Am I required to pay interest on medical bills that have been turned over to collections?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Am I required to pay interest on medical bills that have been turned over to collections?
I had a couple of out-patient surgeries approximately 2.5 years ago. My insurance paid and I was left with almost $3,000 that I owed. The hospital gave me 6 months to pay or they would turn me over to collections. I have been paying the collection agency $60/month for about 1.5 years, and have been paying $100/month for the past year. The collection agency is charging me 8% interest, which I told them I would not pay. They have sent forms trying to get me to sign that I would pay interest, and I never returned the forms.
Asked on October 18, 2010 under Bankruptcy Law, Colorado
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 14 years ago | Contributor
The issue is whether there was anything in the documentation under which you incurred the debt obligating you to pay interest. For example, if the agreement by which you authorized surgery stated that you would pay interest on outstanding balances, or the invoices and statements you received from the hospital stated that outstanding amounts incur interest, then you would very likely have to pay (at whatever the specified rate was). Without something putting you on notice of interest, and to which you either explicitly agreed or could implicitly be deemed to agree, there would be obligation to pay interest unless and until you are taken to court and a judgment is obtained against you. Once a judgment is obtained, they could then seek to have to pay interest from that point on, until the debt is paid.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.