Reply #8: This is what I did. [View All]

[TomInTib]

Long story short, I did this for an friend who was unable to pay any part of a $35,000 emergency room bill.

Do not contact the collection agency, contact the billing department at the hospital. Tell them you are willing to pay, but that you are on a very tight financial leash.

Ask them what the minimum monthly payment that is required to keep them from fouling up what is already a woeful credit situation.

In my case, Kaiser said they would accept a minimum payment of $50 a month with no interest escalation.

I told them I would gladly send them a check for $50 every month for the next 58 years (but I said it real nice-like).

They called about 2 days later and said they were writing it off as a charity case.

It costs them more than $50 to process a check and they know it.

Good luck.