CA leaves misleading message on VM

[Gibbi]

I received a message the other day on my voice mail....

 

"Hi Gibbi, this is Rose Scott........uh.........we’ve been calling you for a very long time trying to get a simple matter cleared up here that’s uh......you should have some concern over here this is kind of affecting you. (the whole time she is VERY upbeat and even chuckles while saying it )Then she says "Please call me at xxx-xxx-xxxx….. This is regarding Steven" (my 5 year old son)

 

I googled the phone number and it's a CA regarding an old hospital bill from several years ago (I had to take my son to the ER) that I have not paid. It popped up on my CRs a couple of months ago.

I DO plan on going the HIPAA route with this once I get the money together (it's about $600) so for now I am avoiding this CA.

 

II guess what I'm most curious about is......Is the message she left in any way a violation? I mean I know it's a shady way of getting my attention.......but the fact that she is EXTRA chipper and giggly while leaving her message....and then to mention my son's name?? It just struck me as odd.

[Gibbi]

Ok.....I have a bit of an update.......

The above debt I was talking about was actually the ER physician's bill (not the hospital bill) I just spoke with the ER physician's billing dept to see if I could make payment arrangements and she let me know that if the hospital approved me for a charity discount (since I was uninsured at the time) that they would apply the same discount to their bill. Well, I found out I did get a 50% discount and so they will be discounting the physician's bill of $540.

 

BUT they said they would not make arrangements with me since the acct was sold to the CA and that if I paid them anyway, they would only send the payment to the CA.........which doesn't surprise me....

 

The other thing I am now wondering is this......

The CA debt is for $622. The original bill was for $540 which is about to be cut in half

So it looks like they have added on $82. If I pay off the physician's bill with the HIPAA method.......and make the payment directly to them, they will update this with the CA and it will still leave a balance of $82...

Do they have the right to add that on to the bill and if so......does that mean I will still owe them a balance?

 

TIA for any advice.

[Why Chat]

Ok.....I have a bit of an update.......

The above debt I was talking about was actually the ER physician's bill (not the hospital bill) I just spoke with the ER physician's billing dept to see if I could make payment arrangements and she let me know that if the hospital approved me for a charity discount (since I was uninsured at the time) that they would apply the same discount to their bill. Well, I found out I did get a 50% discount and so they will be discounting the physician's bill of $540.

 

BUT they said they would not make arrangements with me since the acct was sold to the CA and that if I paid them anyway, they would only send the payment to the CA.........which doesn't surprise me....

 

The other thing I am now wondering is this......

The CA debt is for $622. The original bill was for $540 which is about to be cut in half

So it looks like they have added on $82. If I pay off the physician's bill with the HIPAA method.......and make the payment directly to them, they will update this with the CA and it will still leave a balance of $82...

Do they have the right to add that on to the bill and if so......does that mean I will still owe them a balance?

 

TIA for any advice.

Opt out

http://whychat.5u.com/OPTOUTINST.HTML

Delete old addresses, if possible

 

Send each CRA this: ( list ALL medical accounts, paid or unpaid, settlement offered or not)

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

If the accounts are verified, send the reporting CA this;

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

Come back to this forum with the results.

 

The CA may not actually have "broken" any laws by calling since the bills were for your son. However, the fact that you have received nothing in WRITING from the CA leads me to believe that they may NOT be in current communication ( business relationship) with the OC ( original creditor(s) health care providers)

In addition, they are required by law to send you WRITTEN notice within 5 days of "first communication".

 

Whatever the hospital told you about discounting the amount due sounds to me like AC ( a$$ covering) as they do NOT have any actual control over the CA accepting or not accepting any payment for less than in full. The CA who is reporting, and the CA who called you and the CA who MAY have had the account "turned over" by the hospital may be 3 different CA's. How long ago was this medical treatment??. Do you have ANY paperwork that confirms their "discount" chart for "charity"?? There are many new billing statutes that were enacted to prevent this type of abuse. What State are you in??

[Gibbi]

Ok.....I have a bit of an update.......

The above debt I was talking about was actually the ER physician's bill (not the hospital bill) I just spoke with the ER physician's billing dept to see if I could make payment arrangements and she let me know that if the hospital approved me for a charity discount (since I was uninsured at the time) that they would apply the same discount to their bill. Well, I found out I did get a 50% discount and so they will be discounting the physician's bill of $540.

 

BUT they said they would not make arrangements with me since the acct was sold to the CA and that if I paid them anyway, they would only send the payment to the CA.........which doesn't surprise me....

 

The other thing I am now wondering is this......

The CA debt is for $622. The original bill was for $540 which is about to be cut in half

So it looks like they have added on $82. If I pay off the physician's bill with the HIPAA method.......and make the payment directly to them, they will update this with the CA and it will still leave a balance of $82...

Do they have the right to add that on to the bill and if so......does that mean I will still owe them a balance?

 

TIA for any advice.

Opt out

http://whychat.5u.com/OPTOUTINST.HTML

Delete old addresses, if possible

 

Send each CRA this: ( list ALL medical accounts, paid or unpaid, settlement offered or not)

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

If the accounts are verified, send the reporting CA this;

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

Come back to this forum with the results.

