Hired at an employer I owe a medical bill to.

[FinallyRNStatus, BSN]

Here is the deal. In nursing school, all I could afford was Student Accident & Sickness Health Plan which is basically low-end "insurance plan" that has a $2,500 deductible and will only cover a max $10,000 of an emergency/sick health care bill. It was $100/month and I couldn't really even afford that at the time but health insurance was required for nursing school.

During clinical one day I nearly fainted during a venipuncture procedure. I've had a history of fainting while standing during non-blood related activities, so I agreed to be taken to the ER for an evaluation. They were unable to determine the reason for my fainting spells. My insurance didn't cover a penny of the $1800 visit, nor was I able to pay it during the last 1.5 years of nursing school because I did not have an income. I feel $1800 is a lot to charge someone without insurance coverage for a 2 hour hospital stay, ECG and bag of IV fluids ... but hey that's healthcare for you. Lol

Now I just accepted a job offer from the same hospital I have this medical bill collection with. In some ways I feel I should pay the bill off once I get an income from working there or at least settle the debt for a smaller payment. It is the LEAST I could do considering they just offered me a job, and are providing me income. For once I might be able to pay it! On the other hand it is an old debt and I have a huge amount of student loans to start paying off. I am in the process of filing bankruptcy from credit card debt that went into collections when my husband was unemployed for 8 months. I feel it is ethical to pay it, especially since they are giving me a job! :) Any opinions?

[MunoRN, RN]

That seems like a better question for whomever is handling your bankruptcy filing.

[VANurse2010]

I can't tell you what to do, and we can't offer legal advice. If it were me, I'd check with my attorney and see about rolling it into bankruptcy - and I'd feel none too guilty about it.

[Tenebrae, BSN, RN]

I feel $1800 is a lot to charge someone without insurance coverage for a 2 hour hospital stay, ECG and bag of IV fluids ... but hey that's healthcare for you. Lol

Not really. Here that same proceedure would have cost you for the taxi ride home and thats about it

Now I just accepted a job offer from the same hospital I have this medical bill collection with. In some ways I feel I should pay the bill off once I get an income from working there or at least settle the debt for a smaller payment. It is the LEAST I could do considering they just offered me a job, and are providing me income. For once I might be able to pay it! On the other hand it is an old debt and I have a huge amount of student loans to start paying off. I am in the process of filing bankruptcy from credit card debt that went into collections when my husband was unemployed for 8 months. I feel it is ethical to pay it, especially since they are giving me a job! :) Any opinions?

Having been through the dragging my financial bones around (didn't quite get to bankruptcy but got close), I've found that most debtors are ok as long as you contact them to arrange a regular payment and if anything changes keeping them in the loop.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

Negotiate a reasonable payment and pay it.

[FinallyRNStatus, BSN]

Thanks for the input. I'll talk to my bankrupcy attorny then make a final decision.

Tenebrae - What do you mean by the same procedure would cost you only a taxi ride home? Do you not pay for healthcare where you are from or is it much less costly?

[Farawyn]

They hired you. Let them come to you about the bill. They won't forget, trust me.

[Jules A, MSN]

Personally I'm a fan of paying my debts and would definitely recommend it if you plan to have a relationship with this business.

[GrumpyRN, NP]

Tenebrae - What do you mean by the same procedure would cost you only a taxi ride home? Do you not pay for healthcare where you are from or is it much less costly?

Don't know where Tenebrae is from but in the UK, ALL medical care is free at the point of use.

No, nothing is free but when you are employed you pay 'National Insurance' which is a percentage of your wage. Everyone pays it so medical bills are something we don't worry about - just as well with my medical history.

So I agree with Tenebrae, all it would cost is the bus fare/taxi ride home.

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

For the record, they can't charge you a lower fee just because you were uninsured

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

For the record, they can't charge you a lower fee just because you were uninsured

As a matter of fact, self-pay patients are usually billed at a higher price point than insurers are for an insured patient. They can charge you a higher fee because you aren't part of the contract.

Many people don't know they can negotiate with the billing office. Don't take no for an answer. You can find out what they will bill Medicare/Medicaid for the same care, and then move on to the private insurer rate (Blue Cross, Kaiser, etc.)

[Purple_roses]

I had a hard time paying off a medical bill this year and the facility that I owed money too was happy to create a monthly payment plan for me. I ended up paying $70 a month until it was paid off. As another poster said, most places are willing to work with you.