Blindsided CR Collecton Hit

[LohaLonnie]

I recently found out that two medical accounts from the same Hospital was sent to collections and now are/will be reporting on my credit report. I was curious to see what they had on file for me as I NEVER received any kind of letter that this was to be sent to collections at all!

I called the CA to see what accounts they were from and they were an OC that I am aware of

 

One for $1013.00

And another that will post to my CR on 4 May 2015 of $2626.00

 

I also stated that I hadn’t received any notice from the CA nor that is was to post to my credit report. The lady read off an old address from when I was in college 5yrs ago! And that the correspondences were being sent there. Is that legal? I have been living at my new place for 1 year and before then 3yrs years. Why would they have my college address? There has to be something in place to where I can bring the account back and pay it faithfully…right?

I had no idea that this went on until I signed up for credit monitoring and saw that this was on my report a few months later. My CS to a dive!!

I was distraught after my miscarriage last year (2014) and honestly couldn’t think about paying something at that moment in our time of grief. I have insurance but it didn’t cover everything being as how I just started a new job last year. I finally got on my feet and looked past my grief and tried to create a new sense of life. So with that being said I called the OC this past Monday and asked if they could reclaim the account back so that I could make payments. Her answer was a straight no! They could not make that adjustment being as how they stated to make “several calls and messages” which I never received. I know that the bills are mine so I want to take responsibly for them.

I am currently trying to get my credit back and apply for a mortgage next year. After this hit was posted on my CR I am stuck wondering what to do. I wouldn’t let something like this slip. Just wishing they had my correct address to begin with.

 

Is there anything that I can do?

Any information would be helpful and so appreciated at this post!!

[kimbachelle]

Welcome!

I'm so sorry for your loss.

What were the dates of medical service for these accounts?

Call your insurance and get your EOMBs (explanation of medical benefits) for these services.

 

Meanwhile, start following the guides.

You start by opting out, getting your reports, and deleting old addresses. All instructions are here:

http://www.whychat.5.../GUIDEBOOK.html

Then you move on to the HIPAA program, for all accounts that ARE on your reports, starting with the initial dispute:

http://www.whychat.5...AA PROGRAM.html

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

If there are any accounts that are NOT yet on your reports, just send the CA this letter:

http://whychat.5u.co...cavalhipaa.html

Update this thread with your progress and any questions, and Why Chat will guide you.

[LohaLonnie]

Thank you for your response as well as the links

 

It all seems to be a bit confusing. With the HIPPA letter to the OC do I need to make a payment first before I send the letter? Or do I send the HIPPA letter to the CA first then make a payment?

I want to have success in this and will have to keep reading this to understand the lingo of it all. Thank you for your help. Just now needing help from you or anyone with knowing how this works.

 

I will certainly update with responses from all

 

Thank you again!!!

[Why Chat]

You do NOT pay the OC or ANYONE anything unless and until you have COMPLETED all the steps in the HIPAA letter program and are ADVISED by this forum to do so.

 

Opt out,

Delete old addresses, as much as possible ( if you have moved since the date of medical service)

http://www.whychat.5u.com/GUIDEBOOK.html

 

Send each CRA ( Credit reporting Agency) the initial dispute letter

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

 

from the HIPAA Program Guide

http://www.whychat.5u.com/GUIDE%20HIPAA%20PROGRAM.html

 

Once you have done ALL of the above, come back to THIS post with the results and get further guidance and instructions.

 

In the meantime, get your EOMBs ( explanation of medical benefits) from your insurance Co for the dates of medical services.

[tweak]

You do NOT pay the OC or ANYONE anything unless and until you have COMPLETED all the steps in the HIPAA letter program and are ADVISED by this forum to do so.

 

Opt out,

Delete old addresses, as much as possible ( if you have moved since the date of medical service)

http://www.whychat.5u.com/GUIDEBOOK.html

 

Send each CRA ( Credit reporting Agency) the initial dispute letter

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

 

from the HIPAA Program Guide

http://www.whychat.5u.com/GUIDE%20HIPAA%20PROGRAM.html

 

Once you have done ALL of the above, come back to THIS post with the results and get further guidance and instructions.

 

In the meantime, get your EOMBs ( explanation of medical benefits) from your insurance Co for the dates of medical services.

 

 

LohaLonnie,

 

Do you have official copies of your credit reports?

(The monitoring reports will not work for disputing.)

 

If not, get them first.

annualcreditreport.com (free - save the files and/or print them out)

OR call EX 888-397-3742, EQ 800-997-2493, TU 800-888-4213 -- automated numbers, reports are ~$11/ea, order reports only and not the scores.

 

You'll need these official reports in order to follow WhyChat's process.

 

 

Good luck!

[LohaLonnie]

^{Thanks for the response.}

^{I have the EOBs. Will this just show/prove that I owe?}

[Why Chat]

^{Thanks for the response.}

^{I have the EOBs. Will this just show/prove that I owe?}

Check your EOBs for denials of claims due to incorrect coding, look for "patient responsibility" that would be the amounts YOU are actually liable for.

 

Frequently an OC will "balance bill" this is illegal. A balance billing is the difference between the original amount of the bill and the discounted APPROVED amount from your insurance.

[LohaLonnie]

Just wanted to say that this site is very informative.