 

The CA may not actually have "broken" any laws by calling since the bills were for your son. However, the fact that you have received nothing in WRITING from the CA leads me to believe that they may NOT be in current communication ( business relationship) with the OC ( original creditor(s) health care providers)

In addition, they are required by law to send you WRITTEN notice within 5 days of "first communication".

 

Whatever the hospital told you about discounting the amount due sounds to me like AC ( a$$ covering) as they do NOT have any actual control over the CA accepting or not accepting any payment for less than in full. The CA who is reporting, and the CA who called you and the CA who MAY have had the account "turned over" by the hospital may be 3 different CA's. How long ago was this medical treatment??. Do you have ANY paperwork that confirms their "discount" chart for "charity"?? There are many new billing statutes that were enacted to prevent this type of abuse. What State are you in??

 

 

This ER visit was about 2 1/2 years ago (thought it was older than that but DOS was 6/2007). I actually do remember applying for a hospital discount since I was not insured.. I have not found the paperwork yet but I believe I did receive something in the mail stating I would get a discount. I will keep looking for that paperwork.

 

The CA that called and the CA that is reporting are the same (Rainier services).....I didn't think to ask the billing dept who they sold the debt to (to make sure it was the same CA)

And are you also saying that even if the ER physician billing dept discounts the bill of $540 by 50% that the CA will probably still try to collect on the full amount? I was a little confused about that because the billing dept stated they would discount the bill and update it with the CA but yet they can't take the payment since the CA owns it.........wondering how they can make the CA change the amount when they "sold" the debt.

 

Oh .....and I am in WA state.

 

I have opted out and updated/deleted all personal info

I will send out the medical dispute letters.

 

Is there any thing else I should be doing?

 

Thank you for your advice, Why Chat. I appreciate it.

[Why Chat]

They were NOT allowed to bill you, much less turn your account over to a CA;

 

http://www.fiercehealthfinance.com/story/w...tion/2009-01-07

 

http://www.wsha.org/page.cfm?ID=0156

[Gibbi]

Wow... sorry to sound so ignorant but what do you suggest I do?

Should I talk to the billing dept again? Send a letter......or file a complaint?

[Gibbi]

Hmm....ok I'm checking into this a little more and am finding out that charity care only applies to hospital bills.......not to doctors.

I called the hospital billing dept to see if they would send me a copy of the charity care approval letter so I could have it for my records. She explained that it only applied to the hospital facility.......not the physician's bill.

So it seems that it's just the physician's billing policy to apply the same discount but they are not bound to the charity care laws?

 

Am I understanding this correctly?

Edited November 20, 2009 by Gibbi

[Why Chat]

Hmm....ok I'm checking into this a little more and am finding out that charity care only applies to hospital bills.......not to doctors.

I called the hospital billing dept to see if they would send me a copy of the charity care approval letter so I could have it for my records. She explained that it only applied to the hospital facility.......not the physician's bill.

So it seems that it's just the physician's billing policy to apply the same discount but they are not bound to the charity care laws?

 

Am I understanding this correctly?

Did the physician treat your son at the hospital?? If so then the person at the hospital billing department is misinformed, or lying, or both.

 

 

Send the letters I suggested, if the accounts are verified, then send the HIPAA letter to the Doctor,

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

 

insert "b"as follows

 

This account is in error.

It has either been paid, or should have been paid by Charity Care, as submitted and approved by (name of hospital)

It is not a valid bill and has been properly disputed, therefore I request complete deletion from all your agent (name of CA)'s records and archives. Please be advised that I reserve a right to file charges against you for violation of the Washington State laws regarding Charity Care billing

[Gibbi]

Will do!

Thank you so much.

[Why Chat]

I am inserting your recent post:

http://creditboards.com/forums/index.php?s...p;#entry3962940

 

Into THIS thread, please keep ALL your posts in ONE thread.

 

When you disputed the CRA's using the instructions on my prior post;

Send each CRA this: ( list ALL medical accounts, paid or unpaid, settlement offered or not)

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

If the accounts are verified, send the reporting CA this;

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

Come back to this forum with the results.

 

Did you INCLUDE this account that you referred to in your new post??

[TScott]

error. wrong thread

Edited November 22, 2009 by TScott

[Gibbi]

I am inserting your recent post:

http://creditboards.com/forums/index.php?s...p;#entry3962940

 

Into THIS thread, please keep ALL your posts in ONE thread.

 

When you disputed the CRA's using the instructions on my prior post;

Send each CRA this: ( list ALL medical accounts, paid or unpaid, settlement offered or not)

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

If the accounts are verified, send the reporting CA this;

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

Come back to this forum with the results.

 

Did you INCLUDE this account that you referred to in your new post??

 

 

Oh, I'm sorry..

I figured since it was a completely separate issue that I should create a new thread.

No I had not included this in my dispute.... but I have not mailed out the letters yet.

I will write up new ones with the above one included then.

 

Thank you. smile.gif