hey Any Forums, im a duel citizen (american/canadian) living in canada. About 3 months ago I got a bill in the mail from the US hospital I had to visit to get my PCR test for my drive back to Canada. Fast forward to now, and they've sent it 2 more times with the last one stating that my "account is now delinquent". I've looked around online and I keep seeing things about debt collection and im not going to lie, but im pretty worried. Ive got about half the amount they're asking for in my bank account already as of right now (after currency conversion). I'm 19 and just got a job and I could have the rest of the money by next month.
Any debtors here have any advice about how I should proceed?
If you can't pay it, don't worry about it; you'll just never receive care from them again. It'll be turned over to a collection agency, you'll take a hit to your credit score, and you'll receive a monthly letter in the mail as well as almost daily phone calls from the collection agency. After like seven years it drops off your credit history/score, and the collection agency sells the debt to another agency for much less than it's worth, and they in turn sell it off once they realize you're not giving a fuck. How much is it for?
dont ignore that shit, get in touch with them and let them know you want to pay them. Selling your debt to a collections agency gets them pennies on the dollar, theyd rather have the full amount. And if they dont, then fuck them dodge the collection agency for awhile until youve got the cash.
Ryan Brown
what will happen is they will try to get you to pay it and then sell the debt to some scum who will try to scare you and harass you into paying it I wouldn't worry about it at all if you live in Canada like you have indicated Not bad to pay it back eventually when you have the money but these fucks will try to scare you and get you to pay by any means
Hunter Cox
It might not sound like much but its almost 4 grand USD, and I just graduated high school last year, I dont know anything about this kind of stuff.
David Barnes
Trudeau will freeze your bank account and the RCMP will come to visit.
Ryder Allen
luckily i'm a neet and dont leave my house other than to go to my job
Austin Sanders
Yeah what is it like 200 bucks? Ignore It, goes away. We essentially have our own version of free healthcare, the company, hospital, etc, sends the bill off to a collection agency that gives them anywhere between 25 to 100% of what your bill was and then tries to get you to pay, calls you etc. you just ignore it for a few years and eventually they give up and it all goes away/ gets absorbed by the man.
Aaron Miller
It'll go away in 7 years. I got screwed with a lemon used car in the US and moved to Canada leaving the junk car that got towed after I stopped paying it. Somehow I had a good credit score 9 years later.
Wyatt Wright
I mean, you'll fuck yourself over as far as getting any decent credit cards/loans, but they won't garnish your paychecks or shit like that for $4k (no matter what the lowlife call center agent wearing Walmart dress clothing and who drives the clapped out Infiniti g35 tells you over the phone as a scare tactic). You could try applying for a decent credit card now, before the medical debt goes into collection, then pay the debt using the card and then pay off the card. Or just wait until you have the funds and pay off the bill.
Matthew Turner
If it was only that, i would be able to pay it no problem
Luis Harris
Get in touch with the hospital. They will gladly settle for a fraction of it. First refute paying for it saying u needed to go home and it was an emergency. Ur 19 yrs old and dint agree to paying this absurd amount for a few dollar pcr test. Say u wont pay it but are willing to compramise... i had broken my ankle at a club in manhatten, the doctor who did my surgury dint take my type of insurance but never told me. He tried to hit me with some $15,000 bullshit untill i threatened to lawyer up and stated the fact i never asked for him to do it specifically and had i known i would have gotten someone mt insurance would cover. I ended up paying around $1000 instead of 15k... the doctor later killed himself 5 years later by stabbing himself in the chest in his manhatten home.. look it up, arthopedic surgeon dean lorich suicide.
Anthony Morris
To be honest, I wouldn't make enough even if I worked full-time at minimum wage for the next 3-4 years to even consider moving out of my moms house, let alone finding an apartment in the city or FUCKING ANYWHERE that isnt 2000 CAD a month
Angel King
Im not sure what the difference is between the american and canadian collectors, if it helps, I switched my phone number and plan not to long ago so they may now have an outdated number on file
Christopher Davis
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Easton Martin
So basically this: except they will never withhold care it's not a thing...
It'll definitely go to collections and your credit report which will affect things like your auto insurance, financing (think mortgage/vehicle), etc.
Some collection agencies will just send a letter others will hound you nonstop usually you'll get a "settlement" letter where you pay ~50% of the actual total to "settle" the debt (this does not remove it from your credit report but it definitely hurt it a lot less) and like other poster said it'll fall off completely in 7 years regardless.
Jack Richardson
OP you still here? I can’t read the entire thread to check. But most hospitals can put you on a payment plan to help you out by paying it a little bit at a time. They aren’t scum, like most people think, but it is a business after all(even though they rape harder than most, they do save lives). Don’t worry too much. Call them up and ask to be put on a payment plan. They will be more than willing to work with you.
Lucas Morris
Hi, yes still here, so my account is already flagged for not paying as its been 3 months so I don't see a need for a plan. I can still pay it eventually, just need an extra month.
Jordan Nelson
call them up, don’t leave them waiting to send it to collections. Call em up and work something out, easy as that
Ian Morgan
Who is the provider? Look up to see if they do HCAP or charity care. You can often get a substantial reduction up to 100% based on your income. And you didn't have to get a PCR test. Any molecular test will do including the free RT-LAMP in the Walgreens drive through. Just can't do the antigen test for Canada entry.
Evan Morris
If you really want to pay it then and tell them you're just a kid without insurance. Seeing as it's a covid test I'm surprised they didn't just comp it.
Carter Johnson
haha the insurance I had didn't even cover the cost because I was out of Canada for more than 60 days
