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Medical Collections Could Fester if You Ignore Them
By Kari Johnson on January 11, 2011

wound-(1).jpgMedical debt is sometimes treated differently than other debt.  It does however still fall under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.  Thus, medical collections have to follow the same rules as other debt collections.

Whether or not you have medical insurance, medical bills are ultimately your responsibility.  Sometimes medical collection calls begin because there was a communication break between the medical providers and the insurance providers.
If your medical bills go unpaid, the medical provider will, of course, attempt to collect the money they are owed.  While the medical collections process will vary some depending on the provider, most tend to follow the same pattern of procedures.  Most medical providers have their own collections department to avoid using external debt collectors.  With the internal collections department, they may send letters or e-mails.  They may call.  Depending on the situation, they may even be able to have face-to-face talks in the office.  Usually after six to twelve months of this, the medical provider will outsource their debt collections.  External debt collectors may use the same methods, but they are generally more aggressive than their internal counterparts. 

When receiving collection calls, you can try to negotiate some payment plan.  Some try to say that they will not accept partial payments, but you should try to pay something each month, though not more than you can afford, as a sign of good faith.  Doing this will help your case if the company decides to pursue legal action later.

After you have had problems with medical debt collections, you may be concerned about your credit score, but unpaid medical bills only appear on your credit report if your medical provider reports to one of the three credit reporting agencies.  In this instance, it can mess up your credit score pretty badly, although medical collections are sometimes looked at differently when applying for a mortgage.

Sometimes it’s impossible to get an unpaid debt erased from your credit report, but sometimes there are ways to do so.  These methods generally involve sending a written request to the medical providers to erase the debt.
While medical collections are sometimes treated differently than that of other debts, they should still be taken seriously.  Preemptive measures are generally the best method of dealing with them: check with your insurance and medical providers to be sure your bills are getting paid.
Note: Some services claim that medical bill consolidation can relieve you of your debt problems. You should be wary of such claims, since there are numerous negative consequences that can result from moving your medical debt around.
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