What If I Don’t Pay Hospital Bills?

Hospital bills are expensive. And if you’re one of the millions of Americans living without health insurance, that can mean that, once you’re out of the hospital, you’re stuck with thousands of dollars worth of hospital debt. Because your health is priceless, you probably didn’t even consider what might happen to you after you received hospital treatment. But now that you’re out and the hospital bills are waiting on you, you may be wondering how to pay them off. You may even be considering not paying your hospital bills. That could be a very bad decision for you.

What Could Happen If You Don’t Pay Hospital Bills

Not paying a hospital bill is much like not making a car payment–except that, if you miss a few car payments, your lender can take back the car. When it comes to hospital bills, they cannot take back their services. This puts both you and the hospital in an interesting situation. At first, hospitals will likely send you letters asking for payment. However, if you refuse, they will hire a debt collection agency to come after you. From there, a debt collector will likely contact you by phone and by mail to try and collect the debt from you. Though you are protected against overanxious debt collectors, this does not mean that the collectors will not bring a new level of stress to your life with their phone calls. Should you still refuse to pay your hospital bills, the debt collection agency is then entitled to take you to court and sue you.  A judge could rule that you have to pay off your hospital bills and could seize property and even freeze your bank account in order to force you to pay.

Avoiding Getting Sued Over Hospital Bills

Though hospital bills are expensive, you shouldn’t lose hope if you owe money to a hospital. In fact, many hospitals are willing to work with those struggling to pay their bills. The key is communication. Contact the hospital immediately and try to work out a plan that works for both you and the hospital. They may be willing to work with you to avoid any legal fees they’d accrue as a result of hiring a debt collection agency and taking you to court.

You should pay your hospital bills. But if you simply cannot, call your hospital right away to work out a solution to the problem before it’s too late.

Related posts:

1. Does Not Paying Hospital / Medical Bills Affect Credit?
2. What Happens If I Dont Pay My Medical Bills?
3. What Happens To Me If I Don’t Pay My Hospital Bill?
4. What If I Don’t Pay Doctor Bills?
5. What Does Legally Happen When You Stop Paying Your Bills?