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Collection Agencies for Medical Bills


Pepi

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My daughter is in collections for $7800.00 for hospital bills. They call my home everyday twice trying to get a hold of her. She called them today and offered to pay $50 a month but they won't do that. Do any of you guys know anything about handling Bill Collectors? I've been reading up but still don't know {censored} about this because I've always had a great credit record. I hate to see her get sued BUT ... can't get blood out of a turnip. :facepalm:

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My daughter is in collections for $7800.00 for hospital bills. They call my home everyday twice trying to get a hold of her. She called them today and offered to pay $50 a month but they won't do that. Do any of you guys know anything about handling Bill Collectors? I've been reading up but still don't know {censored} about this because I've always had a great credit record. I hate to see her get sued BUT ... can't get blood out of a turnip.
:facepalm:

 

Send the collection agency a cease & desist letter, continue paying the $50 a month to the hospital only forever or at least till the funds are available and face a judgment against any future paychecks. I don't know how long it takes for a judgement against her pay will take. The collection will show on her credit report even once she pays it off, but it will show paid in full. Maybe she can make a deal with the hospital for a break on the total amount or something. I never tried that, might be worth a shot. I would never work, talk or deal with the collection agency at all. If you send a cease and desist letter, make sure it's certified and returned signed mail. It'll stop them from calling or harassing in any way, but it won't stop any legal action like garnishments.

 

I went through the same thing years ago when I ended up spending a week in the hospital. I couldn't pay the bill in full by the time they wanted, so I kept paying the hospital what ever I could every month. I knew I could pay it all off with in a year, but I had to wait till those funds would be available. It went to collections and they harassed me daily it seemed. I just sent them a cease and desist letter basically stating that it's not in my best interest to deal with collection agencies and the matter would be settled with the debtor. Any attempts to call my home or place of business after this letter was received would be in violation of the law and that I would file suite against them in a court of law. Never heard from them again. I paid the bill in full by the end of the year, so the hospital got their money and asshole bill collectors got a big fat zero. :lol: It put a small dent in my credit rating but not as bad as I thought it would be. I didn't have a choice, such is life.

 

The only other option is to file bankruptcy. But, I would save that for the worst case scenario or if she has no other choice. They can garnish her pay but it's only 10-15% depending on what state you live in. But, if she would happen to change jobs or something, they have to file for another garnishment through the court, restarting the balance and all the bs that comes with it. Basically, they force your hand at bankruptcy in the end. Collection agencies are the scum of the earth.

 

I hope it gets better for her.

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My daughter is in collections for $7800.00 for hospital bills. They call my home everyday twice trying to get a hold of her. She called them today and offered to pay $50 a month but they won't do that. Do any of you guys know anything about handling Bill Collectors? I've been reading up but still don't know {censored} about this because I've always had a great credit record. I hate to see her get sued BUT ... can't get blood out of a turnip.
:facepalm:

 

Yes. If she doesn't live with you, then tell them to stop calling you or you'll refer the violation of the FCRA over to your attorney. If she lives with you, then tell them that that is not her # and see above. They will settle for less than the full amount, so she will need to keep negotiating with them. I can't say how low they will go. You could hire a legal settlement firm like Lexington http://www.lexingtonlaw.com/credit-education/debt-settlement/

or Accredited http://www.accrediteddebtrelief.com/debt-relief-options/debt-settlement/

 

 

At $7800 though, it would probably be more economical to settle on your own. Now if she owes over $30,000 all told between all bills to creditors, then someone like Lexington would be worth it.

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curious. is that the net owed after the various charity and program options for hospital bills?
the hospital billing org usually has a deal for low income / low savings people.

 

If its already in collections it may be too late for this, but my ex and I got a hospital stay of hers cut WAY down on price and made payments for a few months afterwards. Again, that was through the hospital though, if in collections, ugh. Good luck dude.

 

I don't know anything about how to deal with them except paying them off. :facepalm: on me.

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If she sends them $20 a month, they'll leave her alone. My wife was about $250,000 in debt after her bout with cancer and as long as we sent them something, they quit calling. One place that we owed $75,000 settled for $2000... If you guys can work out a way for her to come up with some cash, you can work out settlement deals...

 

$7800 ain't {censored}!!!

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pretty much what Sys said. Had the same thing happen to me from my appendix surgery. $35,000 bill that I couldn't pay. Told hospital I was working it out with my previous insurance who dropped me the day before the surgery.

 

30 days later or so collections started calling me, daily, almost hourly it seemed. Hospital and I worked out a deal that got me about 60% off of my bill, then my insurance worked a deal with me paying it all off and I only ended up owing like $4,000.

 

Collections called for about 2 weeks after I had paid it all off :facepalm:

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I would assume her credit is already {censored}ed due to other things (based on your other threads).

Just file for bankruptcy.

 

 

Not sure if this would be enough to file for bankruptcy? She really wants to pay it off but the bottomfeeders won't work with her.

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Not sure if this would be enough to file for bankruptcy? She really wants to pay it off but the bottomfeeders won't work with her.

 

 

 

No, that's a petty amount of debt and not even close to a reason to file bankruptcy.

