Hospital Debt
Hi, my parents were visiting us here in the US, while here my dad suffered a heart attack, and was hospitalized and incurred significant hospital debt. The bills have been coming in and total about $150,000 US. We are trying to negotiate with the hospitals, however it seems some have not been patient and have gone to collections. I am trying to understand the options my dad has for this hospital debt, is there anyone in Oshawa Ontario area that my dad could work with to know what his rights and courses of action are as a Canadian citizen?
Posted from: Ontario
In general, meeting with a licensed trustee in bankruptcy is good place to start when you have debt issues. In this case, it is important to understand that filing for bankruptcy in Canada will not release you from the US debt. The hospital would still consider your father legally required to pay the debt. If your father’s only debt issue is this hospital bill then while a trustee may be able to offer you some advice for dealing with your creditors, and some information about what actions the creditor can take, they will not be able to resolve the debt issue. You may need to seek legal assistance for help in dealing with US creditors.
I would also recommend contacting OHIP to determine if they can be of assistance as they do have limited coverage for out of country health service for travellers.