I had the same situation

1. Since you don't have SSN, I don't know what to do with it. Check to see if you have a credit history.

2. If the bill is high, don't pay. Or, don't pay the full amount if you cannot afford it. If the account went into collection or went on your credit report, paying it (in full amount or not) will NOT help your credit score. On the contrary, it will hurt your credit score since the record will be kept from the day you pay instead of from the day you didn't pay.

3. If it has been a while, say, 5 years, and you don't have any immidiate credit needs, say, buying a house or a car, hold on to it and the debt will come off your credit record at the 3, 5, or 7 years depends on the state you reside.

4. There is a procedure to take negative trade lines out of your credit record. Research on the web for "pay for deletion" "verify collection account" "restrictive endorsement", etc.

5. Again, DO NOT pay until you fully understand the consequences. After you paid the money, no one will negotiate with you and your credit record will more than likely to be left as-is.

6. Good luck.