My question involves collection proceedings in the State of: Michigan
I have 3 different bills currently. 2 are from the hospital and 1 is from the ambulance service. The hospital was nice enough to work with me because of the fact that I have no job, so my problem lies with the ambulance service.
Long story short, I fainted after getting a tooth pulled in April, they called the hospital and they made me go. I have a thing called vasovagal syncope which causes me to faint for any number of reasons. I knew I was fine, and even though I refused to go, they told me I had to. I told them I couldn't afford it and I knew ambulance services weren't covered with the coverage I had, they told me not to worry.
Anyway, I get a bill from the hospital a month later, that was expected. Then I get a bill from a collection agency that says I owe about $550. I never got a bill from the ambulance service, so I called around and eventually found out that they sent 2 bills which got a return to sender. They sent the bill to an address I lived at 2 years ago. The hospital had my current address, so does the post office, so why do I have a collection agency on me? I never was given the chance to work out payments, and now this is on my record. I didn't even know I was going to be charge for sure anyway.
I figured it didn't matter now because I have a bill anyway. I call the collection agency and ask to work something out because I have no job and I'm going through DHS and I'm on assistance. My case worker told me that by law, she thinks, they have to accept a payment of at least $10 a month. The collection agency told me that I have to pay them $130 before they are willing to work out payment options.
So here I am, a bill from april (which makes it too far back for retro-medicaid) that I never got until the end of June, is not being paid because I have no job and they refuse to let me make any payment. Can they do this? What can I do to get them off my back?
Thanks in advance,
J

