US hopsital bills for UK citizen

I just heard on CNN that there is a statute of limitations on debt in every state. Generally ranging from 7-10 years. So, I guess 10 years from now they can't try to collect it anymore (small favor I know). I don't know if it can affect any future credit reporting past that or if it generally coincides with how long a bad debt shows up on your credit report.

On US credit reports, bad debt stays on your credit report for 7 years, bankruptcy for 10 years.  As for statute of limitations past which a lender can no longer sue you for paying the debt, this varies state to state - most around 6 years, but there are exceptions for longer periods in some states - up to 10-15 years.

If the person isn't living in the US, however, the creditor is going to have a hard time taking them to court because a summons has to be served on the person before taking them to court.  Also, the lender probably isn't going to take someone to court unless they think they have a reasonable chance of recovering the money somehow - usually done in the US by garnishing wages (wages earned in the US) or perhaps a lien on the individual's US property.  It'll be very difficult (if not impossible) for them to enforce collection from one country to another - which is why I said they will be lucky to be getting whatever munkor can afford to pay them from over here.

It's in the hospital's best interest to collect the money themselves, so if you explain your situation to them, and tell them you're willing to make payments even from the UK they'll be likely to take it up. It's more expensive for them to send it to a collection agency since the money that is collected has to be split between the hospital and the collection agency in the first place (or so I believe, that's the case between clinics/private doctors and collections). They'll want to keep the money for themselves, and if you push you can probably get a plan out them, especially if they have a patient assistance department of some sort.

Example: I had a lump that I needed checked out (yeah, I was dumb and freaked out and thought it was breast cancer since my mom had it, but I was scared) but I didn't have insurance. I called an emergency room and asked if they took uninsured people and they said yes, so I went in. I was checked in the emergency room, and even given a referral for a surgeon to follow up, and it was emphasized that I would be able to work with their financial department to work out a plan since they knew it would be expensive.

Healthcare is expensive for many factors--there's so many things that goes into emergency/urgent care visits and it does add up quickly, and it can be overwhelming. But the buck only gets passed on to everyone else if a bill goes unpaid, and a hospital wants to avoid having to send everything to collections. Unpaid bills do contribute to the elevated cost of healthcare over time, once hospitals and doctors try to fill those holes in their books. They defintely can't take it in the shorts by not getting paid at all, and it's much cheaper and easier for them to collect it directly from you, even if it is payments, as long as they think they *will* get money.

Ninja edit: you may have to talk to more than one person; some can have a stick up their bum, and some can just not be aware or familiar with exemptions that can be made to whatever magical number rule they have. I'd like to think they'd be flexible in order to get their money once they're made aware that you're from overseas. The first lady might have given you a collection's speech, but I'm pretty sure someone there will compromise with you. Like I said, it's in their best interest to compromise, not to be stubborn.

This makes me laugh my parents came to the UK without travel cover they thought their med card covered them lol they are a bit older and it just never occurred to them they just thought they had to pay like they do in the US and we had to explain to them they should have got med travel insurance.

Indy

Parents are quite funny at times in how they think.

I just wanted to say about this though that the NHS will and can do a fee charged service.  My father ran out of one of his medications while in the UK and my GP was able to see him and write out a prescription.  It cost him £60 total but it was still good that they could do it. 

As for the OP... I hope you are able to work out something.  And yes sometimes they will let it go to collections before working out a plan.  My credit is very good now, but once upon a time I tried to negotiate lower payments with a company and was told that because it wasn't delinquent I couldn't pay and this was by three separate people.  You have to be persistent. 

There is one company whos name we can't think of off the top of our heads who may cover but the word is MAY, it really does depend on what the disability or illness is and meds you might be on and if you have had treatment in the last 2 years for it prior to wanting to take it out.

If you for instance have an on going problem with epilepsy say and it is not stable no one will touch you, my friend tried and added to this is she is diebetic, which is stable.

It really makes things hard for people and with the extra costs of being disabled i.e. the extra money to pay out for equipment (holidays if you can actually affford one) ect then I can understand were your coming from that it is alot of money to find.

But maybe you could offer a few pounds a month, I do not know if it is possible or they would accept such a low payment but if it is what you can afford maybe its better than worrying about it and if you ever needed to go back.

This is what puts us off the going over as we could never afford such large bills if the insurance did not cover me for something, whilst I am disabled I do not take meds or anything except the odd anti biotic, but its just the thought that something might hapen and its sad because we really want to go back and see my family and friends, we would love to go back and live over there but its just not possible at the moment, because of the possiblity I might not get health care now I am married and I can't get private health care cover, we have looked into it.

Indy

Open a US bank account while you are in the US and give the hospital your UK contact details.  Ask them again about working out a payment plan and if they send you to collections, fine, work out a plan with them.

And get travel insurance.

no foreign Visitor can open a US bank account.

His wife is an American citizen.

I know the costs seem unfair, but it is normal in America (at the moment!).  Personally I would request an itemized bill if possible so you can make sure you received the treatment they have billed you for.  Then if you have any savings ($1500) or more, I would basically ask them if they will reduce the charge in exchange for a cash payment (they did this once of myself when we were in a similar situation, they halfed the bill), otherwise I would make an installment plan, I know where we live if you are paying small amounts monthly they won't take any further action.  I would certainly pay something as you never know what repercussions there may be in the future.  Good Luck. 

Getting travel insurance when you have an existing condition or disability is almost impossible, there are possibly 2 insures who will look at giving you insurance but even they will say no dependent up on what the medical condition is.

So its easy to say get it! What if you can't? what do you do then?

Indy

I don't remember the whole thread but I didn't think that this medical issue was to do with preexisting conditions.

But yeah, the question stands, what do you do?  Well, you try to get travel insurance even if more expensive.  Or an international private policy.  Or you don't travel.  Or you pay the bills.  What I don't see as the option is having your cake and not paying for it.

I don't remember the whole thread but I didn't think that this medical issue was to do with preexisting conditions.

But yeah, the question stands, what do you do?  Well, you try to get travel insurance even if more expensive.  Or an international private policy.  Or you don't travel.  Or you pay the bills.  What I don't see as the option is having your cake and not paying for it.

I completely agree. No one says the US system is without its flaws; it is, however, the system, and because you don't agree with it isn't going to change it and traveling into the US without travel insurance is taking a risk knowing if you seek medical care you, and you alone, will have to pay for it.

Getting travel insurance when you have an existing condition or disability is almost impossible, there are possibly 2 insures who will look at giving you insurance but even they will say no dependent up on what the medical condition is.

So its easy to say get it! What if you can't? what do you do then?

Indy

You don't go unfortunately.  Or you  go knowing that you are going to be responsible for some whopping great bills if something goes wrong.  Those are the choices, I'm afraid.

People make choices.  They are responsible for their own choices. 

I think I said earlier in the thread that there are a lot of organisations that support certain disabilities or disesases or disorders, etc that often times have resources to help people get travel insurances.  So it may work in certain circumstances. 

I know that its not fair at all, but life just isn't fair unfortunately... 

My grandmother has had no trouble getting travel insurance for the US in the past (in 1998, 2000, 2004, 2006 and 2008) and she is over 75, disabled and on a ton of different medications. She just had to go through a different company to the rest of the family - one that offered insurance specifically for people over 65 - and pay a bit more than us for the insurance cover.