How long are you given to pay your medical bill?

nigel_wilson

I received an invoice from St Vincents Private hospital for an MRI scan of €400 that was done on the 23rd of March. I live with both parents and they said originally that they would pay but now are refusing. We have insurance but the large bill is troubling my father who think I should pay it.

I would but so far I cannot even get the most basic minimum wage job so I have €0 at the moment and it's been like that since the start of this year. My question is, how long will they give you to pay? What happens if you don't?

Hitman3000

nigel_wilson wrote:

I would but so far I cannot even get the most basic minimum wage job so I have €0 at the moment and it's been like that since the start of this year. My question is, how long will they give you to pay? What happens if you don't?

Ring their accounts dept, explain your situation and maybe ask for a payment plan.

wexie

nigel_wilson wrote: »

We have insurance but the large bill is troubling my father who think I should pay it.

Have you checked to make sure the insurance won't cover it?
May just be a screw up in the paper work?

Heebie

Hopefully the insurance will cover it.

A question... why do you think your parents should pay it? Are you a child? (as in under the age of majority, I'm not trying to sound insulting.)

The insurance is stop number one, then the hospital's billing department. If you're indigent they might waive part or all of the fee. (They might not)
Short of waiving, they should set up a payment plan for you.

nigel_wilson

Heebie wrote: »

Hopefully the insurance will cover it.

A question... why do you think your parents should pay it? Are you a child? (as in under the age of majority, I'm not trying to sound insulting.)

The insurance is stop number one, then the hospital's billing department. If you're indigent they might waive part or all of the fee. (They might not)
Short of waiving, they should set up a payment plan for you.

Well my father offered to pay it but since he's refused now, I guess I will just put it off until I get a minimum wage job.

I see from reading online that it can lead to a bad credit rating. I'll just wait until they call me back. No point in calling them with my parents refusing to pay along with me not having any cash or future job prospects.

Hitman3000

nigel_wilson wrote:

I see from reading online that it can lead to a bad credit rating. I'll just wait until they call me back. No point in calling them with my parents refusing to pay along with me not having any cash or future job prospects.

Putting your head in the sand achieves nothing.

Heebie

nigel_wilson wrote:

I see from reading online that it can lead to a bad credit rating. I'll just wait until they call me back. No point in calling them with my parents refusing to pay along with me not having any cash or future job prospects.

It can screw up your credit, yes.
There's a lot to be said for calling them first and being proactive.
They're more likely to write the price down and work with you on a payment plan you can actually manage to pay off you ring them, and are cordial and open.
They'll also be more likely to handle in-house rather than selling the debt to a debt collection agency.

nigel_wilson wrote:

Well my father offered to pay it but since he's refused now, I guess I will just put it off until I get a minimum wage job.

Did he tell you why he changed his mind?
If you hate him, you could sue him for breaching a verbal contract. You might not win, but you might.
It would be a really horrible thing to do, so if you get on with him or his wife (presumably your mam) or any of your siblings... don't! You could start a war.

Good luck to you.

Mod
Strongly disagree with advice encouraging litigation within a family.

Fred Swanson

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Mrs OBumble

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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We're talking about a private hospital here. Surely they can mess with your credit rating just like any other business can?

That said, if the OP does not have even a minimum wage job, I don't think that his/her credit rating is major issue.

Sesame

Where in the country are you? And why are there no job prospects? Illness, or something?
I'm in the south and I've never seen so many job vacancies. Many seasonal jobs and plenty of them. I know it's not answering your question but your current situation doesn't seem too hopeful and wondering if you'd seen job listings lately. It's a lot different than a few months ago

Robbo

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

We're talking about a private hospital here. Surely they can mess with your credit rating just like any other business can?

Only financial institutions who are members of the ICB or in the business of financial products covered by the Central Credit Register can affect your credit rating. As previous posters have mentioned, it's highly unlikely that a hospital would obtain a judgment in this amount and register it.

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

That said, if the OP does not have even a minimum wage job, I don't think that his/her credit rating is major issue.

Be civil, please.

misschoo

I work for a major hospital in Ireland. If you do not contact them, arrange a
Payment plan or do not pay they will pass this over to a debt collector. I have seen this first hand done with a staff member! So please at least contact them to even arrange some sort of monthly payment.

nigel_wilson

misschoo wrote: »

I work for a major hospital in Ireland. If you do not contact them, arrange a
Payment plan or do not pay they will pass this over to a debt collector. I have seen this first hand done with a staff member! So please at least contact them to even arrange some sort of monthly payment.

What do debt collectors do?

nigel_wilson

Sesame wrote: »

Where in the country are you? And why are there no job prospects? Illness, or something?
I'm in the south and I've never seen so many job vacancies. Many seasonal jobs and plenty of them. I know it's not answering your question but your current situation doesn't seem too hopeful and wondering if you'd seen job listings lately. It's a lot different than a few months ago

I live in South Dublin,

Although there are job vacanies, I'm just coming up to 20 and have never had any real work experience. I've applied to 35+ places and still no answers

Fred Swanson

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GM228

Fred Swanson wrote: »

nigel_wilson wrote: »

What do debt collectors do?

Send scary letters. That's about it.

They are like big barking dogs with no teeth.

Dr Brown

They are unlikely to come after you for 400Euro.


I once got a bill for 200Euro which was part of a "free consultation" for dental work I was looking at getting done.


I never paid the bill and just got a few letters in the post telling me to pay which I ignored .


Granted I was in the right and I would of being willing to defend myself in court because I was told I was getting a "free consultation" but it never went that far.

nigel_wilson

Intersting, I got a letter from some credit management company (burned it) and they did say they would seek "recouse for payments if no response is made within 7 days".

Could this lead to a criminal matter?

sexmag

nigel_wilson wrote: »

Could this lead to a criminal matter?

Civil matter

nigel_wilson

sexmag wrote: »

Civil matter

Explain why please? Does the amount distinguish it from being a criminal matter?

Just curious if someone during the Celtic tiger borrowed thousands and never repayed it, would it be civil or criminal matter?

.......

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sexmag

nigel_wilson wrote: »

Just curious if someone during the Celtic tiger borrowed thousands and never repayed it, would it be civil or criminal matter?

Depends who and how they "borrowed" it from

Heebie

Heebie wrote:

Mod Strongly disagree with advice encouraging litigation within a family.

Hence the "don't... you may start a war"

Fred Swanson

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4ensic15

Fred Swanson wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

The o/p could have committed an offence under Section 7 of the Theft & Fraud Offences Act 2001.

nigel_wilson

nigel_wilson wrote: »

Intersting, I got a letter from some credit management company (burned it) and they did say they would seek "recouse for payments if no response is made within 7 days".

Could this lead to a criminal matter?

Ignoring debts is never a good idea. You should have made arrangements to repay from the start. If you’re not working you may be on some welfare payment. Don’t ignore this debt. Speak to them and set a plan in motion.

Fred Swanson

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4ensic15

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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The DPP would definitely not run it, but I have seen a solicitor summonsed for not paying for CPD.

baldbear

Just wondering have you got a job sorted yet?

nigel_wilson

baldbear wrote: »

Just wondering have you got a job sorted yet?

No. I'm looking to hopefully go and see if I can enroll for the ICT Software Development apprenticeship.

I was disappointed applying for a litpicking job that said "No experience" when I saw a guy who was just interviewed have his forms secretly discarded by the interviewer when she exclaimed that he had no experience at all. Looks like my prospects for finding a job are weak.

nuac

Mod
Any further legal discussion?