I was in US on visit Visa. Had to go Emergency because of some Kidney issue I had previously and it suddenly became very serious so they had to treat it. I didn’t have any insurance as visitor. Bills came after I left and I didn’t have enough money to pay that bill. I asked hospital that I was a visitor and didn’t have any insurance so if I can get any discounts and they refused and said they can do installments which monthly payment is more than my salary in India. I wanted to ask if I don’t pay, would it effect my future entrance in US? Also I work in multi national company which might apply for my Green Card in future as well?
It’ll go to collections and USCIS will know everything about you. But you don’t have a SSN yet which might make it more difficult to cause an impact but most likely it’ll come back to bite you in future.
No way USCIS can do anything without SSN: how do they know it's the right person? Name and even date of birth are not unique
Affirmupdo Please stop with the fear mongering! USCIS is not a collection agency and even if they were, they cant do anything without an SSN. Worst thing the hospital will do is to send the bill to collections but the collection agency cant do shit without an SSN. OP does not need to pay the bill at all.
Tell them you can't pay..show them your salary slips and most probably it will go in charity.
Tell them you can't pay now or in future upfront. They will write it off. Not like hospital will shut down cuz u didn't pay
Don’t they typically sell the rights to the debt at a discounted rate to a collector that might decide to come after you in the future if you do that, or am I off base in that?
Meta is correct, unpaid debt goes to pitbull collection agencies. You can't really be touched in your home country but they could make your life hell if you relocate to the US, even though the debt, legally, can only be collected for a certain number of years
People here saying to pay are weird. Absolutely do not pay that. Don’t even stress about it. You’ll be okay
Hope you told them your name was Michael Scott .. then you will not have any issues with green card later on
Make the hospital an offer. It will negotiate if you say they can take a lower offer or nothing at all.. Be sure and tell them their monthly installment proposal is more than 109% of your salary. In the unlikely event this happens again, do not go to an emergency room but an urgent care center like Patient First that will only cost you a few hundred dollars.
Op visited 🇺🇸 without a traveler insurance?
It’s not a requirement to enter the country but yeah, not a smart move
Traveler insurance is a scam for a most part
Dont pay! They can’t enforce it or send it collections without an SSN. just forget that it ever happened.
Can someone suggest a good traveling insurance for the US that is ACTUALLY covering stuff and not just being money grabs?
After thorough research I believe it doesn't exist
How does one visit the US without being mortally afraid of crippling debt then 😭 I have a SSN too 🤦♂️
Yeah you’ll have to pay if you plan on coming to the US in the future.
OP actually doest need to worry about the bill even if they come back. The current bill is not associated with an SSN and when OP comes to the US next time and gets an SSN, this bill wont magically be attached to their SSN. Not how it works.
They associate with your name and other things. Ssn is not necessary. This is a common misconception.