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Healthcare & Life Sciences Debt Collection

Payer disputes, distributor arrears and cross-border enforcement for medical device, pharma and healthcare suppliers.

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SECTOR INTELLIGENCE / HEALTHCARE

The equipment is saving lives. The invoice is flatlined.

Healthcare debt collection spans medical devices, pharmaceutical supply, hospital IT systems, and clinical services contracts. Payment cycles are long, procurement bureaucracies are deep, and the debtor's first defence is always: "We are a healthcare provider." They are also a business that signed a contract.

Hospital procurement operates through layers of approval — purchase orders, three-way matching, GRN verification, budget allocation. A valid invoice can sit in a procurement queue for months because the PO reference has a single-digit discrepancy. We identify the blockage and resolve it.

Healthcare debtors invoke regulatory concerns to delay payment. 'We need compliance clearance.' 'The device registration is under review.' These are sometimes legitimate. Often they are delay tactics dressed in regulatory language. We distinguish between the two.

Long payment cycles

Healthcare institutions — particularly government hospitals and large health systems — operate on 90-120 day payment cycles as standard. An invoice is not overdue until it exceeds these terms. We calibrate our collection timeline to the sector's norms.

Relationship and reputation stakes

Medical device companies and pharmaceutical suppliers depend on long-term relationships with health systems. Collection must be handled with awareness that the debtor is also a customer — and often the only customer in that geographic market for a specialised product.

Procurement chain analysis

We identify where the invoice is stuck — PO mismatch, GRN discrepancy, budget code error, approver absence — and address the specific blockage. Often the issue is administrative, not financial.

Our team understands healthcare procurement regulations in each jurisdiction. We do not push past genuine regulatory holds — but we do identify when 'regulatory review' is being used as a delay mechanism.

Healthcare escalation follows a longer amicable window (30-45 days vs. standard 14-30) to accommodate genuine procurement timelines. When escalation is needed, we deploy legal instruments that match the jurisdiction — without damaging the supplier-customer relationship.

AVG CASE VALUE

US, DE, GB, BR

Healthcare debt spans developed and emerging markets. United States (the world's largest medical device and pharmaceutical market), Germany (Europe's largest healthcare economy), United Kingdom (NHS supply chain and private healthcare), and Brazil (Latin America's largest health system) are our most active healthcare jurisdictions. Each has different procurement regulations, payment norms, and enforcement mechanisms — and we operate natively in all four.

DECLASSIFIED | HEALTHCARE | US → MX

US medical device manufacturer (Boston)

Mexican hospital group (Mexico City)

$420,000 (surgical equipment — delivered and installed 8 months prior)

Hospital claimed "procurement budget reallocation due to COVID-related spending."

InterStation's São Paulo team (covering Latin America) verified that the hospital group had received federal supplementary funding 3 months after the alleged reallocation. The budget existed. Notificación formal issued through Mexican counsel. 90% collected in 52 days.

The budget was reallocated. Then it was re-reallocated. They forgot to mention the second part.

Do you understand healthcare procurement processes?

Yes. Three-way matching, PO systems, GRN verification, budget approval chains — we navigate these daily across multiple jurisdictions.

How do you handle government hospital debts?

Government entities require specific collection approaches — often involving formal administrative claims rather than standard civil proceedings. We have experience with government receivables in most major markets.

What about medical device recalls or safety issues?

If a genuine regulatory issue affects the product, we advise the creditor accordingly. Payment obligations for products delivered and accepted prior to a recall typically remain enforceable.

Which healthcare jurisdictions are most challenging?

Government-funded health systems in developing markets (long procurement cycles). US healthcare (complex billing disputes). Brazil (regulatory complexity). All manageable with sector-specific expertise.

Do you handle pharmaceutical supply debts?

Yes. Pharmaceutical distribution debts, API (active pharmaceutical ingredient) supply contracts, and clinical services agreements. We understand the regulatory context in each market.

Contact us — free case review