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Hospital sent bill for surgery to someone else.

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benjette

Junior Member
Hope this is the right forum, family is telling me this could be a civil suit. We're in Kentucky. Last year my husband had a planned surgery with consultation. I was the only one present with him, filled out his paperwork for him, listing him and his own insurance as usual. After the surgery, the hospital mailed the biggest bill - with details of anesthesia, surgery, etc. to his MOTHER, and SHE was listed as the guarantor - with her social security number! We don't even know her social so there's no way we could have provided it on any of his registration forms. We happen to have a relationship with her and she passed the bill along. Jan 21, 2015 I called Medical Records at the hospital to have the info changed - they were very unconcerned though. After that, I called another number to set up a payment plan and they said they'd mail a payment book. Well, that ALSO went to his mother, with her name on every page! It is NONE of her business that we have a large medical bill for surgery, let alone that we set up a payment plan on it - except that it is STILL in her name and social!!!

Yesterday I called the payment company again. They said they could view medical records but not edit them, and that they were still in his mother's name in the computer and there were NO notes from when I called MR the first time. I called MR again - they agreed there were no notes! Again unconcerned, they said the info was "for sure" updated and they would send a reminder to the payment people to mail us a new, corrected coupon book.

Does my husband or mother-in-law have any legal action they can take against the hospital - he for violation of privacy or she for putting a bill in her history without her consent?! I still have the original bill and payment book with his mother's info on them.
 


Ohiogal

Queen Bee
How old is your husband and was he on her insurance? Accidents happen and that doesn't mean it is a lawsuit.
 

OHRoadwarrior

Senior Member
If she opened mail addressed to him, it is a postal issue. Not a hospital issue. She opened mail addressed to someone else instead of forwarding or returning it. She can go to prison.
 

cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
Where does it say that the bill was addressed to him? Since the bill was (rightly or wrongly) in her name, what makes you think it wasn't addressed to her?
 

benjette

Junior Member
The bill was actually mailed to her, in her name. The only reason she knew it was my husband is because he was listed as the patient.
 

single317dad

Senior Member
Was your husband treated at this same hospital when he was a minor under his mother's care? If so, the records snafu is totally understandable.
 

LdiJ

Senior Member
Was your husband treated at this same hospital when he was a minor under his mother's care? If so, the records snafu is totally understandable.
The original snafu is understandable...the continuing problems are not. It should have been corrected the very first time it was brought to their attention.
 

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