Good evening all. One of my first threads after discovering the GD section, if not THE first thread I made in here, was a thread discussing how I got treated for rabies and was hit with an astronomical bill by the hospital. Since that was around September of last year I will just cliff note what transpired, and where things are at now.

-September or so of 2022 I am bit by dog.
-Unware of status of dog or owner
-For my well being I elect to get rabies vaccines
-Only place I am aware of who administers rabies treatment is hosptail
-Go to ER day after bite occurred
-I did not have health insurance
-Doctor administers rabies immunoglobulin around bite area
-Nurse administers rabies shot and tetanus shot
-Process takes about 45 minutes (Wait in ER room was probably 3 hours)
-Over course of next few weeks I am given 3 additional shots by nurses via outpatient center in different part of hospital (takes about 20 minutes per visit)
-Month or so after all of this, bill arives in the amount of 1000 and some change, they reduce it to 900 and change since I paid in full via credit card
-Several months later out of the blue I am floored when a second bill arrives, totaling $34,000
- I immediately contact billing department, talk to employee, they tell me all they can do is offer me monthly payments of $1200 per month
-I ask about settling for a lump sum, she gives me fax number, I fax over an offer
-Hospital never replies regarding offer
-I contact billing department, ask them for itemized bill, and later ask them to audit bills to confirm amounts
-I inform billing department that average cost for this treatment is $3000-$7000 , why TF are they charging me so much
-Second bill eventually arrives, for additional $10,000
-Billing department says bill is correct, "thats how much they charge."
-I file complaint with Illinois Surgeon General Office
-I create thread in GD asking for help
-Overwhelming number of members here advise not paying them a cent, they cannot collect on anything, I am being ripped off, etc.
-3 months go by and I hear nothing from hospital , or Surgeon General Office
-Get random email from woman at hospital stating she wanted to discuss settling my accounts last week (3/23)
-I call and talk to her, they would accept $25,0000 to settle my $43,000 in debt
-I explain to lady average cost for this treatment is $3000-$7000, and ill " think about it."
-Today (3/21/2023) I receive a random unmarked letter, inside is a letter from a debt collection agency, claiming my balance is $49,000 , but I owe them $34,000

So that is where I am currently at. It is my understanding, based on the good people of this forum, as well as a friend, that they cannot do anything to steal my money or take the house I am a co-signee on. It is also my understanding that per Illinois law, it is no longer legal to damage a persons credit if they have medical debt.

With all of that said, what say you?
-

Tell them to suck your balls

That’s fucked up

If it were me, I would probably contact a lawyer and get an official word/opinion from a someone practicing in this sort of thing.  Not necessarily to take any action, but to have the advice from someone other than randos on the internet.  Yes, it might cost some money for a 30 minute consultation or whatever, but it can't be that expensive and it would make me feel a lot more confident about the direction I am to take.

Who knows, maybe a simple letter sent from a law firm to the collections will be all it takes to make it go away.

OP: Side note, now that you have been sent to collections, don't bother trying to talk to the hospital anymore.  They have sold what they think is your debt.  It's no longer theirs and they no longer care.  The only people who will speak with you about it now is the debt collector.

Im liking what I am seeing so far

That’s insane. Send them dick pics and maybe a sweaty ball pic for sending it to collections.

No useful suggestions.

My first thought is to pay up, get a lawyer, or enjoy a 580 fico for the next 8 years, but I don't know.

I've been through the ER ringer.

Unless I'm literally dying or bleeding out,  I'll wait to contact my PCP on monday....

Find the owner of that fucking pit bull and skull fuck him.

Send the collection agency this template filled out via certified signature required USPS. You have 30 days to get this done. They will send back validation paper work, review it, do research, then mail them back an offer again via certified mail (only if you want to make an offer). ONLY CONDUCT BUSINESS VIA CERTIFIED MAIL. In that template is a CND against calling you, if they call you after they receive the CND you WILL sue them (I have used Lemberg Law). You will win the lawsuit and get a free 5-750 bucks, they sell the debt to the next guy and you will rinse and repeat until they are willing to settle for a reasonable amount.

Forgot to mention, if the collector does not mail validation within 30 days from your letter being delivered then they can not report it on your credit and makes it harder to collect.

Source: I have sued a debt collector successfully and I work in debt collections

https://eforms.com/images/2018/02/Debt-Validation-Letter.pdf

Do you have health insurance? If so, was this not covered by insurance? What’s your out of pocket maximum?

I would have had no issue paying a reasonable amount. Based on this whole debacle, the hosptial could charge someone 200k for giving them an aspirin then drag them through all of the bullshit hoping you fold and just pay them. This is absurd.

What does your attorney suggest?

Contact a TV station for a segment on the news

This is also a wonderful idea, debt collectors HATE the media

I will save this form and think on it.

If illinois law states that medical debt cant affect credit then what all can they do otherwise?

No health insurance at the time

I dont have an attorney

There’s your problem

I only know Texas law, sorry.

