<prompt> Human: While visiting Pittsburgh a few months ago, I realized that Id left a prescription at home and was short 3 pills. Its not a prescription I could not just skip a few doses as the side effects dizziness, nausea, diarrhea and headache to name a few are very nasty.Long story short, I called a few pharmacies to see if they could help me out and they all said they had zero discretionary power and that Id need to go to emerg for a prescription. I went to UPMC Mercy and was in and out in 10 minutes yay! with a script for three pills.I knew it would cost something, and was resigned to paying the 250 bill that came a month later. I was extremely surprised when, two months after that, I received an 850 bill from a collections agency. In talking to the hospital, I was told that the 250 bill was the Drs bill and the 850 is from the hospital. When I said I didnt receive the bill, they told me that was not possible as they mail out three bills before it goes to collections. They agreed to enter the bill into a status applying for payment assistance that would take it out of collections while they sent me another copy of the bill.Fast forward to today, two months later, I received another collections notice and still have not gotten a bill for what Im being charged. There is a possibility that my wifes out-of-country health plan will pay for all this, but they cannot even evaluate it without a bill.My questions are this:- Is it normal for a hospital to expect payment before I see a bill?- Is this a reasonable amount of money being charged for a 10 min ER visit for 3 pills?- Does collections action in the US affect my credit here in Canada?- Who do you escalate issues like this to? The customer service people have all treated me like Im lying to them: I literally have not received anything beyond the initial billThanks for your time!  <response>: Ask for an emailed or faxed statement.If you ever forget a prescription again, do not go to the expensive ER. Go to an urgent care, walk in clinic, or minute clinic not a hospital. Urgent care doctor visits usually cost well under 200, some as little as 60ish. They are walk in clinics, no appointment needed, be seen the same day, etc. 