Is it actually true that medical debt disappears from your credit report after 7 years?

[Anonymous]

I owe about $10K to the hospital but I’m not going to pay because I’m American and it isn’t my fault our healthcare system is so poor. I googled it and it said 7 years. That’s perfect timing for me because I already have my own car and apartment.

This is my protest basically. I’m not paying hard earned money to scam artists.

[D_Bone_Steak]

I got jumped and beat up by some Dindu Nuffins, and got sent to the hospital in an ambulance. When I came back to consciousness $28,000 and they were calling me all angry and shit... it was the day after. Thankfully, the cops caught the main Dindu, that was over 18... They gave him the bill and 20 years in prison... which I'm sure he's out now on good behavior because he's obviously going to become a doctor or an astronaut.

Anyways...$28,000... I got stitches in my lip, and staples in the back of my head, and they gave me shit I didn't need like a tetanus shot. The ambulance ride which was about 4 minutes long was $350... I could've taken a fucking taxi for less. This is America.

I had to go on Amazon and buy my own staple remover and remove the staples from the back of my head by myself...

Fuck the system... we get charged taxes and they get the money and run over to Ukraine and give it to them. Nothing here gets fixed... but we built roads in Afghanistan. There are tent cities here popping up and it's just slowly getting worse... but we need to give free gender studies classes in Afghanistan... right... sure...

I was in the San Diego area, but ask someone from a place with the so-called "free health care system," yeah just ask them how great that shit is. At this point... I'm my own damn Doctor. I get shot... I'll dig the bullet out and stuff a tampon in the hole. I'll sew it up myself if I'm still alive enough to do it.

I'm drunk and ranting... sorry, I'm done.

[BeMuse]

Nope. If you have a debt and refuse to pay it, then generally the creditor will take you to court and get a judgement against you. Once they have a judgement against you it is recorded in the public records and they can use it to garnish your bank accounts and wages as well as put a lien on your property. You have to actually declare bankruptcy if you want debts to go away. In chapter 7 bankruptcy, they will liquidate all of your assets with the exception of something like your homestead. Then your bankruptcy will stay on your credit record for 10 years. During that period you basically will not be able to rent or barrow anything because you've destroyed your credit. If you declare chapter 13 bankruptcy and negotiate a repayment plan, then your will gradually work to repay your debts (restructure your payments) and you will have the chapter 13 bankruptcy on your credit record for 7 years. The best solution is to negotiate with the medical provider before you have to default. You can negotiated a reduced payment or a payment plan if you call ahead and are proactive about it many times. Often doctors will slash their fee in half if they know it's either half or nothing. Some hospitals will negotiate charges and others will not, most will be willing to create a payment plan rather than pay legal fees and risk receiving nothing.

[Anonymous]

All debt goes off your credit after 7 years as long as you've made 0 payments on it in those 7 years. A lot of people just let expensive things go to collections and don't bother paying it. But that does severely impact credit during those 7 years. If you're young and have other people to help you out with things you need credit for then it's easier. Just know that it'll be much more difficult to finance anything, get credit cards, buy houses, find new apartments, etc. Basically you have to work with only debit and buying everything outright.

[Agape93]

Lol even if it does, you can still go to prison for defaulting on your bills. Debtor prisons are still a thing in the USA

[Anonymous]

Not American but does that not mean it disappears from your credit score which matters if you are say trying to get a mortgage or buisness loan and maybe your score is low because of this bad debt you didn't pay off in your past?

I'm sure if it's anything like in the UK if you have a debt they will hound you to your dying day sending out bail bonds men to seize your assests. As for healthcare we don't get free healthcare either but here in the uk we contribute all our lives to national insurance

[LiamJHayden]

It will go off after seven year if you do not restart the clock. You also might get sued for it, and a judgment will take seven years from the date of the judgment. And do not ignore the 1099-C that you might get: that $10,000 "forgiven" debt could be considered "income" for the year you receive the 1099-C, unless you can get it excluded.

If it gets purchased by a collection agency, they might try to change the date of the debt, which is not legitimate. They prey upon the ill-informed. After the seven years elapse you can challenge the inclusion if it is still on your credit, but be careful in the words you use. "Out of statute" is a phrase you will want to know.

[Guy13]

You’re a fool twice. Live overseas or Canada and find out how “bad medical is here”.

Your medical bills get purchased at least by the 5th year. The purchaser updates your credit report. Usually those companies update it every 18 months until you die.

[Asker]

Damn that sucks man

[NamerOfStars]

There's an organization (actually, I think there's more than one) that is tracking your purchasing decisions and selling that information to others without your knowledge or consent, and they want you to keep paying them to ensue that this information is correct; I assure you most heartily that you ARE, indeed, paying money to scam artists- they're just extorters instead of fraudsters.

[exitseven]

Under current bankruptcy laws they can only go back 7 years. However a bankruptcy will be on your record forever. A lot of lending institutions will take that into consideration when they are reviewing your loan application.

[Anonymous]

Super sad to hear about this for you!

[Anonymous]

No it’s not true

[Asker]

Why does it say the opposite on google

[Opinion Owner]

The internet has a lot of info that is just flat wrong.