Medical bills unpaid in the US?

January 25, 2012 5:26 am

I was traveling in the US and ended up in hospital. I have a reasonably large medical bill. I am about to clam on my medical insurance but not sure if it will cover me. So just wondering as i live in the UK what would happen if i didn;t pay the medical bill???

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Comments

  1. Basil on January 25, 2012 at 7:39 am said:

    Well, the American health system makes lots of money off tourists and other visitors.I got food poisoning in Dallas, TX and spent 24 h in a hospital without anything done to me at all, I just lied in a bed while the illness, not stomach related played itself out.The bill was unbelievably large, tens of thousands of dollars. I submitted the bill to my Canadian government health care office, they paid $ 600, what this whole event would have cost in Canada.My travel insurance was slow in processing the bill and 10 months later I had a call from my bank, in Canada: A collection agency from Texas were about to put a lien on my house (first claim if I sold it). – I screamed at my travel insurance representative who arranged for payment, quickly.So, based on that experience, be prepared for some VERY nasty communications from USA if you don;t pay. They could, quite conceivably put an arrest warrant on you, effective the next time you enter the country. Not likely, but a possibility.

  2. Grover on January 25, 2012 at 8:14 am said:

    They would first try to contact you and work with you to get it paid. But if you refused it, they would turn it over to a collection agency, and they can be nasty. Hospitals are closing down because people think they don;t have to pay, so please try to pay your bill.

  3. Brent on January 25, 2012 at 11:28 am said:

    you can set something up for a payment plan or if you don;t have a lot of money they have programs that will pay it off. My dad had an $80,000 hospital bill and he had 2 ins. i got it all paid off for him because he did not have much money we have the worse health care ins. I do not have medical or dental ins because we can not afford it if you do not pay it they will go after you. they can take it out of your taxes or your pay check. if they wont help you pay it off then claim Bankruptcy

  4. Cedrick on January 25, 2012 at 2:01 pm said:

    Since you live in UK, the hospital can;t do anything about you, even collect agency threaten you , it is just oral words , no justice action against you.If you don;t want to come US again, you are fine. If you insurance covers it, it would be better.US has most expensive health care in the world. Every doctor and nurse are rich.