SOL on hospital bills

[undertakeress]

Can someone explain what the difference is between hospital and other healthcare providers? I'm dealing with a mess from Colorado, but currently live in Michigan. The legitimate one's were incurred in 2002-2004.

[Why Chat]

Can someone explain what the difference is between hospital and other healthcare providers? I'm dealing with a mess from Colorado, but currently live in Michigan. The legitimate one's were incurred in 2002-2004.

The difference is that if you are sued for a hospital or ambulance/rescue bill you can not use a "SOL" defense to fight a judgment if that is your ONLY legal defense, as the Courts have ruled that hospitals and ambulance/rescue services who are compensated with tax $$ for non payers/indigents are exempt from SOL defenses as they are considered the same as a "Governmental" entity.

 

This is the same as back taxes, tax supported school loans, library fines or parking tickets.

 

This is not to say that you shouldn't follow the HIPAA letter program to try and resolve the issue, only that if you are talking about a large bill from a hospital that you need to prepare yourself to pay it to the hospital if it is fully verified.

Edited July 5, 2008 by Why Chat

[undertakeress]

Gotcha, however CA's collecting on behalf of the hospital (or if they own the debt), and they sue you, you can raise the SOL as an affirmative defense? Just if the hospital sues you directly, correct/

[Why Chat]

Gotcha, however CA's collecting on behalf of the hospital (or if they own the debt), and they sue you, you can raise the SOL as an affirmative defense? Just if the hospital sues you directly, correct/

No, incorrect.

A CA who has been assigned or sold a hospital account has the same right to sue as the hospital would have had.

 

Whether or not they actually WOULD file a suit depends on the circumstances, the amount of the bill and the opportunity to recover.

[grouper]

Hello Whychat, I've been following your writings for a few weeks now. I have a question: I have a few unpaid med bills on my report from a hospital that was sold to a collector. They are due to fall of my report by Oct/NOv 2008.

 

The bills total slightly under $1300, should I bother with the HIPPA process, pre-letter to CRA or should I just wait out the few months for them to fall off my report?

 

I didn't know that a hospital bill incurred would not allow me to raise the SOL defense. I disputed last year and it came back verified. I disputed again a few weeks back and one bureau verified it, and another hasn't come back yet.

 

What do you think is the best course of action for me?