Miriam visited a fertility clinic a couple years ago in Washington, D.C. where she lives,

and she got some tests done. She was lucky. Her insurance actually covered fertility stuff.

So she got the bill and her share was like 30 bucks. She paid it.

Then this other envelope arrives from

some place she never heard of, not the fertility clinic or any place else she's

ever been and it's hot pink. She thinks it looks fake. Like it reminds her of those

envelopes AAA sends you unsolicited with a membership card. And it's like, you're already enrolled. You just

need to pay this. Weird association, but okay, it says it's a bill and they want 35 bucks for some lab work.

And perhaps unwisely, Miriam ignores it.

Okay, definitely unwisely. And there are a couple of follow-ups also in hot pink

envelopes and on the one hand Miriam looks more closely and they are connected to

her visit to the fertility clinic. On the other hand, the follow-ups say this other thing.

They say, hey, pay up now, or this thing's going up,

way up, up to about 1,300 bucks from 35.

Which was so outrageous that I thought,

this is definitely bullshit.

Sorry, can I say that?

Yes, absolutely, yeah.

So Miriam does a dumb thing and ignores it and a follow-up and then in September

she gets a note from a collections agency they want that $1,300 and can they

freaking do that can some lab send you a bill for 35 bucks out of nowhere and then be like, hey, better pay now while we're in a good mood. Otherwise, it's going to be $1,300. Is that even legal?

This is an arm and a leg.

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