Gotta love collection agencies

[WillinVT]

Alright, I just got home from work and normally, I sit and relax for an hour or so before heading to bed (I work the night shift), but I had to take a few moments and share this with everyone.

Back in 2007, my wife was pregnant, but miscarried about 2 months into the pregnancy. She has type 1 diabetes, so she has to see a specialist often when she is pregnant. Thankfully, she has had 2 successful pregnancies and we have 2 beautiful daughters.

Anyway, the specialist she saw back in 2007 likes to take there time billing the insurance company and by the time they got around to billing them for all of her appointments, we had moved and our insurance company had changed because of where we lived.

Because of this, a lot of her appointments were not billed properly and it became a huge mess.

To make a long story short, there was a bill of over $900.00 that should have gone to the insurance company, but it didn't.

This money owed went into collections with CBCS and they sent probably 50 or more collection slips for different amounts, some were $5.00 and some were $80.00. This went on for a few months and then the calls started coming in. We didn't answer at first and then I answered and told them that this was an insurance issue and it needed to be straightened out with them. Obviously, they didn't care; all they wanted was there money.

They called a few times a week up until about a month ago and then the calls stopped.

Yesterday, in the mail, my wife received a statement from Balanced Healthcare Receivables asking for a payment of $1673.40. I am guess that CBCS sold the debt to these guys and they jacked up the amount owed.

What makes me laugh about this statement is what is listed.

It lists the same creditor (The Name of the Hospital) 5 times and beside it, it lists a reference number, date of service and the amount due.

Let me add that my wife and I started dating in December of 2002 and we were married in September of 2005 and she stopped working in June of 2006 when she gave birth to our first born.

Here are the date of services listed.

7/30/2010, 8/04/2003, 7/02/2011, 8/08/2001 and 8/22/2001

Are they serious? Do they make this stuff up as they type?

Then there is a bunch of hoo haw that states if we don't contact them or pay within 30 days, they will do what they can to collect the debt.

I am sorry, but this statement isn't even accurate; especially with all of the made up dates on it.

I know this is a long shot, but can I use this against them some how since they are making up dates, just to try to collect on a debt with the hospital?

I guess it doesn't really matter because I am filing chapter 7 next month, but I wanted to keep my wife off of it, but since the debt is in her name, she might have to be added.

[BigJohn]

2/29/09 is another good date, so is 4/31/09 and bill dates for 5/31, 6/31, 9/31, 11/31.

I think if we audit each and every bill, we will find major mistakes. But then, who audit their bills?

[WillinVT]

Well since you don't recognize those dates (and how could you since they are not really the dates you saw that doctor), I would send a letter stating you did not receive service from ______ hospital on those dates, you know nothing about this debt, this is not your bill, you have no intention of paying it and to cease and desist.

In this case your being totally honest. You are jumping to conclusions that this is your debt, since the dates of service, the name and the amount owed does not match any of your records, how do you really know this is your debt they are trying to collect?

I was actually thinking about doing this. The dates on the statement are no where near the dates that my wife went to see her doctor. Especially the ones listed for 2010 and 2011.

By the way, it's nice to see another Homer Simpson fan on here. Homer is the best.

[frogger]

Do not do "nothing". Dispute the bill!

Do not give them any information, just dispute it and make them offer proof. Don't give dates of service or anything else.

If you do not dispute within 30 days, they can assume that it is a legal debt.
Make them come up with original documents. How about making them come up with your signature where you authorized the charges?

No invoices - no signatures = no case.

If they try to take you to court over that, that will not win.

Dispute - Dispute - Dispute.

[WillinVT]

Do not do "nothing". Dispute the bill!

Do not give them any information, just dispute it and make them offer proof. Don't give dates of service or anything else.

If you do not dispute within 30 days, they can assume that it is a legal debt.
Make them come up with original documents. How about making them come up with your signature where you authorized the charges?

No invoices - no signatures = no case.

If they try to take you to court over that, that will not win.

Dispute - Dispute - Dispute.

So what do I do? Just write up something and send it to them? Are there any templates out there that I can use and reword it as nessessary?

[walkthaplank]

Anyway, the specialist she saw back in 2007 likes to take there time billing the insurance company and by the time they got around to billing them for all of her appointments, we had moved and our insurance company had changed because of where we lived.

Because of this, a lot of her appointments were not billed properly and it became a huge mess.

To make a long story short, there was a bill of over $900.00 that should have gone to the insurance company, but it didn't.

For the actual bills that were incurred: If you were insured at the time that the bills were incurred (not received) the bills need to be covered by the insurance company. *IF* the bills were not sent in accordance with your insurance company's contract with the doctor, that is a fight between them.

What does your (former) insurance say? Also, when they start spouting stuff about we're not responsible because of "x", it is time to start using terms like "bad faith", "damages" and "sue you". You (directly or indirectly) paid for insurance coverage from that company, they have a duty to live up to the agreement whether or not the doctor diddled around getting the bills out. They still have to pay 100% of what your policy's terms state, period end of story. At this point you should be telling them that you are keeping a log of every call you have to deal with, as well as any damages due to their failure to live up to their fiduciary duties which you will recover from them when you sue. You should also contact your state's insurance regulatory agency, or if you were in a different state, contact that state's insurance regulatory agency.

People pay a metric butt load of money to health insurance every year, the moment you don't live up to your end they have no problem going after you, you should do the very same thing.

BTW, I had a doctor who sent me a bill separate from the bill for services in a visit. I called the insurance company and they just handled it. Almost all health insurance is capitated meaning they get so much per body (head) they see.. literally.

For the other crap:

Dispute the bills and deal with the collection agencies aggressively. I love the future bills that they are foreseeing that you WILL owe

[catleg]

I agree with walkthaplank here, you're not even the party liable for these bills, so hiding from them is just going to make the situation worse.

Write a letter directly to the medical practice citing that their billing errors have resulted in the account not being properly billed to insurance.

Ask the medical practice to pull back the account from the collection agency.

This needs to go to the office manager or administrator of the practice.

Include whatever information you have about your insurance coverage (group#, member id, dates of coverage, company, phone#, billing address).

Since you moved and changed insurance you should give them information about both policies.

Should they fail to adequately address your concerns, a second letter threatening to report them to the state medical board and sue them for harassment would be appropriate, with a cc: to the doctor. But not in the first letter.

Sometimes resolving this kind of crap simply requires adult behavior.

Now, if they actually sold the debt it's a whole nother story, but hopefully that is not he case.