Getting sued at Christmas..

[austinosphere]

Have you gone to Disneyworld since getting that work done?

 

[lillygator]

I can pay this bill if they lower it to a reasonable amount 50% like $2500 but not by June 21 I am going to call the hospital tomorrow after reviewing the bill and offer them that if they will stop all legal proceedings. I am sorry I put this on here didn't mean to get everybody all worked up.

I know I should have taken care of this earlier but I was not working and did not want to over commit myself or make promises I couldn't keep.


Have a Merry Christmas and I am putting this in Gods Hands.

God has nothing to do with this.
most people can pay a bill when it is lowered, why should you get a lowered amount----esp for care already recieved?
ETA...obviously this is OLD and yet you want to pay by June 2010????????????????????

 

[all4themouse]

Sorry typo January 2010.

God has everything to do with my life sorry you fell different.

 

[lillygator]

Sorry typo January 2010.

God has everything to do with my life sorry you fell different.

do you have a forwarding address?

 

[bumbershoot]

as posted prior, I am SURE they contacted you prior to them filing papers,

Well honestly, given our experience and what collections agencies have told us, I'm NOT sure that there was a huge amount of contact. And, when you're already feeling bleah about paying for whatever reason, when the agencies stop contacting you, you DO get a sense of hope that they've forgotten all about it.

In our 5 year saga, they didn't contact us for months, possibly a year, after my SIL made what was supposed to be the full payment. The only reason we realized something was wrong is that they were supposed to send a zero balance form. Well their system doesn't allow that if it knows of something else...problem was, their system doesn't alert the human that it knows of something else. So we got no zero balance statement..but didn't hear from them with what it actually was for ages.

Then we got involved in trying to figure out who on earth ELSE was billing us, then time marched on, and it was a YEAR until they contacted us again. And yes, in between times there was hope....

So I'm not sure there was much contact. That was the argument the rep tried to start with me...as I was paying her and being chipper about it (not trying to fight down interest/fees) I asked about the last time they contacted us, and she got all snippy about how they aren't in the business of sending letters...augh...you KNOW if you send letters you'll be foremost in our mind...you SHOULD send letters...so they don't send letters and the interest continues while they twiddle their thumbs and wait...

Anyway, it took us 5ish years but we paid all they asked for...I just wish they'd sent out a few more NICE letters...

Would have been nice if the physician had actually EVER billed us, too...first thing we knew we owed him was hearing from the collection agency! And that was almost a year after his dubious services... Not the best at contacting people...



OP, about the records, with the privacy act (HIPAA, or is it HIPPA? always mess that one up), they HAVE TO provide you with your records. have to! So mention that if you have to light a fire. Records are important. Knowing that you were charged appropriately is important.

Alas, as I know well, after years have gone by, they do have the right to add interest and fees...

 

[Dizneydawn]

First of all -I agree that it was pretty silly on your part to assume the debt would just be forgotten about. I don't forget about debt owed to me and it is a lot less than $5,000. A hospital is going to go under if they write off everything to everybody.

That being said; We have all put our head in the sand and played ignorant from time to time when we just don't want to deal with things. Whether it is relationships (Helllllllooooo...Tiger Woods wife,) a house that needs to be cleaned (how many of us procrastinate on that?) or something financial. So I am not flaming you, just saying you will never make that mistake again!

Second - for all you saying a hospital will work with her - there is NO guarantee on that. Ever. Now that they have incurred court costs and legal fees - even if they are willing to settle for any lesser amount - I will be suprised that it is not written into the amount owed. For the hospital - at least if it is a judged debt - a proven debt - and it is not paid - they could write it off as a business loss versus it sitting in limbo now. For tax purposes if nothing else.


My son was burned in a fire at a friends home last Halloween. 30% grafting needed. WE HAD MEDICAL INSURANCE.

Because it happened at a friend's home, our insurance agency (Health Partners) is wanting the homeowner's insurance to cover everything. The howeowners had a $1,000 medical policy and $300,000 liability policy. Originally when playing nice with our insurance company, I of course being honest about the injury and passing on information to them, was in communications with everyone. Health Partners told me I would be entitled to the $1,000 immediately to help with the debt OOP we had. They said to request it from the homeowners.

