I had an accident while visiting Alberta some months ago so I was taken to the hospital in an ambulance and stayed there one night. I am not a Canadian resident so before I came to Canada I bought an insurance but unfortunately one month ago the insurance company notified me that they would not be responsible for the costs of the ER service, the ambulance and some in-patient services that I was provided because my medical records showed conditions that are not considered in their contract and after many claims it is very unlikely that they will pay. After that, I called the hospital in order to make a payment plan but they offered me some monthly payments that are still really high for me. Some days ago I received a final invoice from the hospital reminding me that I have to pay or they will send my unpaid bills to a collection agency with the probability of taking me to court. I've been trying to make other payment arrangements with them but they refused to accept lower monthly payments that fit my budget. Also, they told me that when they send me to a collection I can make other payment arrangements but I will not be allowed to enter Canada until I pay the debt in full because they will report me to the immigration agents. My questions are: is this true? and if it becomes true would I have problems with immigration agents from other countries such as the United States? or would this affect if I want to request another type of visa in the future? Is there any place where I can ask for help? How likely is it that I will be taken to court for overdue bills and what actions can the court take against me considering that I am not a person with assets that can be seized?
I really intend to pay but the bill is really expensive (around 8000 CAD) and I can't afford the payment plan offered by the hospital because I don't have a high monthly income or other assets in my home country. In fact, I am a university student and I just came to Canada for few months to learn english so now I am expecting to come back to my country in the next weeks and finish my career (I will get my title in a few years) in order to get a job that allows me to pay this debt. However, I am scared by the legal actions that may be against me that involve immigration processes in Canada and in the US.
I really intend to pay but the bill is really expensive (around 8000 CAD) and I can't afford the payment plan offered by the hospital because I don't have a high monthly income or other assets in my home country. In fact, I am a university student and I just came to Canada for few months to learn english so now I am expecting to come back to my country in the next weeks and finish my career (I will get my title in a few years) in order to get a job that allows me to pay this debt. However, I am scared by the legal actions that may be against me that involve immigration processes in Canada and in the US.