Well, that is not exactly correct.
The only reason I value my credit rating is out of sheer pride. (It fluctuates--rather inexplicably--between the high 790s and the low 800s.)
But I do not intend to ever purchase anything on credit again. So it really has no practical value.
And I would be more than happy for the hospital to turn over the matter for collection. (My only caveat, as I mentioned previously, is that I would not wish to embarrass the debt collector, who would really be innocent in all this.)