(edit title) Inkasso and Credit Rating Advice Needed Options

[c_s_s]

Hi there,

I recently moved to Sweden, I have job, personal number etc..
A few months ago before moving here I was staying with my friend in Dalarna and hurt my back. I went to the hospital, showed them my European health insurance card, got given some pills and thought nothing more of it.

A few months later a final notice (invoice) arrived at my old UK address (not the Swedish address i gave at the hospital). It was forwarded here and I paid the amount in full.

Problem is, that the debt was so old, that it had been passed on to a collection agency called Intrum Justitia.
They've sent me a bill which includes an inkasso fee and interest charges. Ive disputed it and they will contact the hospital to see if they can cancel the whole thing, but they say it's very rare for this to happen.

To get to the point. This company has my new Swedish adress and personal number. Im worried about getting a mark on my file. But they've told me it has to go to Kronofogden for this to happen.
Is this correct? Or will it actually damage my credit rating. Am very confused and worried as i'm looking at getting a mortgage in the near future.

Any advise would be really appreciated. It would also be interesting to know how the credit rating/scoring systems work over here..

Thanks!

[cbgbg]

If you have a EU card it should cover you. A hospital can cancel charges but tell them that your EU card covers the costs.
Concerning Intrum/Justitia i can only say that they are idiots from first hand experience when i worked in their head office in London .

[Yorkshireman]

It has to go to Kronofogden, otherwise you are OK.

[Johno]

A hospital can cancel charges but tell them that your EU card covers the costs.

An EU card does not cover all costs, and anyone using one at Akutmottagning is still liable to the base treatment fee of around 300kr. But something doesnt add up here. How come the op gave a Swedish address but a late bill got sent to his UK address ? Was the Swedish address given a temporary one and the bill sent there got ignored ? So they traced him through the number on his EU card ?

[DaveN]

It has to go to KF, and then be ignored or refused to pay because you have no money, before it gets logged.

[c_s_s]

Hi There!

Thanks for the replies. Yes even under the European health insurance sceme, you still have to pay a small fee to the hospital. Mine was (350sek). You are actually able to claim it back from the NHS apparently..

But anyway, yes the hospital messed up. The bill was supposed to be given to me before I left. But the receptionist vanished and I was told it would be sent to the adress I provided. (Swedish address)
Instead they sent it to the UK, must have got the info from either my passport, or my health insurance card via some kind of central database..

Im relieved to hear that I don't have to worry about a bad credit score etc.. Now I'll just wait to hear back from Intrum and hope they or the hospital will swallow the late charges.. Or I guess I'll have to pay that as well!!

Have a good weekend