can forget them.
You cannot forget about them. They'll
follow you everywhere.
Most hospitals, especially public
hospitals, have to serve you whether you
have the ability to pay or not. That is
why insurance rates are so high. Go to the
hospital you always go
to.
at the time i wasnt working and other
situations didnt allow me to pay those
things. They are sitting in collections
right now, but are they collecting
interests? i dont understand how they
would cost me more
otherwise.
yep
they will make you pay more the more and
more they just sit there
all those "late charges" and "collection
fees"
|
Mabel
Moderator
Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 8947 Location: Grinning like a Cheshire Cat,
Thanks: 179
Thanked:198
Posted: 09-24-07 18:31pm
Yes, when bills go to collections, the
collection company starts charging their
own fees. It will instantly be a bigger
bill just because the collection agency
has it in their office. Now they will
'stalk' you and try to get the money from
you. You can no longer pay the hospital
what you owed them, you now owe the
collection agency. It depends on where you
are, the collection agency, etc - what the
interest on them will be. Sometimes it is
quite a bit to start. You can make
payments to collection agencies too, but
they are not at all pleased when you don't
pay when you say you will.
|
everyday_struggle
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 30 Jul 2007 Posts: 304
Posted: 09-24-07 18:40pm
Ingi
wrote:
Yes, when bills go to
collections, the collection company starts
charging their own fees. It will instantly
be a bigger bill just because the
collection agency has it in their office.
Now they will 'stalk' you and try to get
the money from you. You can no longer pay
the hospital what you owed them, you now
owe the collection agency. It depends on
where you are, the collection agency, etc
- what the interest on them will be.
Sometimes it is quite a bit to start. You
can make payments to collection agencies
too, but they are not at all pleased when
you don't pay when you say you
will.
ok, so in other words. my name is no good
anymore and will have to start using a new
identity, gotcha!
thanks
|
Mabel
Moderator
Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 8947 Location: Grinning like a Cheshire Cat,
Thanks: 179
Thanked:198
Posted: 09-24-07 18:42pm
everyday_struggle
wrote:
Ingi
wrote:
Yes, when bills go to
collections, the collection company starts
charging their own fees. It will instantly
be a bigger bill just because the
collection agency has it in their office.
Now they will 'stalk' you and try to get
the money from you. You can no longer pay
the hospital what you owed them, you now
owe the collection agency. It depends on
where you are, the collection agency, etc
- what the interest on them will be.
Sometimes it is quite a bit to start. You
can make payments to collection agencies
too, but they are not at all pleased when
you don't pay when you say you
will.
ok, so in other words. my name is no good
anymore and will have to start using a new
identity, gotcha!
thanks
|
Georgia59
Moderator
Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 5557 Location: Along the Mississippi, USA
Thanks: 90
Thanked:32
Posted: 09-28-07 16:53pm
I would call them and talk to them about
it. It's worth a shot.
|
charduck
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 11 Jan 2007 Posts: 10 Location: AZ
I Can't Afford Health Insurance Either. Here's What I Did. Posted: 11-21-07 18:12pm
I can't afford health insurance, and
besides I'm uninsurable. There are lots
of discount benefit packages out there
these days. I joined one, and I get
discounts on doctors and anything they
order (blood tests, x-rays, etc.). Also,
if I'm hospitalized, if the bill is over
$2500, they send someone to the hospital
to negotiate the price down. (If it's
less than $2500, I'm stuck with the entire
bill - but how many hospital bills are
under $2500?) I have a friend that had
the same plan I have, and he saved
$100,000 on his hospital bill when he had
a heart attack. Good luck!
