Can I talk to the hospital now that my bill is in collections?

@Remy
Just the waiting room. I never got a bed.

Skylar said:
@Remy
Just the waiting room. I never got a bed.

They gave me a wristband and checked me in, but that shouldn’t cost $3,000.

Skylar said:
@Remy
Just the waiting room. I never got a bed.

You should find out what they’re charging you for. If you never left the waiting room, it sounds shady.

If the debt was sold, maybe talk to a lawyer. Some handle these cases cheaply and can help you get it dropped.

Parker said:
If the debt was sold, maybe talk to a lawyer. Some handle these cases cheaply and can help you get it dropped.

How much does a lawyer charge? What’s pmts?

Parker said:
If the debt was sold, maybe talk to a lawyer. Some handle these cases cheaply and can help you get it dropped.

What exactly would a lawyer help with here? If the debt was sold, the first step is to ask for validation.

@Sawyer
If the debt buyer doesn’t have the right paperwork, they can’t enforce the debt. A lawyer can help figure that out and possibly get it dropped.

@Sawyer
That’s only relevant if the case goes to court. Right now, the OP should just ask for an itemized bill and look into the details.

Ask for an itemized bill. Sometimes it cuts the charges down a lot.

You can dispute it if they can’t provide proof of services. HIPAA laws make it hard for them to share those records.

Ellis said:
You can dispute it if they can’t provide proof of services. HIPAA laws make it hard for them to share those records.

That’s not accurate. HIPAA allows collection agencies to access necessary records to collect debts. You might want to double-check your info.

Ellis said:
You can dispute it if they can’t provide proof of services. HIPAA laws make it hard for them to share those records.

HIPAA doesn’t block medical debt from being sent to collections. That rule was changed years ago.

@Sawyer
I didn’t know that. Thanks for clarifying.

Ellis said:
@Sawyer
I didn’t know that. Thanks for clarifying.

No problem. Congrats if you got a debt removed before, though!