debtmamma Posted January 3, 2008 Report Share Posted January 3, 2008 I have 2 hosptial bills and 2 dr bills -total around $800 from a car accident in June. Do you have any advice on how to deal with it before they send it to collections? The other ins co won't pay until my treatment is over.Thank You Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2001Badyear Posted January 3, 2008 Report Share Posted January 3, 2008 Not from personal experience, but from what I've read here medicals are the easiest to do a PFD with. Write a nice love letter to them about how you screwed up and offer to pay, if that is your intent. Once with collections it's a whole different ball game. I assume these are still new, so no chance the SOL is run. 800 is a small amount considering the hassle with collections and the TR that will linger with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StressPot Posted January 3, 2008 Report Share Posted January 3, 2008 Ouch!What I want to know is - Who do you have insurance through?I've been in a situation like this before, but never was bothered by late bills. I was hit going through an intersection years and years ago. It totaled my car at the time. My passager was hurt and taken to the hospital. MY insurance company told me to send them all the bills and not worry about it. I did just that, and they were paid. Once it was all said and done, my Insurance company went after the other party's with a vengance.StressPot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secondchances Posted January 3, 2008 Report Share Posted January 3, 2008 I agree with Stresspot. Somebody's auto insurance should be covering the bills. There is also a website called hospitalvictims.org. Make sure they have not overcharged you, which is something that some hospitals do to the poor and unisured. You can also apply for financial assistance. If you are like me, and denied financial assistance, right to the CFO of the hospital. You need a letter from them stating why you were denied. Most hospitals will make payment arrangments with you. Send them $5 per month if you have to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myscoresawful Posted January 3, 2008 Report Share Posted January 3, 2008 I have 2 hosptial bills and 2 dr bills -total around $800 from a car accident in June. Do you have any advice on how to deal with it before they send it to collections? The other ins co won't pay until my treatment is over.Thank You by other insurance co, you mean the other driver's?Anyway, doesn't really matter about what the insurance cos will do and what they won't.WRITE the hospital and ask them to PLEASE let you make payment arrangements, explain the problem you are having with the insurance company and that you can only afford so much right now. Hospitals are usually VERY helpful in making payment arrangements that are within even the smallest budgets. Right now I am paying $10 a month on a $1,500 hospital bill and have it in writing that legal action will never be taken so long as I make those $10 payments a month.As recent as your bills are (6 months is fairly recent where hospital bills and insurance are concerned) I am sure they will be willing to work with you.Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myscoresawful Posted January 3, 2008 Report Share Posted January 3, 2008 I'm not saying the insurance companies should not pay, but if you've ever dealt with an insurance company, especially the other parties insurance company you will know that even by getting a lawyer today, heck, even if you were to win against them in court today, these bills could still be sent to CAs before the insurance company paid.Right now, the OP needs to work with the hospital since they could turn them over to CAs any day now. After the OP takes care of preventing their bills from going to CAs, then they will have plenty of time to go after the other insurance co. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debtmamma Posted January 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2008 Thanks Guys!!I had progressive. I had a high deduct so basically they were mine and the other parties ins to reimburse..can u say phone tag?OK this is what I did.For the actual hosptial part they said they would bill medicaid for my son's portion. I made a payment arrangement for mine that is $25 per month. She did transfer me to the legal department to maybe help with getting the other ins to pay for it. I have another $300 bill for an xray but that is from August. She said not to set a payment arrangement for that yet. Another account is in collections, the physicians part of it the visit. They were very nice and said they would try to bill the other parties ins for it. I asked if it would go on my credit and she said no not while they were billing. I want to set up a payment arrangement for it. It's $300. I added it to my online bill pay. She wouldn't do a payment arrangement while they were going to bill the insurance though. There is no dr bill though for my son, they don't see it. I know he got one too. I know I sent it back 1x with his medicaid information on it. It scares me though they can't find it. I don't know if it was paid or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myscoresawful Posted January 4, 2008 Report Share Posted January 4, 2008 Thanks Guys!!I had progressive. I had a high deduct so basically they were mine and the other parties ins to reimburse..can u say phone tag?OK this is what I did.For the actual hosptial part they said they would bill medicaid for my son's portion. I made a payment arrangement for mine that is $25 per month. She did transfer me to the legal department to maybe help with getting the other ins to pay for it. I have another $300 bill for an xray but that is from August. She said not to set a payment arrangement for that yet. Another account is in collections, the physicians part of it the visit. They were very nice and said they would try to bill the other parties ins for it. I asked if it would go on my credit and she said no not while they were billing. I want to set up a payment arrangement for it. It's $300. I added it to my online bill pay. She wouldn't do a payment arrangement while they were going to bill the insurance though. There is no dr bill though for my son, they don't see it. I know he got one too. I know I sent it back 1x with his medicaid information on it. It scares me though they can't find it. I don't know if it was paid or not.Great! In the end, once they get the other insurance to pay, you could/should be reimbursed your part. It could take a while for the other ins to pay, in the mean time, you can rest knowing you won't have to deal with CA's over this crap or have it go on your CR!Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StressPot Posted January 4, 2008 Report Share Posted January 4, 2008 I agree that a situation like this should be seen and dealth with from all angles.On a side note though, after all of this is said and done I would shop around for new insurance.In the situation I stated above, my deductable was never discussed with my agency (State Farm) and they covered me all the way til the end. They were reimbursed by the opposing agency in the end, but the service I received was impecible. Just my bit of advice - go where the customer *service* (stress service here) goes above and beyond.Hope this all works out for you!StressPot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Methuss Posted January 4, 2008 Report Share Posted January 4, 2008 Hospitals and doctors are restircted by their contracts and by State regulations from collecting from patients while insurance is pending. Of course, many medical billing services choose to cross that line...but a simple call to the State licensing board usually gets them to back off quickly (if the threat of reporting them has no initial effect). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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