$295??? They're kidding right?

[Camelot Farms]

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If you'd explain that to my mother's creditors, I'd appreciate it. Medical debt is still the leading cause of bankruptcy, if it was as easy as paying $1 a month do you really think that would be the case?

Yes I know that as the case, again I worked for a university, a hospital. Not every medical professional or group is the same but they all know it is better to get something than nothing. And throwing it in credit land equals getting nothing or half of next to nothing.

In some states, creditors (particularly medical creditors) cannot even get a case into court as long as the person is paying something on a regular basis. Last year we had over 10,000 in uncovered med expenses. I make sure to pay each one of the 50 some providers 10$ a month and I havent been dragged into court yet.

I did have one tell me that the minimum that they could accept was 25$ so they get that and everyone else still gets their 10$.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

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Uh, the underlying condition is that I'm pregnant!

Yea I got that Robin, but what is the reason for the Dr to prescribe RX vitamins, taking the wrong quantity of any vitamin can be dangerous during pregnancy. Some doctors are unaware of the high iron content in the water in NC. Should you be on Iron laden vitamins you could be endangering the health of yourself and your baby and be subject to long term damage to the intestinal tract. Vitamins in script dosages should only be prescribed after rigorous blood testing for deficiencies. Even OTC vitamins should be taken with precaution, and with advice.

For the record I wasn't laughing at you, I didn't know if you read my signature line (some people have those turned off) so it just struck me as funny.

I don't know, WW, I've always taken prenatal vits with my pregnancies and while nursing... never questioned it. I know pregnant women need extra iron and even though I was drinking well water with my first pregnancy, I became anemic and had to take an iron supplement in addition to my vitamins. The vitamins I'm on this time are called "Duet DHA" and are two part - one is the vitamin and the other is an omega 3 fatty acid DHA & EPA fish oil capsule. Maybe it's the brand that is so expensive, but the baby's health is worth much more than any amount of $$ to me, so if these help with that, then

 

[cmjust0]

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If you'd explain that to my mother's creditors, I'd appreciate it. Medical debt is still the leading cause of bankruptcy, if it was as easy as paying $1 a month do you really think that would be the case?

We got a call from a collection agency once, looking for contact info on a family member who hadn't paid some bills.. Come to find out, this particularly nasty collection agency -- NCO financial -- is used pretty heavily by the healthcare industry.

For anyone who's interested, collection agencies work like this.. Let's say you owe the hospital $100,000, but they'd have accepted $15,000 from someone with insurance in their "network." Before they write you off, a company like NCO offers them $5,000 for the account. Well, given that they'd have accepted $15,000 from an insurance company, getting $5K is basically a 33% recovery -- not bad.. When you consider that they'll write off the other $95,000 as a business expense and not pay taxes on it, they're probably getting close to being made whole on the deal..

Now, care to guess how much NCO says you owe them? Yep -- $100,000, because that was the amount of debt they purchased at a nickel on the dollar. Anything they collect over $5,000 is basically gravy, so they try to get as much as they possibly can using whatever tactics are necessary.. If they can squeeze $25,000 out of you, super!!

So, yeah... The reality isn't exactly the same as it's being described, where folks who can't pay are simply being "written off," no sweat...like it never happened.

 

[Camelot Farms]

On the Prenatal vitamin issue.... Many docs prescribe them because insured folks can then get them for 3$ or even free whereas over the counter they might be 9-15$

Docs of course want to do anything that they can to make sure everyone who needs pre-natals gets them.

With my first two children it was cheaper to use the prescribed ones but with the last one, I was uninsured for a short time and the doc said 'dont worry about it, just use the OTC store brand.'

Just my experience.

 

[WalkingWolf]

Quote:
If you'd explain that to my mother's creditors, I'd appreciate it. Medical debt is still the leading cause of bankruptcy, if it was as easy as paying $1 a month do you really think that would be the case?

We got a call from a collection agency once, looking for contact info on a family member who hadn't paid some bills.. Come to find out, this particularly nasty collection agency -- NCO financial -- is used pretty heavily by the healthcare industry.

For anyone who's interested, collection agencies work like this.. Let's say you owe the hospital $100,000, but they'd have accepted $15,000 from someone with insurance in their "network." Before they write you off, a company like NCO offers them $5,000 for the account. Well, given that they'd have accepted $15,000 from an insurance company, getting $5K is basically a 33% recovery -- not bad.. When you consider that they'll write off the other $95,000 as a business expense and not pay taxes on it, they're probably getting close to being made whole on the deal..

Now, care to guess how much NCO says you owe them? Yep -- $100,000, because that was the amount of debt they purchased at a nickel on the dollar. Anything they collect over $5,000 is basically gravy, so they try to get as much as they possibly can using whatever tactics are necessary.. If they can squeeze $25,000 out of you, super!!

So, yeah... The reality isn't exactly the same as it's being described, where folks who can't pay are simply being "written off," no sweat...like it never happened.

