HIPPA_ Ok to send checks or not?

[blueberry]

This question is about Why Chat's Hippa process. After disputing, you send payment to OC and inform them that by sharing information with CRAs they've violated HIPPA.

 

I have two medical collections that appear to have been purchased by JDBs. I have already disuted online and sent the OC a letter saying I have no knowledge of the accounts being listed on my CRs and will gladly clear up the matter if they can provide me with records of services rendered. OC (hospital)did not respond to the request.

 

Is it advisable to go through the HIPPA insert A process with a check in this circumstance? I have two concerns- one that OC won't accept payment, and two that they will forward check to JDBs, which would jeopordize my account information indefinitely.

Edited May 5, 2007 by blueberry

[snkeskiner]

You are always safer paying a collection with a money order. First, there will be no waiting period for it to be removed from your report. Second, you aren't giving up for account information. Take a trip to the post office and get your self a money order. The $1 or how much it costs is worth it.

[jmnin]

Always send a money order.

[Why Chat]

This question is about Why Chat's Hippa process. After disputing, you send payment to OC and inform them that by sharing information with CRAs they've violated HIPPA.

 

I have two medical collections that appear to have been purchased by JDBs. I have already disuted online and sent the OC a letter saying I have no knowledge of the accounts being listed on my CRs and will gladly clear up the matter if they can provide me with records of services rendered. OC (hospital)did not respond to the request.

 

Is it advisable to go through the HIPPA insert A process with a check in this circumstance? I have two concerns- one that OC won't accept payment, and two that they will forward check to JDBs, which would jeopordize my account information indefinitely.

Your post belongs in the medical accounts forum.

Please do NOT say you are using the "HIPAA" letter program from my website if you are going to do something different.

"sent the OC a letter saying I have no knowledge of the accounts being listed on my CRs and will gladly clear up the matter if they can provide me with records of services rendered. OC (hospital)did not respond to the request."

 

If you received no response from the CRA dispute, and received no response from the OC, then any $$ you send anyone will accomplish ZILCH

 

If you bothered to read the instructions for sending payment to an OC AFTER verification from the CRA, you would have KNOWN the answer to your comment,

"and two that they will forward check to JDBs, which would jeopordize my account information indefinitely."

The required endorsement on the MONEY ORDER "for deposit only etc. etc." negates that possibility entirely.

[blueberry]

Ok, thanks..

 

Can hospital forward to JDB/CA if the payee is clearly marked as Hospital? Concerned that HIPPA follow up disputes to paid Collection Account won't work if JDB/CA becomes involved in the payment.

[blueberry]

Why Chat,

 

Your response must have crossed my post, because I didn't see it. I did read your instructions, "for deposit only by ______", but several years ago I did this for a cable bill within the first 2 months of being sent to a CA and the CA, not the cable company deposited the check.

 

So, you see I have a concern about this, which was why I was asking.

 

Anyway, my only deviation from your process was to write an initial letter without payment before the HIPPA letter with payment. I chose to do this for because of the possibility, however remote, that the OC would agree to accept payment and remove the account from collections voluntarily. It has been known to happen.

 

However, apparently you are implying that writing a letter prior to the first HIPPA letter but after dispute has destroyed the legal HIPPA basis.

 

I am curious to know why, simply for my own edification.

[Why Chat]

Why Chat,

 

Your response must have crossed my post, because I didn't see it. I did read your instructions, "for deposit only by ______", but several years ago I did this for a cable bill within the first 2 months of being sent to a CA and the CA, not the cable company deposited the check. I do not know exactly what you wrote "several years ago" but a "for deposit only account of XXX XXXX" is presumably a binding prohibition under banking laws for it to be "signed over" to anyone else. Without seeing the cancelled check/money order, I would not be able to comment. In any case, it doesn't really make much of a difference in a NON MEDICAL account, as there is NO similar "leverage" available about notification restrictions by an OC to a CA for a cable company bill

 

So, you see I have a concern about this, which was why I was asking.

 

Anyway, my only deviation from your process was to write an initial letter without payment before the HIPPA letter with payment. I chose to do this for because of the possibility, however remote, that the OC would agree to accept payment and remove the account from collections voluntarily. It has been known to happen.

 

However, apparently you are implying that writing a letter prior to the first HIPPA letter but after dispute has destroyed the legal HIPPA basis.

 

I am curious to know why, simply for my own edification.

No, I didn't mean that your inquiry "destroyed" the HIPAA proccess, simply that it was not part of it, as you had not yet apparently established a current relationship between the reporting CA and the OC and your "inquiry" was an unneccessary "blip".

 

Now, if the OC had turned your letter over to the reporting CA, and the reporting CA had responded, that MIGHT have caused a problem, as you made an offer to pay that MIGHT have negated any further "HIPAA" steps.

