Welcome to Debt Collection Guide
Debt Collection Medical Bills Article
. For a permanent link or to bookmark this article for further reading, click here.
Debt Collection Practices: The Dos and Don’ts
It may be true that you do owe money to the debt collector who is standing at your door. However, that doesn’t change the fact that you are still a client and you deserve to be treated fairly. You have the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to protect you. This act will help you fight back when your debt collector displays actions that can be considered bad debt collection practices.
By understand the Debt Collection Practices, you will know what your debt collector can and cannot do.
Dos of Debt Collection
The debt collector must employ Debt Collection Practices that respect the rights of the debtor. This means that he should willingly provide the debtor with documents that will verify the nature of his debt. The debt collector must also initiate communication with the debtor. While communicating with the debtor, the collector must be courteous and cooperative.
Here are some of the other Debt Collection Practices that the collector should do:
1) Within five days of the initial contact, the debt collector should send a written document that lists all the details regarding the debt. These include information about the original creditor, the date the debt was incurred, the total amount owed, and the deadline for payment. Also, all the documents should be attached for the debtor’s reference.
2) The debt collector should let you know the steps you need to follow if you want to dispute the debt.
3) The debt collector should honor your requests. If you submit a letter to inform the collector that you no longer want him to call you, he should comply.
4) The debt collector should keep your debt as a private matter.
The Don’ts of Debt Collection
There are some Debt Collection Practices that are designed to intimidate the debtor. These Debt Collection Practices should be avoided. Debt collectors should remain respectful to the debtor. Acts of harassment and abuse are punishable by law.
Here are some of the Debt Collection Practices that are sanctioned by law:
1) Debt collectors are not allowed to contact you at inconvenient places or hours. This means no calls or visits before 8:00 am and after 9:00 pm. This also means that if it is inconvenient for you to talk to the collector when you’re at work, he should stop making calls and visits to your workplace.
2) Debt collectors are not allowed to issue false threats. Unless he fully intends to carry out legal action, the collector cannot say he will sue you. If he says he will sue you, ask for a document from the agency that shows its intention of pursuing legal action. Also, the debt collector cannot scare you with threats of jail or repossession.
3) Any debt collection practice that involves insulting or discriminating the debtor is completely unacceptable.
4) The debt collector cannot physically hurt you if you refuse to pay.
Debt Collection Medical Bills Specific links
Debt Collection Medical Bills News
Hospital Debt Collection A Symptom Of A Sick Health Care System - Huffington Post
Hospital Debt Collection A Symptom Of A Sick Health Care System Huffington Post Aggressive debt collection stems from larger failings of the US health care system. No one at the hospital ever said Bruce Folken's medical care would suffer if he didn't pay up, but it sure felt that way. Folken, 62, went to Fairview Ridges Hospital ... Alarming symptoms of a broken health-care system |
What's Cure for My Whopping Medical Bill? - Fox Business
What's Cure for My Whopping Medical Bill? Fox Business The hospital promptly racked up a bill of $44000 and sent it to a collection agency. A few days ago, the calls stopped from the agency. I do not know what my options are. Would they go to court and attach my paychecks? What is the best way to settle ... |
Credit Bullies: A Collection Agency Damages the Credit of Southern ... - NBC Los Angeles
Credit Bullies: A Collection Agency Damages the Credit of Southern ... NBC Los Angeles A major collection agency damaged the credit of Southern Californians who say the company was trying to collect on phony medical bills, according to an NBC4 I-Team investigation. Fidelity Creditor Service of Glendale has been trying to collect from ... |
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel Asks Minnesota AG To Back Off Hometown Medical Bill ... - Forbes
 Forbes | Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel Asks Minnesota AG To Back Off Hometown Medical Bill ... Forbes Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson, a Democrat, has accused Chicago-based Accretive Health (AH), one of the nation's largest collectors of medical bills, of violating patient privacy and debt collection laws. Among Accretive's alleged tactics were ... After Questions on Tactics, Accretive Cuts Forecast Anti-Capitalist Obama Administration Targets Debt Collectors Fairview's U hospital visited by investigators in wake of Accretive furor |
On Keeping Medical Bills From Hurting Your Credit Score - New York Times (blog)
On Keeping Medical Bills From Hurting Your Credit Score New York Times (blog) And often, hospitals and other providers are turning over bills more quickly to collection agencies. The problem, as my article on Saturday outlines, is that medical bills can be riddled with errors. Or, it may just take you many months and phone calls ... Advice to help consumers sort out debt |