$10.18 medical bill sent to collections unknowingly

[u/2coniglietti]

I live in Texas. Had an MRI done Dec 2023 using insurance with a local facility, and received a single bill from them for $10.18 (patient responsibility) in late June 2025…18 months later. It was just a normal statement, no due date, no “past due” indication, nothing.

I put it aside and forgot about it, and figured if it was legit they’d bill me again. Fast forward today, 6 or 7 weeks later, and I get a letter that my debt was given over to collections and now I owe $407. None of the numbers match anything from the bill I received in June.

What are my next steps here? I’ve never had something go to collections, credit score is 830. Tried to find any EOB about it via my insurance app but the system doesn’t even go back that far.

This is dumb.

[u/TheFilthiestMuggle]

Medical billing is such a racket

Just call the original facility first and ask for itemized records going back to your MRI. They might pull it back from collections if you explain the situation