Medical Malpractice

Can hospitals or doctors send you to collections?

I got stuck with a bill for $600 from a CAT scan that my insurance company decided to make me apply my deductable against. I recently lost my job and I talked to the hospital about trying to structure payment on a payment plan. They wanted me to pay $45 and I asked if I could pay less than that to stretch out the payments over a longer period of time. The person at the hospital said that if I pay less, then "the computer would kick my account to collections." When I told my wife, she said that hospitals and doctors can't send your account to a collections agency as long as you are making a good faith effort to pay the bill. Something similar happened to her a few years back for a similar amount and was able to pay far less than that amount on a monthly basis. Anyone have any ideas on this or any experience?

Public Comments

1. yes medical bills can be forwarded to collection agencies and yet your wife is right.
2. Yes, they can.
3. They will send you to collections in a heart beat. But I am pretty sure that if you are paying an amount of money towards the bill, then the collections company can't take legal action. I would pay the $45 dollars to keep it out of collections, because it seriously hurts your credit report and then pay the amount that you can. That way you don't have to worry about collections. Good luck and I hope you find a job
4. Absolutely, positively---no doubt about it
5. If the hospital offered you a $45 a month payment plan, get it in writing and go with it. Normally hospitals only go 3 months. Not only can the hospital turn you over to collections, forget about the "as long as you pay something" theory. If you send payments without a written agreement from them to accept that payment plan, they can take you payment and still turn you to the collection agency or sue. If the account goes to collections, it will show up on your credit report. If you go with the hospitals payment plan, it probably won't.
6. As long as you pay, doctors cannot send your account to the collection agency. But if you fail to settle the account on agreed date, they may impose surcharge based on the outstanding balance of your account.