You don't know WHAT a collection agency will do. About four years ago, I went to a doctor here in town for a particular ailment. While I was there, I asked him to take off four moles from my neck. I was in a job in which the dress code was changed -- I now had to wear a tie four days a week and the moles caused irritation when I turned my head because my collar was now tight. The insurance company denied coverage of the $80.00 because they claimed it was a cosmetic procedure. The problem was, the insurance company didn't tell me they had denied coverage and the doctor's business office didn't tell me they didn't get paid. When they didn't get paid, they turned the charge over to a colleciton agency, from whom I never heard. I found about all this when, a couple years ago, I needed to see the doctor again and they wouldn't make the appointment because of the unpaid $80.00. They wouldn't take payment from me because they'd turned it over to the collection agency. I haven't looked at what this has done to my credit rating because of a slow pay on a bill I didn't know I owed. The idea that I would wreck my credit rating over eighty bucks is ridiculous, but it may very well have. Bottom line, I learned to not trust ANYONE is any business office.

A couple months ago, I had a followup visit to a (different) doctor after a minor surgerical procedure. The person at the desk said that because it was a followup visit there was no co-pay due. Sometime later, I got a bill for $40.00, my co-pay amount. When I asked about it, they had changed the coding from followup to office visit because of the time that had lapsed between the procedure and the followup. I now owed a co-pay. Of course, the fact that THEY were the ones who made the appointment counted for nothing. There might be some honest and honorable business people around -- I met one at Goodyear here in town, but they seem to be few and far between. Please understand that I'm not blaming the doctors. The people who cause the problems are in the business offices.

Change your # and toss the mail. Problem solved.

I don't understand. I am not paying because the state statute of limitations had lapsed. What ever happen to being responsible for your actions. You ask for money and you pay it back. Should not need anything special to return an agreement. At one time this could be done by a handshake.

Good luck Mr. Durham. You will need it!