AutnieMaxine

If they are not now reporting, you can use a modified HIPAA letter to pay them. ( health care provider creditor) (address) (date) Dear Sir/Madam; This letter is in reference to (account #s) for services provided to (name of patients) on (date of service). In regard to the balance of this bill on this account in the amount of ($___): Enclosed please find my remittance of ($___) for payment in full of this account as per the attached agreement from you. Please note, my remittance of this settlement payment is payable ONLY to (hc provider) and may not be signed over or transferred or reported to any third party collection agency, as this would constitute a violation of HIPAA and State Privacy Act rules . signature (Your Name) They're not reporting so ... I sent this. Thanks so much!!

At our doctor's office we had a payment arrangement to pay a total of $40 / month towards our 4 accounts. The accounts are 1 in my name, 1 in DH name and 1 each in our 2 DS (both minors)names. For whatever reasons, they keep the accounts as individuals accounts vs. a household account. The medical office merged with a large hospital / physician / university company. That company is not honoring our previous agreement and has offered us the following choices: *Pay 50% of the outstanding balance of each account NOW to "ensure you account can be "settled in full". *If the 50% payment is not received by April 1st, we accept that all of the accounts will turned over to a collection agency Honestly, I'm upset that they are not honoring the previous payment arrangement. It's within our budget and we've never missed a payment. And, when we've had extra funds we've paid above the min. However, the opportunity to be done with these 4 bills at a savings is tempting. I can get the funds to do this. My concern is over the account being recognized as "settled in full" v. "paid in full as agreed". Or, am I overly concerned there is no real difference between the terms? Thanks!!

I have a small update and am wondering where to go from here. The first amount, Claim #1, the hospital accepted the payment. I presume I just word a letter to Summit stating such? As for Claim #2, DH wants to just pay it. I can't explain clearly enough why not to pay it. Is there a link I can show him or something that I can just go ahead and do for him? I readily admit that understanding the process is not my forte. We need his credit score to stay in the high numbers. We're hoping to sell our home and relocate in a few years. Thanks a bunch!!

DH received in today's mail a letter from Ronald E James, Attorney At Law, that is dated February 24 of this year. In it he says: 2 medical claims have been placed with his office for collection or legal action, interest has been added, collection fees have been added and the standard "you have 30 days to dispute" line. Claim #1 The first claim is a hospital bill for which the OC was paid on 2/27. DH was the patient. In going through our bills this past weekend I found from Summit Account & Computer Service, Inc (same address as the above mentioned atty.) a letter stating the claim had been had been placed with them, 30 days ... dispute validity and it was dated February 04, 2011. I then went to the hospital's website on 2/27 and paid the bill via DHs checking account. I received an email for the payment but the payment hasn't been deducted from the checking account as yet. After reading some posts, I realize now that was not the right way to pay that but I can't undo the transaction now. Question being, how do I address this with the attorney? Presumably I send a letter but I really don't know what it needs to say. Claim #2 This second claim is for a different hospital. Last year I filed BK and the entire amount of the original bill, which was in my name, I was the patient, was included in the BK. I started the paperwork in June and by the time everything was filed, had my 341 and the granting of the BK, it was Fall. I can't recall the exact date now. In that time the hospital sent DH to collections, I forget the company, for approx. 10% of the bill. Why, I have no clue. He chose to ignore it thinking that it would be covered in my BK. Regardless, another bill never came. Fast forward to today's mail and now it's been placed with this atty. Part of me thinks he may just have to pay it because my BK atty had told me that sometimes in a BK medical bills will be replaced under the name of the spouse that did not file BK and they will owe it. However another part of me thinks how did he go from not receiving anything after my dismissal to being sent letters from an attorney? And anyhow, CB advice is not to pay CA anyhow right? So how do I handle this one? Summit Account sues people all the time in our area. We always see the judgements listed in the paper. And since the letter was dated 2/24 but it was only received today, 3/2, he/we has/have already lost 6 of the 30 days to dispute. Thanks in advance for your help and if I need to clarify anything please ask. ETA: Something that bugs me. The letter for the first claim is dated 2/04 and states he has 30 days to dispute. Yet, he gets a 2nd letter dated only 20 days letter saying it's been placed with the atty. Seriously? He still had, at that point, 10 days to dispute.