Medical debt is tricky, IF IL has a law saying they can’t report then they MIGHT sue but it’s medical debt so that’s more difficult to sue. If they won’t sue and can’t report then they will give you nasty phone calls (this is why you need a CND in place ASAP, then if they call you can SUE AND WIN). So expect nasty phone calls and letters, you can stop the phone calls easily but the mail will keep coming. The mail won’t be nasty because it’s in writing. GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING, SEND EVERYTHING VIA USPS CERTIFIED SIGNATURE REQUIRED MAIL.

(This is not legal advice I am not a lawyer)

If they sold your debt to the collection agency, it’s too late to pay the hospital

This is true

All good. Thank you for the advice and your professional input.

How much did you end up paying? What was the process like?

Bingo.
Been there done that.

Anytime, I’m always here to help OP.

Hospital billing is nuts.

Trump wanted transparency in billing…….but dems tosses out EVERYTHING DJT touched.

@BabaYaga22
This looks like solid advice from someone in the know.
Please tell me it's not just typical GD tripe.
I'm book marking for future reference.

Also do not use the card except in person on a machine. There are cases of debt collectors billing your card more than once. Also Clark Howard .com has a drop dead letter for debt collectors. Do not ignore papers if you are sued. Friend of mine did and ended up with a debt that was not his. Same name he had to pay

Wow just read a lot of rabies shot horror stories.

Some folks paid $90k or more.

I have no advice, but that's insane.  

Sorry you have to deal with this.

Yep. Oh you cant pay us 40k? Well we can hook you up with a payment plan, a modest 1200 a month payment plan for 3 years. Oh gee thanks

Everyone in the billing department acts bewildered that youre in this pickle, and they have never had someone call and tell them they cant afford the bill.

It’s all facts, I have used the attached template successfully before. Please bookmark, being in collections is a normal life thing to experience. My goal here to to demystify it and give everyone some basic advice and options.

@SquatchAv8

I have been through it once.  Long story short it was a mix up of insurance and mail, I ended up getting a call for a bill I didn't know I owed.  I ended up verifying that I did in fact owe the medical bill and payed collections in full.  The calls stopped and my credit never changed.

In addition to the above advice I will share a thing that I learned.  Be careful about "settlement" offers that are less than the full amount.  If you decide to pay, keep in mind that if you pay less than the full amount in an agreed settlement, it will be closed out and done with that collection agency.  There is nothing stopping that collection agency for then selling the remaining debt to a new collection agency, whom can then start the process over for the remaining amount.

I am not saying that that will happen, I am saying be aware that it can.

Yep the whole situation is a cluster fuk. Essentially the hospital will let you walk in, run up an enormous bill, not divulge any pricing, then slap you with the bill. Then everyones responses is  too bad, so bad while you sit there with your head spinning trying to fathom how you just ruined yourself financially.

Get yourself some protection for your health.

I have had Liberty Share for several years.  Coverage for my wife and myself is about $600/month.  They do not cover routine doctor visits, but they help out with hospitalizations.  Over the years, I have been hospitalized for a heart attack and a stroke and they took care of everything.  They are a faith based company but are nondenominational.  They will require you to declare that you believe in God.  

If you are a person of faith, I would highly recommend this company.

Do you need good credit in the next few years? If not fuck that.

They can't take your shit but they can sue you, get a judgement then place a lien on your house and pursue other assets.

Thank you sir

And, the guy next to you, is likely welfare scum whose treatment is being paid for by your tax dollars.  It is truly a fucked up system.

I have United Health now. It was a stupid incident. My insurance lapsed and this occurred during that window of time when I wasnt insured.

Thank you and you are correct, insurance is clearly a must.

What is the time frame for something like this?

Correct. You want some screwed up advice? If you ever go to the ER, give them fake information. I have customers who did this. Guy was a gang banger in chicago when he was a teen, got shot in leg, went to hospital and gave them fake info...... never paid a cent.

This can happen, what OP would need is a “settle in full” letter. Once the debt has been “settled in full” it’s done. There is not selling “the left overs” to the next guy. This is why OP needs to conduct all business via certified signature required usps mail. He needs to avoid doing any long term settlement plans because the collector will sell that debt half way through the plan, it’s almost guaranteed. He will then have to renegotiate with the other company and start all over again. OP needs to focus on a lump sum one time settle in full payment and get a “settle in full” letter stating he is no longer bound to this debt any more.

Collection agency can do that?  OP didn’t do business with them

Usually years, lawyers cost money. IF they decide to sue then you would need a lawyer asap. A lot of times the judgment is less then what the collector would have gotten if they would have played ball with the OP.

The price you're quoting is likely for the drug alone. That doesn't count the labor costs, overhead and other supplies. The debt collection likely bought that debt for pennies on the dollar and the longer it goes they will likely be willing to accept less. Why not offer to settle for $10,000? Did you not qualify for Medicaid since you didn't have health insurance?

Yes they can, but for medical debt it’s unlikely.

Now credit card debt over 10k? Ya they will sue

Could just tell a local TV station your story and start a go fund me.

If it goes viral might be able to get it paid.

1k people donate $40 and bam bill paid.

Might even post it here.