 TITLE: How to Get Help Paying Medical Bills CONTENT: What to Do if Your Medical Debt Is Already in Collections\n---------------------------------------------------------\nIf you haven't been able to pay a medical bill or keep up with a payment plan, your debt may be sent to a collections agency. The collection amount may legitimately be higher than your original bill due to fees and interest.\nSimilar to when you're dealing with other accounts in collection, you may want to ask the debt collector for additional information if you believe there may be a mistake. Ideally, you make a request within 30 days of when the debt collector first contacts you—the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has several sample letters you can use if you're not sure how to start.\nIf you find errors with the collection account, you can dispute their claim. You can also send disputes to the credit bureaus to get inaccurately reported collection accounts removed from your credit reports.\nIf there aren't any errors, you could try to pay off the debt or negotiate the amount. The debt collector may give you a discount for a full payment, or offer you a payment plan for a reduced total amount. If you can't come to an agreement, the collector can continue asking you for payment until the debt is repaid or you send a written request asking it to stop contacting you.\nBut stopping a debt collector from contacting you doesn't absolve the debt. The collection agency can still attempt to collect payment or sue you and get a judgment, allowing it to garnish your paycheck or bank account. END