Issue: contacting medical provider to request bill

[jdcat]

I'm having some medical testing done this week and possibly a cat scan soon after. I'm really not happy about having these tests done because I know I can't pay for them when they come due, but I really need to find out what's going on with me. I already owe the hospital a few hundred.

I've been putting this testing off for months because of the moral issue, but have decided I can't take the discomfort anymore. And two attorneys that I interviewed told me I should seriously considering taking care of my medical issues before filing.

So here is my question.

Since I'm filing bk in the next 1-3 months (still in the planning stage) I need to make sure I receive these bills in time to include them in my petition. Our hospital is infamous for their lack of speed in this respect. I finally recently received one of my bills due from a trip to the ER from July!

I'd like to wait a couple weeks after the testing is complete to give them time to have all charges in the their system and ready for billing then contact the hospital to let them know I need these bills asap but of course I cannot tell them why! What do I say?

I do have insurance that will cover a lot of the cost but can't wait for the insurance to go through. I know the hospital will get paid by my insurance co. for most of it so that makes me feel better but I can't wait for that whole process to play out, I need the cost amounts asap.

What exactly should I tell the hospital if they ask why I need this info so quickly? And if I get the info before insurance has a chance to reimburse should I just include the total amount due before insurance in my petition to cover my bases so to speak?

Advice would really be appreciated!

You all are great!

[AngelinaCat]

We had a similar situation. We filed 12/28/2007. On August 18 of that year I had a bad fall and broke my right arm and left knee. Then in November of that year 'Hub had a skilsaw accident and resulting emergency surgery.

We knew it would be months before the insurance company and all the providers had done their thing and we get a firm amount for what we would end up owing. I was still in treatment and PT until February 2008. So our attorney had us put in $1.00 as a placeholder amount until we got the final bills. That way all of the providers were notified and everyone was on our Creditor Matrix.

In one case, we didn't get the final bill until the first part of 2009--well after we were discharged.

[jdcat]

Ok, am I understanding correctly then that I can use the amount I owe currently as a placeholder then change that number before filing? What about after filing? Can I adjust the number if new information is received after filing but before discharge?

Was the bill you received in 2009 covered by your bk?

As an aside this is something that I've wondered about with other creditors and the amounts that get put into the petition. What if the amount is incorrect?

Say for instance if $100 dollars is put on the petition for creditor A but the actual amount due is $500, even though the $500 worth of debt occurred before filing, can creditor A go after the debtor for the difference?

Thank you AngelinaCat.

p.s. A skilsaw!! I don't even want to know! LOL! My hubby and the machine he runs at work have had some issues with each other and hubby comes home with some really nasty looking gouges when his machine wins. I can't look at them and tell hubby I dont want to know the details. I get sick to my stomach just thinking about it! He laughs at me cause I start to gag if I see the gouges. Hope the skilsaw is now behaving itself for 'Hub!

[catleg]

Don't sweat the amount, just list each medical provider and Unknown for the amount, or the latest balance if you know it. You can mark the debts as contingent because you don't know how much you'll owe after insurance. It shouldn't really matter too much as long as you identify the creditors.

[jribe]

you just need to this them as a creditor- that way they've been notified. Just don't expect charges after you've filed to be included. Any treatment done before filing though would be dischargeable.

Ok, am I understanding correctly then that I can use the amount I owe currently as a placeholder then change that number before filing? What about after filing? Can I adjust the number if new information is received after filing but before discharge?

Was the bill you received in 2009 covered by your bk?

As an aside this is something that I've wondered about with other creditors and the amounts that get put into the petition. What if the amount is incorrect?

Say for instance if $100 dollars is put on the petition for creditor A but the actual amount due is $500, even though the $500 worth of debt occurred before filing, can creditor A go after the debtor for the difference?

Thank you AngelinaCat.

p.s. A skilsaw!! I don't even want to know! LOL! My hubby and the machine he runs at work have had some issues with each other and hubby comes home with some really nasty looking gouges when his machine wins. I can't look at them and tell hubby I dont want to know the details. I get sick to my stomach just thinking about it! He laughs at me cause I start to gag if I see the gouges. Hope the skilsaw is now behaving itself for 'Hub!

[StartingOver08]

As Catleg states, put "unknown" in the amount column if the bill has not been sent prior to your filing. You will want to make sure you know all the parties billing so you can list each party.

[jdcat]

Thank you so much you guys! It's good to know I don't have to actually contact the billing department at the hospital. One less thing to worry about.

[NewDawn]

Make sure you get this done before filing. Read my nightmare post about medical bills after discharge. Trust me, you're BETTER off to put yourself first. We learned the hard way.

[jdcat]

Update.

I'm getting worried now.

Though I do have an attorney picked out, finally, I haven't retained him yet and am not comfortable asking him to answer some questions for me because I haven't been able to put a retainer down yet. That will happen in the next couple of weeks though so will ask him then. We had a couple hundred saved up but hubby blew a tire and now we have $60 left. Bah humbug!

In the meantime I'd like to do a little stress releasing here.

It turns out that I may have to have surgery. Nothing major just a laparoscopy for now. I am really worried about this. We plan on having our petition filed sometime between the middle of March and the first week of April and I am so worried that including this debt in the bk is going to really rile the medical personnel up. There is no way I can expect them to believe that I didn't know I'd be filing bk before this surgery since we'll be filing about 6-8 weeks after the surgery.

I'm concerned that having something like this done then trying to include it in my petition will be seen as fraudulent. I absolutely need this exploratory procedure so that my doctor can try to find the source of my pain, so in that sense this procedure is totally legit/necessary. The timing though is what has me worried.

I guess I feel that this is comparable to using a credit card for a large purchase just before filing. I know I'm probably over reacting, but damn, this just sucks. These people (medical personnel) don't deserve it.

[Overmihead]

jdcat,

Just wanted to pop in to say that the doctors/medical personnel who will perform your procedure most likely won't know a thing about the billing side of it, or the fact that you filed BK 2 months later and therefore didn't pay your portion. That will all be handled by the billing department...and they aren't going to report back to the doctors, "hey, you remember jdcat from a couple of months ago? Well, she filed bankruptcy!"
Think about how busy they are, how many patients, appointments, and procedures they have on a weekly basis. And the fact that those performing the services aren't the ones filing with insurance, etc.
And as far as the trustee goes, I would think that medically necessary treatment is not something they are going to try to hang you on. Hopefully others with more experience will chime in...but I just can't see them trying to take a harsh line on something like that.
You have to take care of yourself. You are not undergoing medical treatment just for the fun of it, I'm sure.
Hope that makes you feel an itsy bit better...and I hope everything turns out okay, health-wise!

[jdcat]

Thanks for that Overmihead. I hadn't thought of it in that way. : D