From what I understand of the federal credit laws there is no buying debt. A collection agency offers to collect a debt for a percentage, if no debt is collected the agency gets no fees. It is unlawful for a collection agency to contact the employer, relative, or any other connection to the debtor outside the debtor themselves. Even collecting on bad checks there are strict regulations that govern the behavior of the collector and the collector can find a nice jail cell by disregarding the rules. I will try to contact NCO and question them on these complaints you have made.

But NO hospital, doctor or group uses a credit agency as long as they are receiving payments. This angers patients and may result in a malicious malpractice suit to get even, and they know this. They are not going to risk $500,000 to get $5,000 out of $100,00.

 

[balticbabe]

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So true. Everyone who sees a MD should read How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman. $1 used at Amazon

I'm a member of a co-op so fortunately I don't have to think about drug costs. Didn't realize prices had gotten so outragious. I used to have insurance where I paid up front then was reimbursed 80% of what was considered reasonable. Once Costco was out of the drug I was taking at the time. Called around and for some reason Safeway was the only store that had the drug in stock. There it was $100 more for a months supply. But I needed it so I paid. That's why there's no price pressure. If you need a drug you need it regardless of the price.

 

[GrayDragon]

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More like they see it as the only option.

But NO hospital, doctor or group uses a credit agency as long as they are receiving payments. This angers patients and may result in a malicious malpractice suit to get even, and they know this. They are not going to risk $500,000 to get $5,000 out of $100,00.

Not only did the doctor sic a credit agency on me while I was paying them, part of what they told the credit agency I owed was an operation that never took place. I wait four months or so, and then it's an all new credit agency billing me for this operation.

I'd love to know where you can find an attorney who will take this case for me, all the ones I've talked to either turn it down because their odds of winning are slim or want such outrageous fees no way I can hire them.​

 

[cmjust0]

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That's not my understanding. My understanding is that they buy debt.

If one company couldn't buy debt from another company, lending companies could never buy one another since they deal in debt. My mortgage was bought by Wells Fargo, though, sooo...

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Not quite.. It's illegal for them to discuss the debtor's financial situation with anyone else, but calling to get other contact or leaving numbers and messages with friends/relatives/employers and so forth is legal -- provided they don't get into the details.. But when the company id's itself as NCO collections and asks if you know such and such...c'mon. Not like you don't know what's up with old such and such.

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That's all well and good, but what better group of people to screw with and commit illegal acts against than those who are in collections? Not likely they've got the cash to fight back, right? Even if you do, it's a he-said/she-said which isn't at all likely to come to a fine, let alone a jail-cell..

I'd encourage you to go look at some of the anecdotal evidence online...there's plenty of it. I think you'll lots of instances where they have, indeed, violated the law by telling peoples' family and friends all about their financial troubles..

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So, how long will a hospital accept $10/mo payments on a $100,000 bill? Indefinitely? I highly doubt that, and besides...what kind of solution is that to the consumer? The longer the debt lingers, the bigger it gets..

The reality is that any company can sell your debt if they're not getting their due. I'd encourage anyone to try the $10/mo thing and see how much time it buys -- why not, right -- but something tells me that arbitrarily putting yourself on an 833-year plan isn't going to be a permanent solution.

If it were..like someone else said..everyone would do it and, theoretically, people wouldn't be losing everything they had to medical bills.

 

[WalkingWolf]

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More like they see it as the only option.

But NO hospital, doctor or group uses a credit agency as long as they are receiving payments. This angers patients and may result in a malicious malpractice suit to get even, and they know this. They are not going to risk $500,000 to get $5,000 out of $100,00.

Not only did the doctor sic a credit agency on me while I was paying them, part of what they told the credit agency I owed was an operation that never took place. I wait four months or so, and then it's an all new credit agency billing me for this operation.

I'd love to know where you can find an attorney who will take this case for me, all the ones I've talked to either turn it down because their odds of winning are slim or want such outrageous fees no way I can hire them.​

The first thing to do is contact your attorney general if you feel the hospital has done a misdeed. You are clearly talking of a personal issue that affects you and is not indicative of hospitals as a whole. I believe in another thread a lady talks of a unjust arrest made by government, so is government making unjust arrests on all citizens or is this a isolated case?

I do not know what is going on in your case and even if you tell us that is only one half of the story. Paul Harvey had a signature line "And now you know… the rest of the story."

 

[WalkingWolf]

If one company couldn't buy debt from another company, lending companies could never buy one another since they deal in debt. My mortgage was bought by Wells Fargo, though, sooo...

Buying loan contracts and buying debt are two different things. There are laws against selling debt in anti organized crime laws. Collection agencies are just that, collection agencies, I have arrested agents of one of these agencies for harassment and looked at records and worked with the states attorney on prosecution. Buying debt is against the law.

The reality is that any company can sell your debt if they're not getting their due. I'd encourage anyone to try the $10/mo thing and see how much time it buys -- why not, right -- but something tells me that arbitrarily putting yourself on an 833-year plan isn't going to be a permanent solution

Now you just read a poster stating exactly that, do you doubt that poster?​