What can they do to me? (collection agency) RESOLVED update pg 2

My whole life, I have always been able to pay my bills. Now it is to the point where all seems hopeless. I am turning 50 this year and thanks to the economy, I have no retirement, I was forced to file for bankruptcy, can't pay my mortgage and I am unemployed (cannot collect unemployment as I worked part time for my husband's business so was considered self employed).

Back in 2012, I had to have blood work pulled because I was suffering from chronic fatigue. It was found I had an autoimmune condition called Hashimoto's thyroid. Any how, the insurance was supposed to cover part of the blood work. They rejected it. $1,700.00 worth and I had no credit card and no money whatsoever to pay it as we had just filed for chapter 7 and my husband and I both unemployed. Any how, I agreed with the hospital I owed it to that I would make no less than $15.00 a month payments as this is all I could afford to pay with what little was coming into the household. I only missed one month's payment and that was in January 2013 because my husband was out of work completely for 10 weeks and we had NO income coming in (we sold off a small dump truck used for his business to put food on the table and pay a mortgage payment).

I made payments faithfully, most being $15.00 per month and at one point when I had some extra, I would send in extra. I had it paid to 1,200.00 this year. But no, the hospital got a hair up their ass as they wanted more a month but I could not provide that. So they sent it to a collection agency. Gee, how nice of them to treat someone who is unemployed and just got out of bankruptcy? They just decided they were not going to work with me or cut me deal so they sent it off to a collection agency. Just goes to show you it's all about greed.

Any how, I don't know what to do, I don't have that much money in the bank at all (a few hundred). If I give it all to the collection agency, then I have nothing at all for emergencies to fix my vehicle if it breaks down (I drive a 1988 dodge Daytona). Bankruptcy took my good vehicle away from me so I am left to drive old stuff that breaks down.

Question being, what can a collection agency do to me? What is my next step? I can't pay them 1,200 in 45 days to save what's left of my credit rating. All I can give them at the most is $25.00 per month and lose my credit score again. I don't know what to do right now. I called the hospital and gave them hell as they said they can't do anything since it was sent to collection (why can't they?). So I reported the hospital to the BBB, and to the consumer protection agency. Don't know if that will do anything, but I basically put up my story on the BBB in the complaint so it will be there on the site for the public to read forever as to how shitty they treat people who are in a financial hardship.

I am hoping KARMA gets back at that hospital!!!!!

Last Edited by Pa resident1 on 05/28/2014 10:01 AM