Options with medical bill sent to collector

[freedom_in_4low]

this is something I have no experience in. I have zero debt, and at most I'll have a mortgage. I've had a car loan here and there but the last one I paid off after 3 months. I'm not the guy that doesn't pay his bills, never have been, and my 820 credit score is a reflection of that.

I had a visit with my urologist in January of 2021. I moved in June of 2021, and set up USPS forwarding to my new address. In October of 2021, they sent the $98 bill to collections. The collector made their first attempt to call me in March of 2022.

My phone number has been the same for 6 years. The office ever attempted to call me to check that I was getting the bill. I don't even know for sure that they mailed it, since I never saw anything. I've talked to two different people at their billing office and have been told I have to pay the collector and they can't (probably won't) recall it, which of course is what the collector says, too. I know they CAN recall it, but they say they can't once it's been submitted for 30 days...how the hell could I have addressed it within 30 days when they waited another 6 months to contact me?

This is a rather inopportune time, since I'm building a house and will need to secure a mortgage later this year. I can't express how much rage I will experience if a $98 collection makes me pay $98+ more interest every month for the next 30 years because some office nitwit was too lazy to pick up the effing phone and call me.

1. If I pay the collector now, will it actually impact my score and hang on there for years as I was always told?
2. If 1 is yes, do I have any options for forcing the office to recall it and let me pay them directly?

I've already left reviews on google, yelp, and their facebook page and submitted a complaint via their website, but I'm not deluded about that having any impact. Honestly, it's the best urologist in the metro area and maybe the state.

 

[PRNDL]

Literally just experienced this yesterday. I'm in a similar financial position - I pay my bills and live within my means.

My kid had an outpatient surgical procedure last September. I received and paid bills for the facility and doctor. The name on the bill was misspelled and the street name was abbreviated (incorrectly) to the first four letters, and yet those bills made it to my house. Yesterday, I get a collections call for the anesthesiologist's bill. Never, not once did I get a phone call about it from the billing department directly.

Luckily, this collections group was actually a smaller local organization and they were very helpful and answered all of my questions. In my case, they confirmed the address on the bill was wrong and importantly that there would be no credit impacts if I paid within 30 days. i was able to pay it immediately and I'll be keeping an eye on the credit ratings to verify.

To your second question, I think once it is sent to collections, the billing office will not speak to you about it - or at least that's what I was told yesterday. I'm not sure what mechanisms exist to "force" it back to the doc to collect.

I agree though, how friggin hard is it to pick up the phone in these instances?

 

[astjp2]

I just got a 110,000.00 bill for 3 months of my wife's dialysis, the facility changed ownership and is no longer on the approved list, first i heard about it was last week. There is no financial recover if they actually try to collect. I will send $5 per month for the next 20,000 years....

 

[freedom_in_4low]

In my case, they confirmed the address on the bill was wrong and importantly that there would be no credit impacts if I paid within 30 days. i was able to pay it immediately and I'll be keeping an eye on the credit ratings to verify.

I called the collector again and the guy assured me it wouldn't impact my credit since they just got it on March 11th. I don't know what happened between when the billing office claims to have submitted it in October and when the collector got it this month, but I'll take it. It's paid off, but I'll pay attention when my credit card company updates my credit score to make sure.

 

[Paul Land]

I just got a 110,000.00 bill for 3 months of my wife's dialysis, the facility changed ownership and is no longer on the approved list, first i heard about it was last week. There is no financial recover if they actually try to collect. I will send $5 per month for the next 20,000 years....

First thing, I hope it's your wife's bill only and you did not sign anything. This does not protect your home if your both on deed it will be sold at auction. but if it's wife bill only, you will get half of sale price. Problem is City auctions on desirable homes are RIGGED
Low-balled.
Send them fifty bucks every month. I did that with labor and delivery . My last payment was on my daughters 13th birthday. Don't mess with them unless you want to claim bankruptcy for asset protection. That will cost you 5K up-front. Fifty$ stops collection or reverses it. Don't be lazy pick a date to pay them every month and call billing and let them know that's all you can pay. P.S. I tried to do the $5.00 thing, three years later I was 10 Days from sheriff taking my paid in full House and it would go to auction "wife not happy". I coughed up 13K. They know your money/assets situation before they start process you will loose everything.