 

With that being said. I did some more investigating and come to find out that the amount of $1013.40 was not even filed with my insurance company. There is no EOB of this amount anywhere. I called my insurance just to confirm this and the rep stated the same thing "nothing of $1013.40 on 7/25/2014 can be found" I asked if there was a letter that she could send out but she can only give notice over the phone.

 

So I now have to get this amount of my CR ASAP!

[LohaLonnie]

Thanks for everyone who stated look at your EOB!

[Why Chat]

Since it was so recent, call the OC and ask if they had your insurance data and tell them to submit their claim properly.

 

What was the date of the medical service?? Did you ask your Insurance if it is too late for the OC to file a claim, although she couldn't give you a printout of the fact that this claim was never filed, she can certainly send you something to the effect that it is either in time or too late to file a claim for that service.

 

Once you have something in writing from them, you can send that OC the HIPAA letter insert "b" 2

 

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

Edited April 24, 2015 by Why Chat

[LohaLonnie]

Well the amount of $1013 is currently on my CR. On the original statement from the OC states no "date of service" just lists things that were given like ultrasound etc. on 7/25/14 but that's it. I'm thinking that this file was never filed or that this was never a true statement because there is another statement of $2626 that has an OB to go with it.

 

When will the Medical Debt Responsibility Act finally go through!

 

Medical Debt Responsibility Act - Amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to prohibit a consumer reporting agency from making any report containing information related to a fully paid or settled medical debt that had been characterized as delinquent, charged off, or in collection which, from the date of payment or settlement, antedates the report by more than 45 days.

[LohaLonnie]

Question: Is it ok to use the dispute form that the Credit Bureaus give

Example: Transunion - http://www.transunion.com/docs/rev/personal/InvestigationRequest.pdf

[Why Chat]

ABSOLUTELY NO

 

The HIPAA letter program was CAREFULLY designed to take advantage of the HIPAA privacy rules, the ordinary disputes are NOT of any value in disputing medical accounts.

 

Does your EOMBs from your insurance show ANYTHING that matches the dates or amounts claimed for EITHER of these accounts??

"Well the amount of $1013 is currently on my CR. there is another statement of $2626 that has an OB to go with it."

 

You need to send your dispute letters, I have the feeling that the $1013 is NOT YOURS but is a billing error.

 

Have you checked all your reports CAREFULLY for any errors or data that is incorrect?? Different spelling of yoiur name?? Different SS#s??

[LohaLonnie]

Thank you! I am trying to follow the WhyChat guide ... just confused with it all. I have opted out and currently waiting on my drivers license (moved states for job-all collections are from current state) so that I can dispute my addresses. Then I suppose that I must send in the "NEW INITIAL DISPUTE LETTER?" From there I wait?

 

But yes I checked my EOB statements and the $1013 is not mine. There is no EOB for this amount and I called my insurance company and there was no claim sent for this amount, as well as 3 others that total $350 ($2626 does have an EOB statement)

 

I have checked my credit reports and there are misspellings of my name and old address from college. In fact the $1013 was sent to my college address from 5yrs ago and I found out this amount when I checked my report. My SSN is current on all reports

[LohaLonnie]

Do I start the "NEW INITIAL DISPUTE LETTER" to CRA's first or "LETTER TO COLLECTION AGENCY ON MEDICAL ACCOUNT REPORTING WITH A BALANCE DUE" to CA?

[LohaLonnie]

--- I have it now .... thank you. Going to send the NEW INITIAL DISPUTE LETTER first

[LohaLonnie]

Would I need to get a report from Innovis as well?

[tweak]

Would I need to get a report from Innovis as well?

 

It doesn't hurt to see what's on Innovis. I would order one just to know.

 

I am not aware of medical collections ever reporting to Innovis, but it is possible.

 

BOA and a few other banks do typically report to Innovis, and some mortgage brokers may pull Innovis.

You can freeze them if you want.

[Why Chat]

Make sure that when you dispute your old addresses you also dispute other incorrect data such as misspellings of your name , do NOT send the initial dispute letters to the CRAs until your old addresses are deleted and misspelling of your name have been corrected.

[LohaLonnie]

Thank you for the heads up! I've seen on this page that some people are not able to get EQ and EX updated with the removal of old addresses and names. If this were to happen would I just continue with the initial dispute or fight to get old addresses removed?

[Why Chat]

If you try to dispute old addresses and incorrect spellings of your name and are unsuccessful with 1 or more CRAs, send the initial dispute letter anyway. Be aware that you MAY have a 90 day "fraud alert" placed on your reports, this is GOOD, not bad and will help your disputes.

[LohaLonnie]

Thanks so much! Will be sending the disputes for incorrect names and addresses this week! (This is a very useful site)

[LohaLonnie]

With the dispute of Names and addresses, do I also dispute Telephone Numbers and Employment Data?

[Why Chat]

With the dispute of Names and addresses, do I also dispute Telephone Numbers and Employment Data?

No, they are not "matched up" by the CRAs with the reporting CAs in a dispute.

[LohaLonnie]

So I recently sent the CRAs letters for deleting old addresses and incorrect names from my credit report, so far successful. There is a 90 fraud alert, so I will be sending off the Initial Dispute letters this week.