 

The reason for the initial dispute to the CRA is to establish THAT current relationship, or to get a deletion.

 

SOME people have decided to go ahead and pay the OC after the dispute letter has gotten them a deletion, in which case they can do so ANYWAY with insert "a". ( and send the "x" reporting CA a total cease and desist letter).

 

But if you pay the OC without establishing a CURRENT relationship with the reporting CA, you have NO WAY of getting a deletion.

[blueberry]

Why Chat,

 

Your response must have crossed my post, because I didn't see it. I did read your instructions, "for deposit only by ______", but several years ago I did this for a cable bill within the first 2 months of being sent to a CA and the CA, not the cable company deposited the check. I do not know exactly what you wrote "several years ago" but a "for deposit only account of XXX XXXX" is presumably a binding prohibition under banking laws for it to be "signed over" to anyone else. Without seeing the cancelled check/money order, I would not be able to comment. In any case, it doesn't really make much of a difference in a NON MEDICAL account, as there is NO similar "leverage" available about notification restrictions by an OC to a CA for a cable company bill

 

So, you see I have a concern about this, which was why I was asking.

 

Anyway, my only deviation from your process was to write an initial letter without payment before the HIPPA letter with payment. I chose to do this for because of the possibility, however remote, that the OC would agree to accept payment and remove the account from collections voluntarily. It has been known to happen.

 

However, apparently you are implying that writing a letter prior to the first HIPPA letter but after dispute has destroyed the legal HIPPA basis.

 

I am curious to know why, simply for my own edification.

No, I didn't mean that your inquiry "destroyed" the HIPAA proccess, simply that it was not part of it, as you had not yet apparently established a current relationship between the reporting CA and the OC and your "inquiry" was an unneccessary "blip".

 

Now, if the OC had turned your letter over to the reporting CA, and the reporting CA had responded, that MIGHT have caused a problem, as you made an offer to pay that MIGHT have negated any further "HIPAA" steps.

 

The reason for the initial dispute to the CRA is to establish THAT current relationship, or to get a deletion.

 

SOME people have decided to go ahead and pay the OC after the dispute letter has gotten them a deletion, in which case they can do so ANYWAY with insert "a". ( and send the "x" reporting CA a total cease and desist letter).

 

But if you pay the OC without establishing a CURRENT relationship with the reporting CA, you have NO WAY of getting a deletion.

 

Just to clarify, it wasn't my intention to contaminate information about your process, and am sorry that my inexperience may have done that. I didn't mean to disrespect your process in anyway.

 

Also, I believe you that it was illegal to deposit the check, but it did happen.

Edited May 5, 2007 by blueberry

[blueberry]

New information on this matter. I sent a second letter to OC saying essentially the same thing, "I am not aware of any bill with your hospital, but please share any records you may have with me on this matter and I will gladly arrange to take care of any past due bills as long as my protected medical information is not reporting on any of the 3 CRAs".

 

I understand this deviates from the HIPPA process, and I explained that I wished to validate with the OC because the CA never communicated with me at all on the bill being reported on my credit reports, and my concern was that if I paid them for something noone was trying to collect they would simply turn the money over to the CA, and why do that if there's no valid bill? (Information on my concern about payment below)

 

I do not know exactly what you wrote "several years ago" but a "for deposit only account of XXX XXXX" is presumably a binding prohibition under banking laws for it to be "signed over" to anyone else. Without seeing the cancelled check/money order, I would not be able to comment. In any case, it doesn't really make much of a difference in a NON MEDICAL account, as there is NO similar "leverage" available about notification restrictions by an OC to a CA for a cable company bill

 

My concern was valid, as another person recently experienced the same thing. http://creditboards.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=251486

 

Anyway- I received a letter from the OC. Hospital says, "We will be happy to work with you on this matter, but I have no record in the business office of you ever being a patient with us."

 

I believe my intuition that this debt can't be validated is correct, but I wish to avoid any communication with the CA to establish that fact. The debts have already been verified by the CRAs.

 

What would you do in this situation? I wish to maintain as much goodwill as possible with the hospital, and attempt to have it removed with as little coercion as possible. I called today and left a message but the business manager is out of the office. My plan is to tell them I don't know what the bill is for- as they apparently do not either- but I will be more than happy to pay it as an act of goodwill as long as they give me a statement in writing that the debt is not valid and is being rescinded from the CA, and instruct the CA to delete the entry. If they do not agree, then my next move would be to send the HIPPA letter insert B.

[Why Chat]

Anyway- I received a letter from the OC. Hospital says, "We will be happy to work with you on this matter, but I have no record in the business office of you ever being a patient with us."

 

I believe my intuition that this debt can't be validated is correct, but I wish to avoid any communication with the CA to establish that fact. The debts have already been verified by the CRAs.

