Should I pay those pesky medical bills?

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Should I pay those pesky medical bills?
4
Sun, 11-13-2005 - 10:01pm
Hi, everyone. Well, it is bill-paying time tonight. Am doing it while DH is watching football. I have been spending time looking at recipes for holidays, etc., but am proud to say I "only" spent about $150 at grocery. It is going to have to last for the whole month (save the turkey). Q--I sent everyone certified letters re: bills. Hospital ER bills. Doctor ER bills. Letters to insurance company and claims. Havent heard a thing. Not an e-mail, snail mail, etc. DH says I should wait awhile longer, but I keep getting the bills, and it has been about 3 months now. SHould I just pay off the little ones (i.e., doc visits) and make payments to the big ones, or wait awhile longer? I am as mad as a wet hen that these folks have not had the insight to reply to a certified letter. Ideas? Whiz.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-07-2005
Mon, 11-14-2005 - 10:26am

but I keep getting the bills, and it has been about 3 months now. SHould I just pay off the little ones (i.e., doc visits) and make payments to the big ones,

I don't mean this to sound snotty so don't take it that way please, but if you can pay them now or at least make payments then I'd say yes, pay them. I'm sorry if I've missed some of your previous posts, I think I remember reading about someone's medical bills. I've just paid off the bulk of mine from CAT scans, bone scans, c-sec, bloodwork. So I know it can be overwhelming. I've still got my dh's vasectomy bill and now his crown (dental)bill.

Edited: Sorry I just read one of your posts to someone else. It sounds like you are trying to negotiate a lower rate. Could you maybe follow up by telephone with them? I know they can and will eventually send your accts to a collection agency. Do you know if (since it's been 3 mo's already) they've sent them into their internal collection dept? Anyway, I'd call them to say you were going to send in a payment (at least they'll see good faith) and to check on your letter to be sure where to send it. The small ones I'd just pay off it you can afford it. Good luck.




Edited 11/14/2005 10:31 am ET by sweetjumps
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-11-2001
Mon, 11-14-2005 - 10:43am

Whiz -

Call the Accounting/Billing dept for each of the bills. Set up a monhtly payment plan if it is possible. You need to call them about the certified letters received also. You will not hear anything from them. You need to be the one to keep chasing them. Just make sure you get written proof that a bill is paid off. A copy of the paid off invoice. You will need these for the insurance company.

If you can't get the smaller bills with payment plans, pay them off but follow up with a call to make sure payment was received and ask for the proof of payment invoice to be sent to you. Don't forget to ask if you can get a discount. If they say no, ask for monthly payments, no to that - pay bill in full.

You DO NEED to pay the bills, as they will go to collections. Keep calling your insurance company weekly.

Beach

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Mon, 11-14-2005 - 11:50pm
Hi, SJ. Here;s what I did (took advice). I called the main hospital billing dept. They said NOT to send payments yet, but update insurance info, which I did, and sent everything back to them certified. I also sent info to the ins. claims dept and the billing dept (they are in different states) based on what the claims dept told me. They said they hadn't received anything yet, so I clairified on where to have the bills sent, updated the ins. info. The lady told me it takes 30-45 days to process it. So, this week, I plan to make some phone calls to find out the status onstuff. I did get one bill for procedure today, where they only charged me $259 on an $800+ bill, and I had the procedure done at end of August, so they are just now getting around to this, I guess. Thanks for the tip on sending them "something". WIll do. WHiz.
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Mon, 11-14-2005 - 11:53pm
Hi, Beach. I like your ideas, especially the ones where they send "proof" of payment. I did get one thing in mail, as I mentioned, where they had itemized the procedure, and now, I only owe $259. But it took FOREVER to get this--3 months. The one lady I spoke to says they are two months behind. (dont know why). Thanks again. Whiz.