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Wrongfully sent to collections

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Crjr

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? IL

My wife was admitted and treated in an Illinois emergency room in June 2013. We never received anything from the hospital until we got a letter from a collection agency in October 2013. My wife called the collection agency and requested an itemized receipt, since we thought the treatment may have been billed in error. The representative said he would reach out to the hospital to request an itemized receipt. He also mentioned the debt would not be reported to the credit bureaus until we had an itemized receipt and had a chance to address the debt.

We then received another letter from the collection agency in January 2014 stating we owe the debt and they sent what the hospital claimed was an itemized receipt. It was not an itemized receipt. It was a sheet of paper that listed the admission date, a line that said "wrong insurance" and when the debt was sent to a collection agency. It did not list the services my wife received or how the services were billed. My wife again called the collection agency, who said they did their job by sending what the hospital says was an itemized receipt.

My wife reviewed her insurance documents, and it appears the billed amount was covered by "BCBS Discount & 3rd Party Payments" and that we owe nothing on the claim.

We then checked my wife's credit report, and it has a collection notice in January 2014. Our next step is going to be calling the hospital billing department when they are available on Monday.

We are wondering if we have any legal recourse against the hospital/collection agency/insurance company for having a big ding on our credit when we were not given the itemized receipt of services received and billed that we requested? The debt appears to be paid according the BCBS, but we cannot gain a clear picture of the situation, since the hospital won't send an itemized receipt. Should we contact an attorney to seek legal action to get our credit report cleared?
 


FarmerJ

Senior Member
Have you tried to send to the hospital a registered letter in the letter the date of the visit and in the letter requesting they provide to you copies of the bills that list what they did and the cost? BCBS well maybe if you get written verification of what was paid then make a copy and have it ready if you need it. Then far as the bill collector goes I suggest you formally dispute this with the credit reporting agency and make it clear you want this removed. As far as the collector company goes unless You tell them in writing sent via certified or registered mail that you do not owe this debt and want them to send to you a copy of a court judgement that says otherwise, they are to stop collection efforts until they do. See anyone who calls you from a bill collection firm, that persons job is to bring in money its likely the one who called you has a so called minimum to collect every pay period to be able to keep their job , (no diff than say a local carpet cleaner who has phone solicitors x number of orders and one keeps their job) So Ill guess no matter what you say to a bill collector on the phone the only thing they are going to care about is getting a payment. On paper letters creates paper trails are vital with any disputes that end up pointing toward court.
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
The debt collector is under no obligation to send you an "itemized receipt."
 

Proserpina

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? IL

My wife was admitted and treated in an Illinois emergency room in June 2013. We never received anything from the hospital until we got a letter from a collection agency in October 2013. My wife called the collection agency and requested an itemized receipt, since we thought the treatment may have been billed in error. The representative said he would reach out to the hospital to request an itemized receipt. He also mentioned the debt would not be reported to the credit bureaus until we had an itemized receipt and had a chance to address the debt.

We then received another letter from the collection agency in January 2014 stating we owe the debt and they sent what the hospital claimed was an itemized receipt. It was not an itemized receipt. It was a sheet of paper that listed the admission date, a line that said "wrong insurance" and when the debt was sent to a collection agency. It did not list the services my wife received or how the services were billed. My wife again called the collection agency, who said they did their job by sending what the hospital says was an itemized receipt.

My wife reviewed her insurance documents, and it appears the billed amount was covered by "BCBS Discount & 3rd Party Payments" and that we owe nothing on the claim.

We then checked my wife's credit report, and it has a collection notice in January 2014. Our next step is going to be calling the hospital billing department when they are available on Monday.

We are wondering if we have any legal recourse against the hospital/collection agency/insurance company for having a big ding on our credit when we were not given the itemized receipt of services received and billed that we requested? The debt appears to be paid according the BCBS, but we cannot gain a clear picture of the situation, since the hospital won't send an itemized receipt. Should we contact an attorney to seek legal action to get our credit report cleared?


You really need to get back to your insurance company. I think I know what's going on here, but can't say for sure.

What kind of documentation has the insurance company provided? At this point forget the hospital and forget the collection agency.
 

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