Our baby was forced to medical examination we never asked for, and got a huge bill

[adlo]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hospital_Uninsured_Patient_Discount_Act_(Illinois) according to this we are poor enough to get a decent discount Will examine this further.

 

[LdiJ]

Does that really happen? I thought cross-border law enforcement was pretty difficult and required consent and cooperation of government agencies on both sides. I mean, you cannot just send policemen to another country and have them chase people. Not mentioning private debt collectors. Or am I wrong?

I am not suggesting that any criminal charges would be involved or that the police would be involved. However, a private debt collector in the US could hire or sell the debt to a private debt collector in your country. That did not used to happen, but it has been happening more often now than some years ago. Particularly if the US private debt collector was willing to sell the debt for pennies on the dollar. That could make it an attractive proposition to a private debt collector in your country, as they could invest very little in the hopes of collecting the entire debt.

Debt is not a criminal issue at all in the US, so all debt collectors are private.

 

[LdiJ]

Yes, social services, I am sorry. Their argument was that they could not release the baby without parents being present. Grandma and ucle were not enough.

So they were willing to see and treat the baby without the parents being present, but would not release the baby without the parents being present? That sounds a bit unethical to me. I have taken my grandchildren to the hospital without their parents being present and no hospital has ever refused to release them to me.

 

[quincy]

The debt collection laws of adlo's country would apply to any debt collection efforts pursued outside the US.

 

[LdiJ]

The debt collection laws of adlo's country would apply to any debt collection efforts pursued outside the US.

Of course. No one has suggested otherwise.

 

[Just Blue]

So they were willing to see and treat the baby without the parents being present, but would not release the baby without the parents being present? That sounds a bit unethical to me. I have taken my grandchildren to the hospital without their parents being present and no hospital has ever refused to release them to me.

No. It doesn't sound "unethical" at all. Child's brought in presumably ill/injured. They treat the child ...but it's necessary for the ER to make sure that the child goes to her parent or legal guardian. Sound reasonably cautious.

 

[quincy]

Of course. No one has suggested otherwise.

Collection of a US medical debt under $6000 is unlikely to be pursued in Europe.

 

[LdiJ]

Collection of a US medical debt under $6000 is unlikely to be pursued in Europe.

Ten years ago I would have agreed with you. I am unwilling to speculate on amounts anymore. The collection agency industry has gotten a lot more global and things happen that I never would have dreamed even just a few years past.

 

[quincy]

Ten years ago I would have agreed with you. I am unwilling to speculate on amounts anymore. The collection agency industry has gotten a lot more global and things happen that I never would have dreamed even just a few years past.

Possibly. For a small medical debt, it would be unlikely.

 

[LdiJ]

Possibly. For a small medical debt, it would be unlikely.

I think that its irresponsible for you to tell the OP that. You cannot possibly know what would or wouldn't be likely. I would have liked to tell the OP the same thing.

18 years ago my ex's niece had an appendectomy here in the US while the family was visiting from Italy. They had actually purchased the travel health insurance so it should have been covered, but the hospital bureaucracy just couldn't handle what they had to do to make the claim so they fouled it all up and never got paid. The hospital never pursued it beyond harassing me a bit until I told them to pound sand. I would have loved to advise the OP about that.

Unfortunately, there have been some posters on various legal forums AND people in the real world who have been pursued internationally for debts both big and small. Therefore its no longer possible or responsible to make that kind of statement.

 

[quincy]

I think that its irresponsible for you to tell the OP that. You cannot possibly know what would or wouldn't be likely. I would have liked to tell the OP the same thing.

18 years ago my ex's niece had an appendectomy here in the US while the family was visiting from Italy. They had actually purchased the travel health insurance so it should have been covered, but the hospital bureaucracy just couldn't handle what they had to do to make the claim so they fouled it all up and never got paid. The hospital never pursued it beyond harassing me a bit until I told them to pound sand. I would have loved to advise the OP about that.

Unfortunately, there have been some posters on various legal forums AND people in the real world who have been pursued internationally for debts both big and small. Therefore its no longer possible or responsible to make that kind of statement.

I wanted to see what personal experience you had to support what you said. You never disappoint.

 

[Just Blue]

I wanted to see what personal experience you had to support what you said. You never disappoint.

She always has a goldfish to pull out of her back pocket.

 

[LdiJ]

I wanted to see what personal experience you had to support what you said. You never disappoint.

My personal experience is was not very relevant. It was merely to point out to you that your opinion might be outdated. The critical portion of my response was that the global collection industry has changed a great deal.

However, you never disappoint either. You never can accept that your opinion might be outdated.

 

[quincy]

My personal experience is was not very relevant. It was merely to point out to you that your opinion might be outdated. The critical portion of my response was that the global collection industry has changed a great deal.

However, you never disappoint either. You never can accept that your opinion might be outdated.

My information is not outdated at all.

Many companies have international operations and, for this reason, it can be hard to escape some types of debts, regardless of where the debt is incurred.

However, medical debts do not fall into this category.

 

[Just Blue]

My personal experience is was not very relevant. It was merely to point out to you that your opinion might be outdated. The critical portion of my response was that the global collection industry has changed a great deal.

However, you never disappoint either. You never can accept that your opinion might be outdated.

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Stop it!! Your killing me...