Sending to collection legality?

[FearTheVisor]

Does anyone know if it is illegal for a doctor or dentist to send an account to collection if the patient has been sending monthly payments and the practice has been cashing the check? I am in the state of WI.

[lrprn]

Does anyone know if it is illegal for a doctor or dentist to send an account to collection if the patient has been sending monthly payments and the practice has been cashing the check? I am in the state of WI.

Are you in an active bankruptcy case that is not dismissed?

Unless you are, most medical and dental practices are set up for patient bills to be paid off within a certain period of time, typically within 90-180 days depending on the size of the bill. Go past that timeframe with money still owed, and you will go to collections.

If your account is already in collections, it may be too late, but have you tried calling the office to see if you can work out a payment plan? Many offices are willing to work with you if they know you are having financial difficulties.

[HHM]

Typically, about the only restriction on medical collection is they can't put a lien on your home. Otherwise, they can send your account to collection, sue you, whatever, if your account it past due. Also, the UCC (univeral commercial code) allows most companies to cash payments and still continue and any and all collection activities.

[Spartan]

I thought UCC means Uniform Commercial Code. It can also means Universal Currency Converter.

[davids]

doctor or dentist

Does anyone know if it is illegal for a doctor or dentist to send an account to collection if the patient has been sending monthly payments and the practice has been cashing the check? I am in the state of WI.

was prior arrangements for payment made? like if you owed them
$1000, and they agreed to take $25/mo then they should not
send you to collections, but if no agreement was made, then
they will send you to collections... as paying $25/mo on $1000
would take forever, and would go past, 30, 60, 90 day limits.

doctors and dentists are like everyone else, they expect payment
in full in the time frame given...unless you made some prior
payment arrangements with them... you can not just send them
whatever you feel is right... lets say you sent them $25 and your
payment amount was $200, I would say they do have the right
to send you to collections as you did not meet their payment
arrangements...

and that goes for anyone also... lets say your monthly payment
is $500 on a car note, and you decide you will send them $50.00/mo
of course they will cash that check and post it to your account,
within 3 months down the road, you are way behind, will they
send you to collections even though your still sending them
$50 a month... you are no longer making your proper payments, and
you are falling futher, and futher behind, they will send you
to collections....

[HHM]

I thought UCC means Uniform Commercial Code. It can also means Universal Currency Converter.

lol, opps, you caugt me. It was rather late at night when I wrote that...you're right, its the Uniform Commercial Code.