I sent pre-hippa letters to TU & Exp but just received the previously verified and frivolous responses. Just today though, I received some information from Aargon Collection Agency which is the company reporting the debts. Aargon is reporting only one amount owed but on the paperwork they sent me, it is actually from 2 seperate visits. One in 1999, and the other in 2001. I called UMC's billing dept. to inquire about the account numbers Aargon provided me with, and they confirmed the dates, but were not able to give me any information on what was owed. They told me I had to contact Aargon. I would like to pay UMC using WhyChat's Hippa letter using "insert a," but I need help figuring out what I should pay.

Aargon sent me a cover letter with this info:

Account:xxxxx
Amount Owed: $120.18
Interest: $38.03
Total: $158.21

Account:xxxx
Amount Owed: $13.80
Interest: $4.76
Total: $18.56

The following pages are printouts that list things like the hospital account number, Dr. Name, date of service, insurance company etc. Then the last page is a summary of Transactions. Here is the first one:

12/10/99 $161.25 zzwrist complete
12/10/99 $99.50 Visit Estab Level 3
1/19/00 $0.00 Pmt-Milit Retired MEM+DEP
09/08/00 $59.92- PMT-MILIT RETIRED MEM+DEP
09/08/00 $188.83- CA/D- Other Governmental
06/19/06 $12.00- BDJ SALE OF BAD DEBTS

So by doing the math it looks like my fathers military insurance left a $12 balance which was eventually sold to Aargon.

Here's the next one:

06/07/01 $104.50 Visit Estab Level 3
07/11/01 $0.00 PMT- BC/BC Nevada
06/21/06 $104.50 BDJ-SALE OF BAD DEBTS

So by adding up these two account, it appears that I owe UMC $116.50. I would LOVE to send this money to them if it will get me a delete. Do I need to calculate interest, if so how? Can I pay for both accounts with one money order? Thank you for any direction you can provide

You do NOT need to calculate interest, just send them the $116.50
Be SURE to include the dates of service and both the SS # of the patient (you?) and the account or ID # of the insured, ( your father??)

I was the patient in both visits. On the first one, my father's retired military insurance covered me and on the second one I guess my Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance didn't cover the visit. The only account numbers I have are the ones that are printed on the top of the pages (different one for each visit). The UMC billing rep was able to pull the files up using these numbers. So these are the account numbers I should use right? I edited the HIPPA letter to suit my situation. Can you please let me know if this is the correct wording for everything? I just don't want to mess this up. Thank you so much.

Kannon
My Address
Las Vegas, NV 89113
xxx-xx-xxxx
Legal Dept.
UMC
1800 West Charleston Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89102

07/12/07
Dear Sir/Madam;
This letter is in reference to accounts #xxxxxxx and #xxxxxx for services provided to Kannon on 12/10/1999 and 06/07/2001.

In regard to the bills on these accounts in the amount of $12.00, and $104.50

Enclosed please find my remittance of $116.50 for payment in full of these two accounts.

Please note, my remittance is payable ONLY to UMC and may not be signed over or transferred to any third party collection agency, as this would constitute an additional violation of HIPAA and State Privacy Act rules .

Please be advised that under Federal Statutes. the Fair Credit Reporting Act, (15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq)and Nevada's Consumer Credit Statutes, you may be held liable for the actions of Aargon Collectrion Agency.

(a) Duty of furnishers of information to provide accurate information.
(1) Prohibition.
(A) Reporting information with actual knowledge of errors.
A person shall not furnish any information relating to a consumer to any consumer reporting agency if the person knows or consciously avoids knowing that the information is inaccurate.

In addition, the HIPAA and Nevada's Medical Privacy Statutes are in effect in this situation even though the health care services you provided may have been prior to enactment.

The Privacy Rules prohibits a covered entity from using or disclosing an individual's protected health information ("PHI") unless specifically authorized by the individual or otherwise allowed under the Privacy Rules.

In general, PHI encompasses substantially all "individually identifiable health information" that is transmitted or maintained in any medium. "Individually identifiable health information" includes health information that is created or received by a health care provider, health plan, employer, or health care clearinghouse, and that relates to an individual's physical or mental health or condition, including information related to an individual's care or the PAYMENT for such care.

Your furnishing of my account information to Aargon Collection Agency is not in compliance with HIPAA, or Nevada's Privacy Act, and any subsequent reporting of this account on my credit reports to TransUnion, and Experian is a clear violation of Public Law 104-191 ("HIPAA") since there can be no permissible business purpose in divulging protected health information to anyone on an account once there is no longer any payment due.

You are required under the FCRA to accurately report the status of any account to the credit bureaus, and you are prohibited under the HIPAA and State privacy regulations from doing so on a PAID account, as there is no longer any permitted business purpose.

Therefore I am requesting you promptly rescind all such account information furnished to Aargon Collection Agency and require them to purge their records of all reference to this account, and that you insure that any and all reporting of this account is immediately deleted from my credit reports.

This simple procedure to request the deletion of ALL reference to this account from the records of Aargon Collection Agency and to require them to have this account information deleted in it's entirety from my credit reports will resolve this problem completely.

Please respond, in writing within 10 days that you are processing this request.
I am reserving the right, to take appropriate legal and civil action including reporting to any applicable regulatory authorities any lack of cooperation or compliance with this request.

I hereby waive my rights under HIPAA and any State Privacy Act for the single purpose of your transmission of this request and accompanying documentation in any required report you must make to your E &O insurance carrier.

Sincerely,

Kannon

There's a UMC billing scandal and Argon... This bill may have already been paid

http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=5800153

You may also want to check

Consumer Health Assistance Program
486-3587
http://www.govcha.state.nv.us

Department of Business and Industry
Financial Institutions Division
486-4120
http://fid.state.nv.us/

I checked the links "mlrich" provided and there is, it is true a billing "scandal" regarding UMC, however, if YOUR records indicate that this is what you owe than the HIPAA letter insert "a" as you have posted it should clear your account completely and allow you to obtain a complete deletion.

Make SURE you make a copy FRONT AND BACK( with the restrictive endorsement) of the Money Order before sending it, and in the "for" section on the front repeat the 2 account#'s and amounts.