I'm being sued.

The hospital I went to back in 2013 is suing me for having not paid my bills since then...

I am hardly working and I don't make any money to pay them back. I haven't been purposely not paying, the bills were made before I had a job and before I had medical assistance, so clearly I do owe them...

But the bills are over $1000, I don't make that much, I would make $1000 in like six months and that's only if I didn't spend my paycheck on anything else.

I was already feeling somewhat depressed before all of this started, and now I feel it even more so. I can't afford to pay these bills, I would have to go without food for six months to pay them back in full. It's -26F and there's about 8 inches of snow on the ground, my only pair of winter boots have a hole and I was hoping to spend some money on a new pair of boots...

I guess winter will just have to stay cold for me.

If I am dead, would I still have to pay for the bills?

Hi Kori,

Big bills stink. Have you called the hospital and asked if you could be put on some sort of payment plan? I have done that for overdue bills of my own. I'll offer to pay, for example, $50 a week until the debt is paid off, or however much I can afford.

Surely they can't make you pay it all in one go, This is mental!

Surely they would understand if you can pay so much off a month.

I don't think they will really sue you for only $1000 because their attorney fees would cost them more. I think they are just threatening you. I'm sorry when you are vulnerable, you get kicked when you're down. You can offer for pay them a small amount monthly. Even $5

Tisha might well be right. This might all be a bluff. credit card company (Barcley's) threatened to sue me and even had me served with legal notice. Then they never followed through. (That's actually illegal . . . at least for c.c. companies.)

I owed a hospital $5000 that I never paid. Nothing came of it.

Most hospitals have a program for persons in financial hardship. I didn't even bother with all the paperwork that entails. I just wrote them a letter saying I would not be paying.

Is it actually the hospital still contacting you? They may have turned the debt over to a collecting agency by now. Those folks try to intimidate and shame you. Ignore them. Just say you haven't got the money. Look up what is the statute of limitations for debt in your state. This debt will eventually go away.

It is a bluff. You should represent yourself "pro se" and have a grand old time dragging this out. But you cannot get blood from a stone. A lot of the collection agencys and lawyers try to make you think something bad is going to happen to you but it won't. You might have something on your credit report. But that is it.

Also, check your state's laws. Hospital services are "contract" in nature and sometimes they are barred by Statute of Limitations which sometimes can be three years (they could be suing you how because they have to preserve their rights).

It may not even actually be the hospital suing. A debt that old has probably been sold off to a collection agency and it is a collection agency trying to collect the debt. (Oh, I see someone else already mentioned that.) They fact is that they probably bought the debt for pennies on the dollar and will probably be quite willing to reduce the amount and/or work out a payment plan if you want to try to pay it, but I wouldn't fret too much about trying to come up with the whole amount in one lump sum.

When I was broke, I got a hospital bill for $5000. I soon was on SSDI. I can't afford to pay it. I never did.

There is a statute of limitations on debt (at least, every state in the USA has one.) Check yours out. Eventually this debt will go away.

Do not deprive yourself of basic necessities (and even a few non-essentials) to pay this. Do try to get on Medicaid, if you can - for future needs.

Its a bill collector...trust me..I have had this happen many times...When I was young....I smashed into a telephone pole, rushed in ambulance...etc...and they sent me bills and warnings for 5 years...even if they ever took me to court I would not go..and then they "win"..but I had nothing to give.

My son had open heart..and I owed alot more than 1000.....I threw away all the bills all the time...I'm still here.

In the future if I ever need the hospital....and I don't have the $...I'm going....and not worrying about the bills.

I would throw it away..and don't worry about it.

Time passing by can be your friend. It gets you closer to the day when the statute of limitations makes the debt uncollectible (specifically: not subject to a court judgement.) I'm assuming you are in the USA. (My impression is that the rest of the civilized world gives poor people healthcare cost-free.) But, if you decide someday to send in a payment, you start the clock ticking all over again.

On the phone, you may be hearing things like, "So how can we get this resolved TODAY?" Don't get shook up by any of these verbal tactics. Stay relaxed. Say "I am unable to make a payment. Perhaps my circumstances will improve. For now, they are what they are." In the USA there is no law that says you have to talk to anyone on the phone about debts. If anyone stresses you, just say you got to go . . . and hang up. With the income you are describing, I wouldn't pay a penny.

If you get sued, you don't even have to show up at court. That means you lose the decision by default. But all that means - as I understand it - is that the judge will say, "Yes, this is a legitimate debt and Kori A. does owe this money." That doesn't automatically mean the judge will issue a ruling that your bank account can be raided, or your wages garnished. Don't go leaving a thousand dollars sitting in a bank account, but I doubt you do.

As said above, it is unlikely whoever is trying to collect is going to pay legal fees to take you to court. Just do keep telling them how small your income is. That will discourage them.

I'm in a similar situation and I'm ignoring them. I have been for six months and still seeing if it will go to court. We'll see. Either way, I can't pay it. Even if I do go to court, I'll tell the judge the same thing: I don't have a job, an income, I don't receive government assistance and I'm technically homeless. What the hell do you want me to do? I'm lucky enough to have a roof over my head because of soon to be in-laws. My fiance doesn't make enough money to cover this ****. I can't afford to lose a penny.

Basically what I'm saying, if you can't pay, then you can't pay. Ain't much they can really do.

You should contact the hospital directly to discuss your options. The hospitals in my area provide what is referred to as 'charity care' for low income/uninsured clients. Ask if you are eligible for that to reduce the amount you owe them.

If that doesn't work you can still work out a payment arrangement and those don't accrue interest like credit cards do. I owed several thousand dollars (now <$1000). The hospital is willing to accept payment of $25/month. It works for them and it works for me and also helps my credit score.

I just wanted to thank everyone for replying

Also I wanted to update this thread
I have since called the number on the summons and have set up payment arrangements for the bill.

So I will be paying that off as soon as I can.
Thanks for the advice and information everyone

I've made tiny payments for hospital bills when my finances are tight (I'm disabled so very I tied income).

The hospitals have let me pay just $10 a month toward a $1,500 bill, for example. The main thing is to not ignore them. Get in touch with billing and ask about sending small payments.

I'm glad they are working with you. Take care.