Got a letter from a Law firm today

EasyMoney · Mar 11, 2008

It said I owe $867 for a medical bill that I have in collections. O.K. I have a couple problems with this. #1, this debt is from a surgury I had almost 7 years ago. #2, this was a bill that should have been submitted to my insurance company for payment. And #3 and my biggest complaint, I was never sent a bill or had a phone call from either the radiology company that provided the service or the collection agency that has the account now. The only reason I even knew about the debt was because I just got a credit report a couple months ago and saw that I had an account in collections.

What are my options here? Truth is paying the $867 isn't going to kill me but my insurance should have paid this not me. How is it my fault that the radiology company never sent a bill. Again I never even knew about this account until over 6 years after it happened. Am I correct that collections come off your credit report after 7 years or does the fact they filed a lawsuit negate that?

Betallsports · Mar 11, 2008

EasyMoney said:
It said I owe $867 for a medical bill that I have in collections. O.K. I have a couple problems with this. #1, this debt is from a surgury I had almost 7 years ago. #2, this was a bill that should have been submitted to my insurance company for payment. And #3 and my biggest complaint, I was never sent a bill or had a phone call from either the radiology company that provided the service or the collection agency that has the account now. The only reason I even knew about the debt was because I just got a credit report a couple months ago and saw that I had an account in collections.

What are my options here? Truth is paying the $867 isn't going to kill me but my insurance should have paid this not me. How is it my fault that the radiology company never sent a bill. Again I never even knew about this account until over 6 years after it happened. Am I correct that collections come off your credit report after 7 years or does the fact they filed a lawsuit negate that?

On your Credit Report, what is the Last Active Date for this Bill ??

In Most States ( and Every State has it's own ) after so many Years
You don't have to pay it. And you can tell the Credit report Company to take it off.

robmpink · Mar 11, 2008

I was under the impression medical bills aren't on the credit report.

BAGIANT · Mar 11, 2008

Have them resubmit the medical bill to your insurance company at that time! They are still responsible for the debt!

lapdance · Mar 11, 2008

robmpink said:
I was under the impression medical bills aren't on the credit report.

they're not until a collection company gets them, then they mess up your credit quickly.
most states must remove negative credit after 7 years.

t3a · Mar 11, 2008

stuckinvegas said:
Have them resubmit the medical bill to your insurance company at that time! They are still responsible for the debt!

I don't think that is true. I thought once the collection agency gets it, the original creditor has written the debt off. An insurance isnt going to pay a collector after all this time has passed.

If the original bill was 7 years ago it is probably close to the time you can request the debt be erased. That is probably why this collection agency has shown up now. They bought the debt for pennies on the dollar and are taking a shot that they can intimidate you. The stupid thing is that even if you contacted the original doctor they have long ago written it off so if you did pay it would be pure profit for the collection agency.

If you aren't buying anything major in the next year or so, I'd ride it out and see if you can get it erased when the time comes. You are supposed to be able to put comments on your credit report anyway so if you could say it was a medical bill that was submitted to insurance in 2001 or whenever it was. I would just avoid rewarding the collection agency since most of them lying scum.

Also google the collection agency name. You will see stories about how bad they are

soccerbob · Mar 12, 2008

Fuck em. Don't pay them shit. They're vultures. These collection agencies send out these real official looking letters but they're on a fishing expedition. They send out thousands of these things and hope that people will get scared and pay them or at least a portion of the amount.

Seymour · Mar 12, 2008

Do nothing - these bills die after 7 years - just wait it out - time will pass

DrunkenHorseplayer · Mar 12, 2008

There are numerous law firms out there that work with collection cockroaches to try and scare people into paying alleged debts that are past the statute of limitations. Go to www.budhibbs.com for info on how to handle scum like this.

TTinCO · Mar 12, 2008

robmpink said:
I was under the impression medical bills aren't on the credit report.

Imagine that....coming from a f'ing stiff

EasyMoney · Mar 12, 2008

thanks guy I appreciate the respones. I figured it was just their way of trying to intimidate me into paying it off. The fact that I got the letter 2 months before the 7 year mark made it seem a little fishy. The thing is if I was supposed to pay this bill way back then I would have but this is the first letter I've ever seen about this. I mean I'm a stand up guy and this isnt much money but I just don't feel it should be my responsility after 7 years of never hearing a thing about it.

MesaChaser · Mar 12, 2008

If you were to pay it off there would be a mark left on your report for another 7 years stating that you paid the bill but not until it was delinquent. Do nothing. After 7 years it will be removed.

fhmesq44 · Mar 12, 2008

Seymour, what is the statute of limitations in Florida for contract claims?

EM, may be outside the statute of limitations.

gynecologist · Mar 12, 2008

soccerbob said:
Fuck em. Don't pay them shit. They're vultures. These collection agencies send out these real official looking letters but they're on a fishing expedition. They send out thousands of these things and hope that people will get scared and pay them or at least a portion of the amount.

So true..

KennyB · Mar 12, 2008

In Florida it is 5 years (95.11(2), F.S.)

steaktartar · Mar 12, 2008

TTinCO said:
Imagine that....coming from a f'ing stiff

how did i miss this..........details?

gynecologist · Mar 12, 2008

steak tartar said:
how did i miss this..........details?

I'm curious too, robmpink is a major poster over @ SBR, I didn't even know he posted here..

KennyB · Mar 12, 2008

BTW, the last time I encountered one of these cases it was a collection agency which wrote to one of my old secretaries; the bill was about 7 years old. I got the collection agency on the phone and I told the guy to listen very closely. I said to him that the statute of limitations had run and that he was attempting to collect a debt which was no longer enforceable. After he argued with me I told him, "if you think you can sue my client go ahead, otherwise GO FUCK YOURSELF" and I slammed down the phone.

That was the last we ever heard of that one.

And yes, I am an attorney.

Timetopay · Mar 12, 2008

I think it had to do with Journey

JudgeWapner · Mar 12, 2008

I went through something similar in NYC. There is some type of law, that if you are not billed within six months of treatment, you are not responsible for payment.

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