I did. In fact the homeowners agents were claiming 100% responsibility and no qualms about what my son deserved. (The kid whose home it was threw gasoline on the remains of a bonfire and my son got burned.)

I was in constant contact with the hospital. The $1,000 would cover the majority of the OOP deductions we had. I signed the paperwork and about 2 months later, I got a guarneshee letter in the mail from the hospitals collection people saying they will be comming after any property tax, state tax, etc., they can get until the full bill is paid.

I am 100% at a loss. I call the hospital to find out that they never rec'd the money ($1,000.) I call homeowners policy and they say, I should be getting something in the mail. 2 days later I did. It seems that Health Partners, went and laid a primary claim to that $1,000 saying thay should have paid out second, not first and they wanted the $1,000. Which legally they can do and got with me not knowing what they were doing behind the scenes and telling the hospital it should be comming.

Because the hospital did not get what was promised, I looked like a liar and so they turned me over to collections by May 1st. That was 7 months from the date of my son's injury. The hospital knew it involved a third party and it did not matter. Once it got to collections, they said they were unwilling to reverse anything or make a payment arrangement because they had paid the fees to set it up through the state. Tough bunk.

I know that this would not have happened 10 years ago. When a hospital knew it was a 3rd party involvement they waited it out. Now they can't or won't.

Beleive me I am fuming and the burn docs were just as angry. It is not their fault. Docs and administration are 2 different things entirely.

The $1,000 is not the only money. He had many doctor visits for follow up care and measuring his leg for compression socks. The amount that is put under our name is staggering as we wait to battle against our insurance company in court over the $300,000. They want it all and leave nothing for my son for pain and compensation or for future medical care.

I can't get squat because my credit is shot. All of this and I had insurance.

So for those who want to assume it can be worked out at this point. I hate to say this but I doubt it. I agree that going into the financial office may be your best bet. Come in and give no excuses. Beg for mercy and claim stupidity. Yours. Not being ignorant about what you owed. We all have to eat some humble pie from time too time. It will get you a ton farther than anger.

Agree to pay the court costs. In fact I would say I might want to think about agreeing to pay the full amount at this time. Paying it at 100% if they will agree to take court off the table and are willing to set up a payment plan. I would also guarantee the fact you are serious about that offer by asking to set up an automatic bill pay from your checking account. They will take that more seriously than a verbal promise from you.

You may get less in court but the fact you did not pay 100% of a bill, will haunt your credit for the next 7 years plus.

Good luck with everything.

 

[AuntMinnie12]

Many years ago, my son had a fall on New Year's Day and required stitches. Took him to the hospital where I work for the stitches!

In April that year, I received my first bill from them, a "final bill...if not paid Immediately, you will be sent to collections!" AND I WORK THERE! Like they don't know where to find me. Apparently, the registration girl transposed two numbers in our insurance ID number and they got a rejection. No resubmission...no phone call...no other bills.

Many hospitals don't have the best billing departments...but you have to work with them. Over the last 25 years, I have worked at 4 different hospitals in my state. These will not send you to collections if you have a payment plan and make some sort of payment monthly. To expect it to be written off is unreasonable.

You do have a right to you records....but they are required to verify your identity too...that's why the ID questions from them. I think if you go in with a willing attitude, they may be willing to work with you. They'd like to avoid court as much as you would. It will cost all of you less money in the long run.

Good Luck--

 

[mlynn]

I can pay this bill if they lower it to a reasonable amount 50% like $2500 but not by June 21 I am going to call the hospital tomorrow after reviewing the bill and offer them that if they will stop all legal proceedings. I am sorry I put this on here didn't mean to get everybody all worked up.

I know I should have taken care of this earlier but I was not working and did not want to over commit myself or make promises I couldn't keep.


Have a Merry Christmas and I am putting this in Gods Hands.

I'm sorry you had to go to the hospital.But you should have to pay what everybody else pays.My husband pays 800 amonth for us to have insurance and we have 4 hospital bills on top of that.(they pay 80% we pay 20%) So why do you think they should lower the bill for you?I pay 20$ amonth for 3 of them (took out a home eq.loan for the larger one $297 amonth) They must have tried to contact you before setting up a court date. YOu could have told them you were out of work and set a low amount to start paying them back.

