She worked as a debt collector, then faced medical bills after her daughter's hospitalization. Now, her 'debt pro tips' are going viral on TikTok.
1. Medical debt expires after a certain amount of time.
2. If you're being reached by a collection agency or other third party, always ask for a hard copy of your original invoice by mail.
If the collection agency isn't able to provide a hard copy of the original invoice for the charges owed, they don't have legitimate authority to collect on the debt.
3. If a debt collector is contacting you outside of normal business hours, report them to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
It's illegal for debt collectors to contact you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., and violations can be reported to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
4. It never hurts — and can even help — to be kind and courteous to your debt collector.
Burns explains why it's important to answer the phone when collectors call, and why it can pay to be nice.
5. Remember that you're entitled to a breakdown of the medical costs you're being charged for.
In her most popular TikTok, Burns notes that it's within your rights to ask for an itemized list of charges incurred during a hospital stay.
6. When possible, avoid medical debt in the first place.
While it's best to defer to medical professionals' judgement about what treatments are best, you can avoid extra costs in an emergency room situation by declining procedures that you know you don't need, like a pregnancy test.
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