I had two hospital bills that were due in my name. My minor son had a hospital bill due that was in my husband's name and not that of his bio. father. I called the hospital and pleaded hardship. They merged the accounts and reduced us to owing $205.34. Of that amount, $169.39 has been placed with Firstsource Healthcare Advantage in my name. $25.46 plus a collection fee of $7.64 has been placed with Summit Accounting & Computer Service, Inc in my husband's name. $10.48 plus a collection fee of $3.14 has also been placed with Summit, separate account numbers, in my husband'sname. My husband says to ignore the one in my name because I may be filing BK but to immediately pay the ones in his name, for the exact amount they are asking. What? I told him that we (creditboard folks) don't pay bottom feeders and we don't pay them extra (collection fees). I don't know where to go with this one. Back to the OC? And say what? Thanks!!

I posted yesterday that a law firm sent me a letter stating that via a search of public records there was a possible civil action against me. Some very helpful posters gave me advice which I fully intend to pursue. In the meantime ... I defaulted on my GE Money credit card. I last paid on July 26, 2008. March of 2009 I began receiving letters from Leading Edge Recover Solutions, LLC with a notation that the creditor was Midland Funding LLC. August of 2009 I received a letter stating "Midland Funding LLC recently purchased your GE Money Bank account and Midland Credit Management, Inc, a debt collection agency, is ther servicer of this obligation." Further is it stated that they were considering forwarding the account to an attorney for legal action. October of 2009 I received a letter from Bowman, Heintz, Boscia & Vician Attys at Law. I, stupidly it seems, sent a letter asking them to prove I owed the debt. I received back, in March of 2010, a letter that had on the cover "Elkhart Superior Court 6 Small Claims, and affidavit from a Nancy Kohls in Minnesota and a copy of my credit card bill dated 07/2008. Figuring that that was not proof I owed the debt, combined with some events that transpired, I blanked out the letter, completely. That is until I received a letter from Glaser & Ebbs stating what I mentioned at the opening. I looked on doxpop and found my name. My county doesn't appear to be online so I need to call tomorrow. A civil suit was filed against me on 5/20. I had no idea. While I'm now considering BK (I have a post on the BK area) I want to ask .... is sending a copy of an old statement proof that I owe the debt? Is that just a moot issue anyhow because of the dates on the letters, both sent and received? Thanks!!

The part that scared me was "a civil suit was filed against you". Who filed it? When did they file it? Where did they file it at (state, county)? How much is it for? Where do I show up? When do I show up? All questions that can be answered by making a trip to my county's courthouse. I don't owe Glaser & Ebbs anything. So do they just send people to courthouses to comb through public records? Because I don't understand how they have my name and address.

Oh wow! I guess that's on my list for Tuesday. How can it be right to be granted a default judgement when the person filed against didn't even know there was an action against them? I freely admit to my debt. But there has never been a summons delivered to my home, a mailed copy of the summons, a letter telling me I had a judgement, nothing. Had I not rec'd the letter from Glaser & Ebbs I wouldn't be any wiser.

I knew I was in financial trouble. I knew I needed to send letters and the like but honestly? I can't wrap my head around it all. I consider myself to be a somewhat intelligent person but when it comes to debt, letters, CAs, CRAs, etc, I start having panic attacks and just can't understand any of it. If I were a writer I'd call it writer's block. I rec'd a letter last week from the law firm of Glaser & Ebbs. I've typed it exactly as it's worded and where it's bolded. It states: "Our office recently learned of a possible lawsuit through a check of public records that a civil suit was filed against you for a collection of debt." Question: Have I been sued? I haven't received anything from any court, not a summons, not a letter, nothing. I understand the concept of public records but how can they know I'm being sued when I don't even know it? Thanks!

OP here - editing to add that I just checked my 3 credit reports and I have not been reported to any of them - TransUnion, Equifax, Experian.

I have the money now to pay my medical debts but as all the debts are now "in collections" how do I go about paying to the OC? I've read WhyChat's thread, lots of info to digest. I must be dense because I don't understand disputing with first the CRA's, then the CA's. I know I owe the money and I want to pay but only if the OC is getting the $$$ and not a bottom feeder.

