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  1. #1
    Melaine is offline Blue Diamond level (20,000+ posts)
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    Default Unbelievable Hospital Letter

    I am so angry I just don't know what to do.

    We are still paying on my 9 YEAR OLD's hospital bills from his delivery because there were so many issues with me and him and of course the whole thing is a massive racquet. We have never missed a month and have been faithfully paying the agreed upon monthly charge for the LAST 9.5 years. Did I mention that we are fully insured and pay exorbitant insurance premiums? Yeah. I just received a letter from the hospital. Because of the rising cost of healthcare they are "putting more emphasis" on outstanding bills and are taking them out of people's tax returns this year! Like this is what the general hardworking Americans need right now! Being chased down for old bills that we have been paying on regularly. I swear, I just hate everything right now.

  2. #2
    jgenie is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    Oh no! I’m so sorry! Did you try calling the hospital to see if they will work with you rather than taking your tax return?

  3. #3
    hbridge is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    Definitely call the hospital. You need to know what they are going to do with the tax returns and the continuation of paying the agreed upon amount. It seems crazy to change the terms of the agreement part way through.

    If you don't get it resolved with the hospital you might want to consult and attorney. The change of agreement seems to be a breech of a contract?

  4. #4
    bisous is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    I would fight that. Hard. Start by calling the hospital but maybe you need to call your congressman or maybe the press? I am sorry. That's SO unfair.

  5. #5
    pharmjenn is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    If you have a payment plan with them, that you have not broken, then they should not be allowed to change it and garnish tax refunds. Definitely consult an attorney if a conversation with the hospital billing department continues with that nonsense plan.
    We currently have a judgment against a contractor and one of the ways our lawyer can get the money is from the contractors tax refunds, but I can't imagine the cost involved for a hospital to do this for compliant billee's
    mom to Billy 12/07

  6. #6
    Liziz is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    Whoa!!! That is outrageous and I would be STEAMING mad. I agree with everything everyone else has said that this is absolutely worth fighting. I'm so sorry you're dealing with this.
    Lizi

  7. #7
    nfceagles's Avatar
    nfceagles is offline Sapphire level (2000+ posts)
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    I’m so sorry. This sounds awful. I can’t imagine they can do that without a court judgement. Do they have the authority already? Maybe this is just a scam or scare tactic??? Could you turn your tax withholdings down for the rest of the year to make sure you don’t get a refund?


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  8. #8
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    Is the hospital part of a state entity--like a University medical system. Our University medical system garnishes people's state tax returns if they don't pay their bills. But I am pretty sure they don't do that if you are paying etc. I would call the hospital to ask about this. On the flip side, if you pay that off largely, won't that be helpful??? (I dunno, I never count on having a tax refund)
    Mom to:
    DS '02
    DS '05
    Percy--the wild furry child!!! 2022----
    Simon--the first King Charles cutie 2009-2022
    RIP Andy, the furry first child, 1996-2012

    "The task of any religion is not to tell us who we are entitled to hate but to teach us who we are required to love."

  9. #9
    NCGrandma is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by StantonHyde View Post
    Is the hospital part of a state entity--like a University medical system. Our University medical system garnishes people's state tax returns if they don't pay their bills. But I am pretty sure they don't do that if you are paying etc. I would call the hospital to ask about this. On the flip side, if you pay that off largely, won't that be helpful??? (I dunno, I never count on having a tax refund)
    No idea how having an up-to-date payment plan would affect things (definitely check), but I’m pretty sure that our university — including the health care system — also garnishes state tax refunds.


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  10. #10
    Melaine is offline Blue Diamond level (20,000+ posts)
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    Thanks guys! I have calmed down.

    We can easily just pay the bill outright and be done with it. In fact, I had recently said to DH that we needed to just pay it so it was no longer a monthly payment. It is just the principle of the thing that made me so incredibly mad (and knowing others are receiving this letter and it's going to be harder for them). By the wording, it looks like we had been shirking the bill all along. Plus it just made me angry from the beginning because we tried to negotiate and they never would drop a penny of that bill (Dave Ramsey always says they will and they haven't for us). And just the general idea that a fully insured patient should have to pay so much for barely adequate medical care. UGH. I guess we'll just pay it and be done.

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