 

Empty threats sometimes work... 40% is a good place to start, tell them to settle for that or she'll file bankruptcy and they'll get nothing. They'll work with her.

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Filing BK is a complete dumbass move and not prudent advice especially considering how Chapter 7 qualification is determined. The petioner must pass a "means" test for Chapter 7. If an attorney tells you they can get a Chapter 7 then run from their office. If your daughter files most likely it would be a Chapter 13 or repayment plan.

 

The FDCPA or Fair Debt Collections Practices Act provides a road map to deal with debt collectors and their questionable tactics. One of the key parts of the process is Validating the debt.

 

First your daughter receives a letter, from the collection agency demanding payment. She must reply and send a certified letter to the debt collector within 30 days of her receiving their letter. If she has waited beyond 30 days then ignore the rest of my post. It is too late to follow validation process.

 

First she requests the collections agency validate the debt, not just verify the address but

validate pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 USC 1692g Sec. 809 (b)

that your claim is disputed and validation is requested. Her letter also states she is not refusing to pay. The letter includes a cease communcations request. The debt collector must comply with or face fines of $1000 per violation of each infraction under FDCPA. Calling your house is violation ONLY after your daughter sends certified letter. After validation is completed contact is only done thru usps mail only. No phone calls ever.

.

 

Debt collector must provide competent evidence outlined to USC 1692g Sec. 809 (b)

Do not ever talk on the phone with the debt collector. Never believe anything

the debt collector promises.

 

If you need a letter I would be happy to provide you with this info. Just fill in the blanks.

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Holy {censored}, THIS!!! One has to wonder what kind of piece of {censored} applies for that job...

 

 

usually people with phone experiance that cant find any other work. . . .

 

collections is a {censored}ing hot job market cause everyones loosing {censored}.

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Filing BK is a complete dumbass move and not prudent advice especially considering how Chapter 7 qualification is determined. The petioner must pass a "means" test for Chapter 7. If an attorney tells you they can get a Chapter 7 then run from their office. If your daughter files most likely it would be a Chapter 13 or repayment plan.


The FDCPA or Fair Debt Collections Practices Act provides a road map to deal with debt collectors and their questionable tactics. One of the key parts of the process is Validating the debt.


First your daughter receives a letter, from the collection agency demanding payment. She must reply and send a certified letter to the debt collector within 30 days of her receiving their letter. If she has waited beyond 30 days then ignore the rest of my post. It is too late to follow validation process.


First she requests the collections agency validate the debt, not just verify the address but

validate pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 USC 1692g Sec. 809 (b)

that your claim is disputed and validation is requested. Her letter also states she is not refusing to pay. The letter includes a cease communcations request. The debt collector must comply with or face fines of $1000 per violation of each infraction under FDCPA. Calling your house is violation ONLY after your daughter sends certified letter. After validation is completed contact is only done thru usps mail only. No phone calls ever.

.


Debt collector must provide competent evidence outlined to USC 1692g Sec. 809 (b)

Do not ever talk on the phone with the debt collector. Never believe anything

the debt collector promises.


If you need a letter I would be happy to provide you with this info. Just fill in the blanks.

 

 

"It is too late to follow validation process" YES

 

How can they prove she received this? No certified mail?

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already good advice here. but something that might be worth a shot... send a check, and in the memo line write the account number and say "paid in full" and just see if they cash it. if they do, boom, head shot.

 

 

I like the way ya think there Kenny :) Would be very embarrassing for them in court for sure.

 

Thanks to all you guys and the information. I'm processing it now.

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Collection agencies are just professional pricks. A couple of years after I got my cell phone, I started getting calls from one of them about a guy who apparently used to have the number I was given. (makes sense if he couldn't pay the bill) They would call and call, every time I would say "Not only am I not this person you're looking for, I have no idea who that is. Stop calling me." They would accuse me of lying, threaten this and that, blah blah blah. Their job is to call repeatedly and browbeat and harrass whoever they can into caving, to get more money at one time, rather than installments. Tell them to basically {censored} off, that a monthly payment will be made every month and on time, and if they don't stop calling, you will report them to the BBB. What you've got to remember is that they have no real authority, no real power...they're just pushy assholes. They have to go through the courts same as anyone else.

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Holy {censored}, THIS!!! One has to wonder what kind of piece of {censored} applies for that job...

 

 

Often, people don't know they're applying!

 

I went for a "customer services" temp job at uni. Turned out to be collections. I lasted three days for not getting enough off people. My excuse of trying to work with people didn't hold. But I learned a lot, especially that the majority of accounts these people buy are unenforceable! It's a really low class of people there though.

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Yeah, a lot of debt collectors are lawyers or law school flunkies too. Trying to argue with them is pointless because they know how to get your blood boiling.

 

I think laws vary state to state, but where I live only the original debtor can bring legal action. So any threats to sue are probably just empty threats.

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I liked it when the collections guy gave his # and extension. I would call him up a few times a day taunting him and telling him he will never get a cent out of me. Then I would basically call him names until he would hang up on me. It was pretty fun!

 

I should note that this was about 1.5 years after getting a new phone number, the debt was not mine, and those idiots wouldn't believe it.

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