Generally speaking, I can figure things out but this medical collections ... I can't seem to get my brain around it. I need a little hand holding to get me on my way, please. Everybody has a story and here's mine - my son and I both were ill last year and as a result I incurred several thousand dollars in medical bills, even after insurance. I was able to establish payment programs with some of the care providers,. Others, not so lucky. Below is what remains. 1.) Helvey and Associates, Inc - This started as a bill from a surgeon. I tried to work out a payment plan with the surgeon but they wanted more per month than I could afford. Helvey and Associates, Inc state they are a debt collector and want payment in full now. 2.) Diamond and Diamond, Attorneys At law - This started as a bill for lab/x-ray services. Again, could not work out an acceptable payment plan with original provider. They claim to be debt collectors, want me to call now, pay in full now, and may sue me. 3.) Local hospital - Wrote off a large portion of the remaining bill as charity but again, want the remaining balance paid at a rate of more than I can afford per month. Claim to be sending me to collections now. 4.) Local Specialist - I have been sending letters since August stating that they need to file this with insurance and they are not responding or filing. 5.) Another Lab/X-Ray provider - Again, wanted more per month than I could afford, would agree to nothing less and stated they are sending me to an outside collection agency. I have never taken issue with paying a provider what I owe. But the above have considered their accounts only. Unlike the ones I was able to make arrangements with, they didn't want to hear that I only had X amount of dollars to be divided between everybody. They wanted that amount all for themselves. Also, I haven't looked at my credit report. I probably should care what it looks like but for right now it doesn't really matter to me. So please, point me in the right direction(s). Thanks!!!

*Sorry if this is in the wrong spot* I've been ill and have accumulated many medical bills. I've called the providers - doctor, labs, x-rays, hosp., etc - to work out payment arrangements. I have offered to each what I can comfortably pay each month. Every provider has said no. They each want more per month. If I don't pay what they have determined I can comfortably afford then they are turning me over to CA. In essence, "A" has determined I should give my entire budget to them and forget about paying "B", "C", "D", etc. Any resources? Ideas? Suggestions? I want to pay my bills but I can't pay what they want.

I appreciate the help. Thank-you! I'll try to answer some of the questions. How much debt? I wasn't able to pay even the min. so I was assessed a late fee every month. My avail. credit was lowered to below my already existing balance which then resulted in over the limit fees every month. Added to that, my interest rate went up. Prior to all of that, I'd estimate just under 15K. More than what I would have liked but we were making really good progress with my husband's previous income. Have they been charged off? As I understand a charge-off, no they have not been charged off. I can't help but feel like a deadbeat. These are my bills and I accept they need to be paid but right now that just can't happen. It's very depressing. I talked to the medical billing places and 2 are very generous, they said I could pay when I can and they are not worried. My cancer doctor only allows payments to be spread out over 6 months time. So they were a no go on accepting a smaller amount each month. There are 2 others that I had no luck with either. I am keeping 1 credit card, my Discover. They have always been very courteous to me, I can call in a payment and they don't charge me a fee, etc. Very nice, at least to me, to work with. I am moving my child support payments to an account that is in my son's name with me as the custodian. My sister talked to an attorney and he assured her that that accoutn could not be frozen / taken / have a lien put on it. I'm hoping that's right. Fed-Ex left me a letter today from FIA Card Services, a form letter. It states that I need to contact them by March 27 before 1 PM and make a qualifiying payment of they will write the account off "as a bad debt." If I don't then they will place it with further collection by FIA or sold to a 3rd party. That 3rd party will continue to collect via calls, letters and legal action. My relationship with FIA will be terminated and until 2016 potential employers, mortgage co., car dealership or creditor will see this bad debt. Basically, that's what the other card companies are also writing. Now, I will go look at that spreadsheet! Thanks!!

Our family was going along just fine until last year when: A:) My husband's employer gave the choice of employees quitting or taking a paycut. Given the economy, we decided that a paycut was better than no job. That paycut worked out to a 40% loss in income. Ouch. Even with the paycut he makes more than if he went elsewhere because he has 20 years in. B:) I was diagnosed with cancer. The doctor feels that we caught it in time but it left us with huge medical bills. C:) Our oldest son took ill and his monthly medical expenses are $230.00 out of pocket. D:) I lost my babysitting job. The children I was watching, their mom lost her job. I can't work outside the home due to our oldest son's issues. That brings us to where we are - not able to pay some of our credit card bills. We've enough to keep the roof over our heads, pay on 1 of the cards, make monthly payments on the medicals, food, gas, utilities and the like. We do not have any magazine or newspaper subscriptions, no cell phones, no cable or satellite services or the like. McDonald's once a week has become a treat. I am now, as the cards are in my name only, getting letters from the CC companies all with varying verbage: *We might write you off but you will still owe us. *We might send you to a debt collection agency. *We might sue you. *We might sell your account to a 3rd party. And of course they call daily. There is just no money to give them. Legally, what can they do to me? I have no assets. Our home, vehicles and checking account are in my husband's name only. I have a checking account that child support goes into. Can that money be frozen / taken? I would appreciate any advice given, even if it just some articles to read, what others have done in similiar circumstances, etc. Thanks in advance!