Hospital threatening to send me to collections for not paying while my financial assistance application is still processing?

[u/air-sign-dominant]

Hi guys,

I went to an Ascension urgent care last October to get a splint put on what I had just found out was a broken wrist. I got a bill for $400 after insurance. It isn’t a lot, but I had JUST started a new job in a new city after graduation and didn’t have any money after moving, so I applied for financial aid. I got approved at the main hospital I went to for surgery, physical therapy, etc for 90% assistance. However, ascension had a separate, complicated application process that involved printing out multiple forms, compiling documentation and mailing it to them.

I sent out my application in early December. However, I kept getting “bill overdue” emails from them so I just called them to make sure it had been received and processed. They told me it had been processed Jan 10th and I could expect a decision after 60 days of that, but that they recommended I start making payments because otherwise they would send me to collections after the next billing statement (it’s the 4th one I received so far)

Is this allowed? I feel like it doesn’t make sense to make me make payments before I even know how much I will end up owing. Will they actually send me to collections so early? I had another hospital bill from 2022 that didn’t threaten collections until literally 2 years later (long story, I changed addresses and they didn’t do electronic statements)

[u/Local_Jellyfish7554]

So what my mom did when this happened to her for my sisters hospital bill was made small $10 payments because your still making a payment and they can’t technically send you to collections with that but I hope you get approved for the financial assistance a couple yrs ago my dr ordered labs before starting me on medications then after I was on them for 3 months ordered more labs my insurance denied to pay because I had already gotten them done so I was billed like $300 I applied for the financial assistance they paid everything but like $15 dollars it made everything so less stressful. I hope it works in your favor.
Main part of the story is do the bare minimum of payments like $30 MAX so they can’t send you to collections.