Do unpaid health insurance premiums get sent to collections?
I let my health insurance coverage (Fidelis Care in NY state) lapse in August 2022 because I wasn’t using it and it was far too expensive (even partially subsidized through a state marketplace). I’m a farmworker and was too overwhelmed during the high season to get my sh!t together, so instead of cancelling it formally I just stopped paying the premiums. I received a notice in November notifying me that my coverage was terminated at the end of October, which is fine. I hadn’t been to the doctor or filed any claims all of 2022 anyway. I logged into my account today out of curiosity and saw that I have about ~$1000 in unpaid premiums for the plan from August – October (it was about $300/month). How likely is it that the insurance company is going to forward that balance to a collections agency, and that it’ll affect my credit score? I don’t plan on getting insurance any time through Fidelis again, or re-enrolling in this specific plan as I now get health insurance through my employer.