I went to the same doctor four times last year, and they never asked for payment or sent me a bill. I had just started a new job and assumed my insurance covered everything. Then two weeks ago, I came home to a letter from the county saying they were trying to serve me. I was confused because I pay all my bills on time, and my credit is decent. Turns out, it’s for those doctor visits.
I don’t mind paying for the visits, but now I’m looking at extra lawyer fees just to be sued. I called them and offered to make payments, but they said they have to check with the lawyer first. I haven’t followed up because I’d rather just pay it off and move on.
But now I’m curious… what would actually happen if I just never responded and never paid?
Quincy said: @Poe
If that’s the case, what stops someone from just closing their account and opening a new one somewhere else?
Bank levies require a court order, and they cost money to enforce, so not every collector will go that route. But if they do, they can track new accounts and send another court order to the new bank.
@Poe
Nothing stops them from switching banks, but technically hiding assets to avoid a debt can be illegal. Most people don’t get in trouble for it, but if a debt collector is persistent, they can track where your money goes.
Did you check your insurance records to see if they even billed your insurance? Or looked at your Explanation of Benefits (EOB) to confirm if you actually owe anything? Sometimes EOBs state that the patient doesn’t owe anything beyond what the insurance covered.
My wife had surgery, and every doctor was paid except one. That office claimed they didn’t have our insurance info (even though the hospital did). We gave it to them, but next month they sent another bill. We called again, and they said our insurance denied it. We checked with our insurance, and they said no claim had ever been filed.
A month later, we got a debt collection letter. We called again, and they still claimed they didn’t have our insurance info—even though we had given it to them three times already. Turns out the billing company never submitted any claims, and the hospital eventually fired them because they were doing this to tons of patients.
Moral of the story—always demand proof before you pay a medical debt. Don’t just take their word for it.