Can a debt collector legally bill me for medical bills?
psycho88 asked:
I went to the ER when i was a minor (17 years old) and five years later I got a call from a debt collector collecting on that medical bill. Can they legally make me pay since I was a minor? I am not sure why they are coming after me and not either of my parents for this.
I’m in Oregon, statue of limitations is seven years.
I went to the ER when i was a minor (17 years old) and five years later I got a call from a debt collector collecting on that medical bill. Can they legally make me pay since I was a minor? I am not sure why they are coming after me and not either of my parents for this.
I’m in Oregon, statue of limitations is seven years.
June 26th, 2011 at 9:20 am
Thats a good questions, im not sure what the answer to that is but one thing you can do is look into your states statue of limitations. Once an unpaid debt becomes so old it can no longer be collected upon and your off the hook so to speak. Depending on what state you live in your statue of limitations might be around 5 or 6 years so look into that first since its already been awhile.
June 28th, 2011 at 7:06 pm
it might be a scam from someone who got the billing info somehow.
demand written communication for everything. check your credit report(s) to see if this item is listed; annualcreditreport.com
July 1st, 2011 at 11:19 am
Debt collectors often cull through old debts before they expire after 7 years and try to get payments.
I’d ignore it if I were you. Simply hang up, don’t try to talk to them. They depend on people talking to try to make their threats. Remember how the system works. The hospital that originally had your debt has sold it. The debt collector who bought the debt for pennies wants to get their money back plus a profit. On your credit report, you’ll now have 2 entries: the hospital who sold the debt, the debt collector who bought the debt.
Even if you pay the debt collector, your original hospital bill will still be on your credit report. The debt collector’s entry will be on there for 7 more years if you start paying them. Paying resets the clock for how long the entry can stay on your credit report.
Don’t pay it. When you realize it’s the debt collector, say nothing more and hang up.
As for your age, most states will hold 17yos responsible for debts. Technically maybe your parents are responsible for it’s a waste of time to try to fight that.
July 4th, 2011 at 5:16 am
I can’t say why you owe the bill and not your parents. I live in Texas and when you’re 17 here you’re considered an adult. Is it the same in Oregon?
As for the statute of limitations, that does not mean the debt cannot be collected on. All that means is that after 7 years the creditor cannot pursue legal recourse. Doesn’t matter if it’s not even on your credit report anymore, it’s still a debt.
It will not appear twice on your credit report. If the hospital reported that to your credit, then the debt collection company can’t report it again. They can only do so if it hasn’t been reported. Once you pay the collector, they report back to their client that it’s paid, and in turn the original creditor will report it to the credit bureau.
Now, whether or not you decide to pay it back is up to you. I’d say do it if you’re concerned about your credit (which most people aren’t anymore). In 2 years this will not appear on your credit report. But they can still try to collect on it 5 years from now if they so choose.
July 7th, 2011 at 3:28 am
You can ask this question on Filife and probably get more knowledgable answers -
July 10th, 2011 at 9:01 am
Hi,
Hope this info will help you.
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