Lucy, this is the real world, bills do keep appearing out of nowhere and in my case they are always more than I thought. But 10 cents over at the end of the week and you've made it.

I am glad you are feeling able to take your life back again. Way to go!! :cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

Sue. :chat:

Lucy,

You wouldn't be normal if you didn't vent and get upset over something like this. But you will work it out in time. If you're talking about hospital and medical bills you can often work out a reduction. That's not a give away or copping out on a bill. They have programs to help and there is no shame in using them when you need to for such good reasons as you have. When you get back on your feet you can always make a donation to the funds that helped you out, too.

Jean

Lucy,

I'm sure you will work this out, although it is a pain in the A--. Maybe it's so you don't get bored with having nothing to organize.

Oh Bummer, you may want to ask the hospital if they have the "Hill Burton Act" you may be able to get some help with your medical bills thru this. Also your Department of Social and Human Services may be able to help with some of the medical bills on a categoricaly needy/emergency basis. If you can get your medical bills together ones you have already paid and ones that still have balances and go into there office.

A couple months after Sam got out of the hospital, I started getting hit so hard I didn't even want to go to the mailbox. I gathered up the bills and drove to the places to show them what I had and worked deals with them.

Everybody got a little at a time. When the smaller ones were paid off, the others started getting more. It worked quite well, and the people were pretty helpful. The most important thing about this is to be VERY organized. Know how much you owe, how much and when you paid them. Don't miss a payment! Keep a separate logbook and record each payment date, and amount.(Helps at tax time, too!) I kept a separate calendar with the days the payments were due. If you deal over the phone, get the person's name and number. Write down the time and date you talked to them. They'll work quite well with you, but you must CYA!!

If I get a bill from somewhere I'm not familiar with I get on the phone ASAP! I got a $2800 bill from a place I never heard of. Funny thing was, they never heard of ME. "Account number error"

Hang In There!!!

Thanks for all your encouragement and suggestions. It really helps. I hate to complain but I see that sometimes people receive what you say and undertand.

sktlwsk: Thanks for your list of organizing tips. I have been doing those things. I am anticipating tax time since I believe I will get a return. How will I spend this windfall? Pay more bills! What fun!

You are right about communicating w/ each organization. Most of the organizations I have talked to were very understanding as I laid out my plan to re-pay them. Then I reiterated what I said on the phone in a cover letter enclosed w/ check. I had a problem w/ one organization that would not work w/ me and the debt had gone into collections. Once they realized they were looking at the wrong account # (why is it that each time you go into a hospital, they create another acct# for your service? I understand privacy but I think its confusing!). Now I have kept that debt out of collections and they are very kind and working w/ me.

A lawyer told me to always pay the organization to whom the debt is owed directly, do not pay collection agencies.

What was discouraging to me, I was able to pay off a lot of debts in January but then one by one, I received more envelopes w/ windows and ended up w/ the same amount of creditors as I had in January!

I am saner now and back on track. Fit for human consumption. Thanks for understanding and your support, all. I have a time line and will be debt free in (5) years. However, with my stroke of luck, I'll have another stroke! Perish the thought!

Before all this happened, I had a good portfolio of investments so things could be a lot worse. I will "get there." Take Care. LK