Times are tough right now. If you’re lucky enough to have a job, your boss is getting tougher. Goods and services are becoming more and more expensive. Vendors are raising prices. And it’s turning out to be increasingly more difficult to stay up on your bills.

If you’re behind on your bills, the debt collectors are getting more tenacious, too. You get a tight feeling in your chest and your stomach churns, and you have the urge to ignore every incoming phone call from an unknown source. If you have medical bills, you might still be battling the illness or injury or still mourning the loss of someone you love or coping with their illness. Regardless of any hardship, the creditors will keep calling. Times are tough for them too!

To ease your mind just a little, remember that you have rights when it comes to medical bill collection. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has regulated debt collection practices since at least 1978 with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). The law is written to protect you, the consumer. It is meant to prevent abuses committed by big business and relentless debt collection companies. It also allows consumers to defend themselves against erroneous credit reporting. There are stiff penalties assigned to anyone caught violating the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. If any of this is happening to you, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Consumer Protection.

One of your rights includes timely contact. Debt collection agencies cannot call you before 8 o’clock in the morning or after 9 o’clock at night (unless you agree to it) or at work if you advise them against it. Make sure any warnings you give are provided in writing and are documented so that you have a clear defense when lodging a complaint.

You also have the right to privacy. Of course, you may have an attorney handle your financial affairs for you. Bill collectors are required to limit their contact to only you, your spouse, and an authorized legal representative. Be aware that debt collection offices are permitted to contact others to obtain information such as your address, phone numbers, and place of work, but not more than once. They cannot, however, mention anything regarding your debt with any of these people.

If you are receiving debt collection calls, you also have the right to ask for the proper documents verifying you are the debtor. The debt agency must produce this written communication as evidence of a debt before they can contact you further.

If you suspect you are the victim of debt collection harassment, are certain the debt does not belong to you, or wish to turn over your legal and financial matters to a professional, by all means enlist the assistance of legal counsel. It is important to defend your rights when it comes to paying debts.