How do I resolve an unpaid medical bill I never knew about?
FAILING TO SEND REQUIRED CONSUMER NOTICE: The FDCPA requires that debt collectors send consumers a written notice that includes, among other things, the amount of the debt, the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed, and a statement that, if within thirty days of receiving the notice the consumer disputes the debt in writing, the collector will obtain verification of the debt and mail it to the consumer. Section 809(a), 15 U.S.C. ยง 1692g(a). If this is on your credit report as being in collections, then dispute it to have it removed. Most consumers don’t realize it, but this common practice, known as balance billing, often is illegal. When doctors or hospitals think an insurer has reimbursed too little, state and federal laws generally bar the medical providers from pressuring patients to pay the difference. Instead, doctors and hospitals should be wrangling directly with insurers. Balance billing most frequently occurs when medical providers participating in a managed-care netw
