Major accident- NO INSURANCE!!!!

[vsentz]

Hello everyone....
here's the situation: I am a US residen, hubby a US citizen and my parents come to visit us from Mexico as legal visitors.
Unfortunatelly, my mommy suffered a bad accident here and broke her ankle, hit the back of her head and cracked it open last weekend.

No insurance.


Now we are freaking out!!!! (THANK THE LORD she's fine now), I know money isn't everything, and as long as she's fine we'll figure something out, but....boy! this is very stressing! we don't have a high income and my dad is retired (so is she) and the only income they have is 1,300 a month from the social security down there.
We've tryed to talk to the financial counselor in the hospital and she refuses to help (other than give us payments of 400 bucks a month for million years from now) and the bill keeps adding (so far 12,000 dlls!!!!).

Have anyone been in this situation??? Please help!!!!

Thank you!!!!

[InsureBob]

Absolutely correct.  That's how many a female pays for maternity, without health insurance.  A hospital would rather receive $25 a month than have to collect.

Peekawho is correct.  Don't ask.  Send what is comfortable for you.

[peekawho]

Bob--
Isn't it too late now, if the accident has happened already?  

vsentz, are they going back anytime soon?  I don't believe that the hospital will be very sucessful in collecting the bill if your mother is in Mexico.  Hopefully, you didn't list yourselves as a secondary responsible party.

And the hospital can't dictate how much is paid, as long as something is paid each month, every month, never late.  If you are late by so much as a day, they can turn you over to collections for the whole amount, due immediately.  My son had a $38,000 medical bill once, and we sent the hospital $50 a month for a couple of years until I forgot one month.  They sued us like the next day.  But they couldn't do a thing as long as we paid on time every month.  They were livid,  but they have to accept it.  

If you wind up responsible, find a sum you can live with and send the hospital a certified letter stating what you will pay each month, and on what day it will be paid.  And you'd better stick to it.  Don't ask them what you can pay, tell them what you will pay.  

[InsureBob]

I would consider patriot insurance.  There is a company, named IMG, that sponsors it.  It is for Americans that travel abroad, but also for nationals of other countries that travel here.

I can send you some information if you'd like.