I really need some assistance....PLEASE RESPOND>>>

[vbperez]

What is the name of your state? California

This is the previous thread that I posted....

[url]http://forum.freeadvice.com/showthread.php?threadid=123883[/url]

Can somebody please advise....




Hospital sent me to collection for an unpaid balance I had no idea existed. I have always been covered either by Medi-cal (2001) or private insurance (2002). I am being charged for services rendered on August 2001 and February 2002 (Over $500 + interest). I was NEVER notified before this that I even had a balance with them. They just went ahead and sent my case to collection on November 2002. Aren't they supposed to notify me within a timely manner so I could had settled this before? I collection rep informed me that since a long time has passed my insurance would probably not cover it...bla ..bla.. They were negligent in handling this situation...URGH!! Why should I pay cash now....if they never informed me about it before ?
Am I not suppossed to get a notice from them before they send me to collection? They are wrong....

What can I do about this? It's so unfair.
Can't I sue or place a complaint against their mischevious and unprofessional billing tactics ?
...they are ruining my credit....

-Veronica

[Ladynred]

There's nothing in any law that says a creditor must inform a customer that they are being sent to collections. They usually DO because its generally a bad thing to be sent to collections and they use it as a threat often enough to make you pay.

Have you spoken with the hospital to find out if they sent notices to some other address ?? Its not uncommon. Have you spoken with the insurance companies to be sure they did cover everything ?

You have no grounds to sue as far as I can see. Get the facts from the hospital and the insurance people and if it turns out you do owe the money then there's not a whole lot you can do. If there was negligence in filing a claim in a timely manner, that could be usable, but from what you've posted here, you don' t have much recourse.

[vbperez]

The thing is that they never informed ONCE that I even had a balance. How was I suppossed to pay...or resolve it with my insurance if I didn't know I had an unpaid balance?

[Ladynred]

I would agree with you. But have you contacted the hospital to find out if bills were sent elsewhere ? Start your legwork at least at that point and then if you end up with a valid complaint you can go from there.

[ZOIE]

I worked in billing at a major hospital in Indiana and was told that the hospital was sending bills to patients as a courtesy. That the hospital was NOT obligated to mail out ANY bills. It was the patients responsibility to call the hospital or insurance company and keep tabs on the bill..... Several times if I hadn't checked my own bills and seen that the insurance hadn't paid, it could have easily gone to collections.

[vbperez]

Ok..here is the latest update.

The hospital's billing department informed me that I was never sent to collection. That the insurance companies were the ones that were supposed to get billed by the collections agency NOT ME.
Apparently, this hospital has had problems with this collection agency before...where the agency has tried to collect from the patients (and the insurance companies). Sounds like the collection agency was trying to double collect.....how shady is that.

Anyway, the collection agency is faxing the hospital a letter verifying that "I" have not been assigned to collection....sigh.
In return the hospital is sending me that letter (want to cover my back).

Glad to get that over with.

Anyway, my coworker informed me that I can actually place a complaint against the collection agency for trying to pull this on me.

Please advise..


-Veronica

[Ladynred]

You most certainly can place a complaint. I'd file one with the FTC, and your state's Attorney General's office. You can file a complaint with the BBB, but don't expect much from them, but who knows

[vbperez]

Thank you. I will contact the FTC and District Attorney's Office. From experience I know that the BBB is so lame......

-Veronica