Debt collector/credit issue?

ok: at the end of july i had an emerency room visit, no tests were run or anything. i didnt have an insurance card at the time (%26amp;couldnt get my ins. number bc of timing). so they billed me in august %26amp; in september i gave them the insurance info when i recieved my second, now overdue, bill. then my third bill came in oct. but heres the deal, it has a different amount on it under previously owed balance. so i paid that by the date it said it had to pay by %26amp; the check was cashed. (2nd bill, which i still have says that i owe 206, 3rd said 190, minus the insurance 171). ok now i just got a letter from a debt agency saying that i owe $227.

now all the bills lack a description of what the service is for (i DID loose the first bill tho). but the account numbers and date of service matches perfectly. there is only one difference (1st bill %26quot;sb: 20108,%26quot; 2nd bill %26quot;sb: 20100%26quot;?). i think the doc is affiliated with the hospital too, its catholic. how will this affect my credit score? help! advice?

Debt collector/credit issue?

This will not affect your credit score, however, you will still need to pay whatever is left over after insurance is paid, if the provider insists on billing you the balance of what insurance paid.

You should check with the hospital to see if they applied a discount based on the agreement they have with the insurer.

If they gave a discount, then see if they%26#039;ll take payments over time and you%26#039;ll start to make a good faith effort to pay it off.

If they did NOT give a discount to the insurer, then you should ask if they%26#039;d be willing to take 30% off the bill in exchange for you paying it all within 30 days.

Hospitals will many times accept far less than the actual full bill if they can be sure they%26#039;ll get the money quickly.

Debt collector/credit issue?

It%26#039;s not on your credit yet, and it%26#039;s best to keep it that way. First things first: immediately send the collection agency a validation letter (your rights under the FCRA). You need to make sure of the exact debt; this will force them to get a copy of the original and send it to you. If you lost the original, no problem. The burden is on THEM to prove the debt is yours. If they can, work out a settlement with them. If they can%26#039;t, they can%26#039;t put it on your credit and must desist from collecting.

Simply write: %26quot;Please provide validation that I owe this debt. Include copies of the original as I am sure I paid this in full%26quot;. Send a copy to the BBB. They will most certainly answer or leave you alone.

Debt collector/credit issue?

I would call and tell them you would like an itemize statement, and go from there. Yes it can effect your credit if it goes into collection

Debt collector/credit issue?

First and foremost, you should contact the hospital, the insurance company as well as the debt collection agency and get a statement to show how much has been paid.

Then you can verify what the correct balance you owe.

Your score may not be effected because it depends if the hospital reports any overdue balances to the credit bureaus.

Also your credit report may not reflect medical bills. To be sure, you should contact all three and request one. Some states allow you to request a free report on an annual basis.

Just a word of advice, let the debt collection agency know that you want to create a payment plan to ensure you that you stay on track and not miss any payments.

Hope this info helps you.

God Bless.....