 

[Swimalie]

DizneyDawn, I'm so sorry your son got burned. I just had surgery on my ankle and the steri strips caused a 2nd degree burn on my ankle and I could not imagine going through that pain on a larger scale. It was worse than the actual surgery recovery.

We had a similar experience with a hospital bill not being paid. My husband was a police officer and they were required to get annual physicals. He went to the hospital like he was told and got it done in the time he was told to. We had insurance but we they were told not to pay it since the city would pay due to it being their annual requirement. We started getting bills. I called the hospital and told them it was the cities responsibility. I was told it was mine until the city paid it. My husband went to the city and they said they would take care of it. We continued to get bills. This went on for a while until letters started coming. Finally a collections letter came. I sent my husband (who is pretty laid back about things like this - I am not!) back down to the city only to find out that they had paid it the week after the first bill but put the wrong account number on it. The hospital had the money the whole time but didn't bother to find out where the money went, in my husband's name.

Then my husband had to get a letter from the hospital saying the bill was paid in full and it should have never gone to collections, plus a copy of the check. Then he had to go to the collection agency and get a letter from them stating the bill was in error. We still have those letters. Our credit is perfect and that could have ruined him for future employment. This was about 10 years ago. Luckily nothing has ever shown up on our credit report over this. But it was a stressful time for me since I wanted to fix it but couldn't. He needed to.

I know from first hand experience that the hospital will not lower payments in our case and they send lots and lots of certified letters before it even gets to the next level.

 

[allison443]

OP many people who HAVE health insurance also have to pay large amounts out of pocket. We have insurance but it has a high deductible. My dd had to go to the hospital in January of last year, the entire bill was out of pocket. They didn't discount it because it was out of pocket for us.

Also you seem upset they want verification of your identity but like another poster said under HIPAA that might be required if they are going to disclose your health information. I think the best suggestion might be to go there in person now and see if you can work something out before your court date.

 

[allison443]

New Years resolution get work and get health insurance.

I hope it works out for you.

 

[Dizneydawn]

DizneyDawn, I'm so sorry your son got burned. I just had surgery on my ankle and the steri strips caused a 2nd degree burn on my ankle and I could not imagine going through that pain on a larger scale. It was worse than the actual surgery recovery.
He is the bravest person I know. Actually all the people who go through the burn hospital are. Funny though - he said the donor site - where they took the skin - hurt more than the burns did. So I cannot imagine what he went through. At 13 he has faced more than most adults and I think that factor is one reason I want to throttle the insurance companies because to them this is about money - to me it is about my son. He deserves some compansation more than they deserve the full $300,000.

I never got a certified letter BTW - just a normal mailing. I forgot to mention also - that the first billing came in March from the hospital from the November stay. Then went to collections in May. That is how fast everything went.

 

[RachaelA]

as posted prior, I am SURE they contacted you prior to them filing papers, so it is you who was not willing to work with them at the time. and hey, I can understand, I have dug my head in the sand many a time, but you recieved care, you KNOW you have recieved it and then you are asking the place who provided you care to provide PROOF - in a way to avoid teh payment of the claim??

All they really need to do is send you a letter stating that you owe money. Then they can take you to court.

I work for a law firm that deals with collections (landlord tenant issues mainly but also doctors offices, legal services, goods and services). You sound like the people we deal with on a regular basis. Very entitled. You didn't think you had to pay. You shouldn't have to pay. People should wait until you want to pay or think you are ready to pay.

It sucks you don't have the money right now, but neither does the hospital because you won't pay them. You took the service and you need to pay for it. It doesn't magically disappear. They shouldn't have to give you proof. You openly have admitted you were treated not once but twice. Your situation is no more special then everyone else's.

 

[wdwfan16]

I am in no way experienced with this, but I thought that if you make payments every month (even just $5) they can't do anything to you.

Wrong.

You need to call them and setup a payment plan with them.

OP why did you think you could just walk away and they would write off the bill? They do write some off but you have to talk to them. We had a Dr. write off over $2K (our part after insurance) when I called to pay the bill. The women said she would see it they would write it off. She called back and the bill was gone. I never asked for it to be written off.

 

[kellyg403]

All they really need to do is send you a letter stating that you owe money. Then they can take you to court.

