Atty threatening suit

[december23]

What is the name of your state? Colorado

I received a call from an attys office yesterday advising that I had a debt for an emergency visit from last year (12/23/05). They said that the billing service sent me 3 letters (1/16/07; 2/16/07 & 3/16/07), and that the last one was returned to them as undeliverable (I did move to AZ in the middle of 2/07, but my husband was at the house until 3/07).

Then they said the billing service transferred it to a collections agency who sent me only one letter (to an address I lived at more than 5 years ago).

Then it was transferred to the atty who apparently found me with no trouble.

I looked myself up on the internet and found me with no trouble, I even found my maiden name and for $9.95, a company that will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about me - scary!

I never received a bill or any sort of notice from the billing agency or the collection agency. Neither did my health insurance company. We each received 4 other bills for that night which have all been paid in full.
The assistant at the atty's office said it was my responsibility to make sure all the providers were paid, that it is Colorado law.

The person handling my file is out of the office for 2 weeks on vacation and I was told I'm not allowed to talk to the atty at all.

The atty is threatening suit against me if I don't pay.

I contacted the Post office and they have on file that I changed the address with them permanently in March. I have the printout showing I requested mail be forwarded to me to my temporary address in AZ prior to that. I received ALL my other bills with no problem.

My er visit was for a miscarriage, 2 days before Christmas. I remember everything about that night. The original amount was $326; now the atty wants $750 which includes interest and atty's fees. My insurance company told me to have them resend the bill and they would take care of it. The girl at the attys office told me that the probably wouldn't pay it (I can't remember why, it had something to do with the time frame).

My question is, do I have a leg to stand on? Should I tell them to file suit and go before the judge with my story? Or am I going to lose because I'm supposed to know who hasn't been paid?

Any help or insight would be much appreciated.

Thank you,

Rebecca

[debtcollector`]

Originally Posted by december23

I amgoing to lose because I'm supposed to know who hasn't been paid?

It is your responsibility to pay your bills and to make sure your bills are paid.

DC

[Ladynred]

Do what your insurance company told you to do - refile the claim !!! If it was a legitimately covered expense, and the claim is properly filed, you should be able to get it cleared up. You need to be absolutely clear with the insurance company that they WILL pay it if the claim is filed. Just don't wait for THEM to file it.. were I you, I'd get the paperwork and file the claim myself, AND pay the bill before you get sued. Then when the claim gets filed you can choose to have the money sent to YOU instead of the provider.

The root of it all is that YOU are ultimately responsible for ALL medical bills, no matter whether you have insurance or not. Claims get misfiled every day, or not filed, as the case may be. You have to stay on top of the EOB's and what's paid and not.