 

What would you do in this situation? I wish to maintain as much goodwill as possible with the hospital, and attempt to have it removed with as little coercion as possible. I called today and left a message but the business manager is out of the office. My plan is to tell them I don't know what the bill is for- as they apparently do not either- but I will be more than happy to pay it as an act of goodwill as long as they give me a statement in writing that the debt is not valid and is being rescinded from the CA, and instruct the CA to delete the entry. If they do not agree, then my next move would be to send the HIPPA letter insert B.The hospital would not be able to have ANY effect on the reporting CA as they OBVIOUSLY never assigned the account to them, The reporting CA is likely a "garbage" JDB who obtained your account in a bulk purchase from a data miner of written off ( un-owed) accounts

Let me REPEAT, a "regular" dispute to the CRA's is NOT the same thing as the medical dispute letter.

 

Opt Out, get old addresses deleted, if possible, send the MEDICAL DISPUTE LETTER

 

http://whychat.5u.com/hipltr.html#DISPUTE

 

IF you do not get a deletion, and you have already confirmed that the Hospital no longer has ANY of your records, then you send the medical DV to the reporting CA

 

http://whychat.5u.com/ltrcavalhipaa.html

 

and redispute with the "special" SOL dispute letter.

http://whychat.5u.com/nottoca.html#DISPUTE

 

You should include in THAT dispute letter the sentence " I have disputed this account with the reporting CA , enclosed is a copy of the dispute and proof of their receipt, I have not received the requested verification"

Edited August 10, 2007 by Why Chat

[blueberry]

I spoke to the hospital today. They can't find my records, and I believe I know why, after speaking to them, but I didn't share that information. I think they potentially could find them if I cleared up their mistake.

 

I asked if I were to come in and assist them find the records if they would rescind the debt from the CA and delete. They said, "we are not allowed to do that". I said, that isn't the case, and I will have to pursue my rights under privacy laws and consumer protection laws if you will not agree to delete this, because your name is appearing on my credit file.

 

Fifteen mintues later the CA called me. I refused to confirm my identity and informed her she was to cease calling my phone indefinitely.

 

Would you still proceed with the Medical DV and special SOL, or attempt to help the hospital find my records so that I can proceed with HIPPA insert a?

[Why Chat]

I spoke to the hospital today. They can't find my records, and I believe I know why, after speaking to them, but I didn't share that information. I think they potentially could find them if I cleared up their mistake.

 

I asked if I were to come in and assist them find the records if they would rescind the debt from the CA and delete. They said, "we are not allowed to do that". I said, that isn't the case, and I will have to pursue my rights under privacy laws and consumer protection laws if you will not agree to delete this, because your name is appearing on my credit file.

 

Fifteen mintues later the CA called me. I refused to confirm my identity and informed her she was to cease calling my phone indefinitely.

 

Would you still proceed with the Medical DV and special SOL, or attempt to help the hospital find my records so that I can proceed with HIPPA insert a?

I gave you my advice, you chose to ignore it.

The Hospital does NOT have any records that will do you any good.

IF you get written response from the CA in response to your MEDICAL DISPUTE LETTER, you can THEN send the hospital the HIPAA letter with insert "a" payment by MONEY ORDER.

Your calls and "visits" are meaningless, you need a verifiable documented PAPER TRAIL for the HIPAA letter process.

 

Let me REPEAT, a "regular" dispute to the CRA's is NOT the same thing as the medical dispute letter.

 

Opt Out, get old addresses deleted, if possible, send the MEDICAL DISPUTE LETTER

 

http://whychat.5u.com/hipltr.html#DISPUTE

 

IF you do not get a deletion, and you have already confirmed that the Hospital no longer has ANY of your records, then you send the medical DV to the reporting CA

 

http://whychat.5u.com/ltrcavalhipaa.html

 

Send the $$ to your favorite charity once you get the account deleted, or scroll to the bottom of my website for MY favorite charities.

Edited August 14, 2007 by Why Chat

[blueberry]

Your advice that any records the OC might have would be meaningless was given on Friday, Aug. 10, and as I said, on that date I had already contacted them asking about their meaningless records. They returned my call today.

 

I was not ignoring this advice, I was following up on the direction I had already taken before receiving this advice. It wouldn't make much sense to ignore the call from the hospital and say, "I've changed my mind, your records are meaningless", because I received that advice on Friday.

 

Rather, I took advantage of the direction I had already begun to try to determine what real records are in existence with the OC. It benefits me to know if there are real records at the hospital with my name on them, whether I can effect any change in credit reporting through them at this point or not.

 

Furthermore, you said, "(if) and you have already confirmed that the Hospital no longer has ANY of your records, then you send the medical DV to the reporting CA"

 

That's exactly what I was doing on the phone. Trying to confirm that they really have none of my records.