I work for a law firm that deals with collections (landlord tenant issues mainly but also doctors offices, legal services, goods and services). You sound like the people we deal with on a regular basis. Very entitled. You didn't think you had to pay. You shouldn't have to pay. People should wait until you want to pay or think you are ready to pay.

It sucks you don't have the money right now, but neither does the hospital because you won't pay them. You took the service and you need to pay for it. It doesn't magically disappear. They shouldn't have to give you proof. You openly have admitted you were treated not once but twice. Your situation is no more special then everyone else's.

Wow. While I agree the OP should have been a little more proactive in her pursuit of paying or resolving the issue I don't think ANYBODY should have to pay anything without an itemized bill. If that is what she is asking for I don't think there should be an issue.

This is like saying ANY bill I have received from the hospital I should just pay because I knew I went there and I knew I received services. I know for a fact that I have had to chase down paperwork from the hospital. There were mistakes. I did not receive tylenol though they charged me 7 days worth at 15 dollars a pill. There were a few things on the itemized bill that I did not receive that we had to clear up. Evidently because the dr said to do it, even though I was not given it it was charged to me.

Mistakes happen. Should the OP not have dug her head in the sand and pretended this would go away or be written off? Sure..I agree. Should she entitled to know what exactly she is paying for, sure.

While I don't agree with people who don't pay their bills and just assume it will somehow be absorbed by the rest of us, I do think they are ENTITLED to what that bill is before they pay it. There is way too much going on in the world for me to EVER pay something without an itemized statement. Period.

Kelly

 

[Mom2Ben02]

I have trouble feeling sorry for you.

My husband lost his job 10 days after we found out I was pregnant. I carry the insurance, but we will still have to pay at least $2,000. We cancelled our planned WDW trip for January so that we would have the money.

You went in to the hospital - not once, but twice - expecting them to eat the charges. Not only the hospital, but the doctors, the x-ray techs, the pharmacy, the lab...all who employ people who helped you get well. And, according to your past posts, you just got back from Disney.

Wow.

 

[LSchrow]

they are charging me aprox $5000.00 for a visit to bandage a finger (no stitches $500 aprox) and the other is for a kidney stone they pumped me full of meds did some x-rays and sent me on my way $4500.00 for that one !

Your situation is no more special then everyone else's.

i had to have a kidney stone blasted, and set up a payment plan within 2 weeks. times are tough, but i believe doctors and health personnel have just as much of a right to be paid for their services as anyone else (no, i'm not in the field. i just can't imagine not paying someone for the work they did).

just a suggestion: don't make the ER your first stop unless seriously injured. your bill would have been significantly less had you gone to a doctor's office for the bandaged finger. even the kidney stone could have cost less, especially if you paid for a room and ER services.
good luck, i hope it all works out for you....and hopefully you'll have a happy holiday with a new year with a new job!

 

[wdwfan16]

I have trouble feeling sorry for you.

My husband lost his job 10 days after we found out I was pregnant. I carry the insurance, but we will still have to pay at least $2,000. We cancelled our planned WDW trip for January so that we would have the money.

You went in to the hospital - not once, but twice - expecting them to eat the charges. Not only the hospital, but the doctors, the x-ray techs, the pharmacy, the lab...all who employ people who helped you get well. And, according to your past posts, you just got back from Disney.

Wow.

And just last week the OP was talking about upgrading her 7 day pass to an AP.

 

[allison443]

You went in to the hospital - not once, but twice - expecting them to eat the charges. Not only the hospital, but the doctors, the x-ray techs, the pharmacy, the lab...all who employ people who helped you get well. And, according to your past posts, you just got back from Disney.

Wow.

Maybe the trip was a gift!!

 

[Swimalie]

He is the bravest person I know. Actually all the people who go through the burn hospital are. Funny though - he said the donor site - where they took the skin - hurt more than the burns did. So I cannot imagine what he went through. At 13 he has faced more than most adults and I think that factor is one reason I want to throttle the insurance companies because to them this is about money - to me it is about my son. He deserves some compansation more than they deserve the full $300,000.:

I can only imagine the pain. Mine is still oozing since the scab fell off yesterday - a month after the surgery. I have to put the bandages back on - yuck. I agree, anyone who survives a burn is a brave. The pain is INTENSE! He does deserve compensation - just to give something back (I know it's not about the money but it would be nice)