Help please

[Katyai]

What is the name of your state? South Dakota

Hi! I hope someone can give me a little advice. I had a surgery at a hospital here in SD several years ago... I have been paying this hospital ever since. Every single month I have made my payments, given them my address and name changes. Then suddenly last month they started sending threatening letters, and sent the rest of the bill to a collections agency! I am SO upset... I was paying my payments... The collections agency is insiting on all $1000.00 that's left on the account, and I dont have it. I can't pay that all at once... this surgery has been almost $10,000 in all, and I have paid all but $200 to the surgeon, and the $1000 left to the hospital.
I am VERY upset... my credit is alredy reuined from my husbands banctrupcy and my divorce... I can't take one more black mark on my credit.. or deal with the stress. My name is already worthless on paper.
I have a friend who is insisting that this is illegal since I was making my payments... but I can't find anyone to agree with her. I live on a very tight burget, I can't afford legal bills either....
Anyone have any thought or idea's??
PS the hospital is being very nasty to me... they are becoming almost impossible to talk too...

Thank you

 

[Ladynred]

Unfortunately, your friend is wrong. What the hospital is doing is not illegal at all. In fact, I'm surprised they let you make payments for this long a period w/o going to collections. Hospitals don't normally wait much longer than 3-6 months to get paid in full.

Sounds like maybe they've had a change in accounting or administration who wants things off the books. Is it the HOSPITAL people being nasty, or the collection agency. My money is on the CA being nasty. Somebody likely thinks that since the account is down to $1000 that you're probably hoarding money and can pay them all at once if they turn the screws.

If your credit report is already a mess with a bankruptcy and divorce, then this one thing likely isn't going to make that much of a difference.

Try to go directly thru the hospital rather than their collection agency. Perhaps you can find out why, since you've been making payments and making good on the bill, that they've suddenly gone in this direction. Write a letter. Explain that you fully intend to finish paying the bill but simply cannot afford the full amount, but CAN keep making the payments they've been accepting all along.