I'm currently in collections for an medical bill I have absolutely no intentions of paying. Long story short, I went to a physician who was acting in my usual physician's stead. His staff wanted to perform what I thought was an unnecessary procedure and I communicated my disapproval before anything was even done. They essentially "soft sold" me on the procedure and assured me that my insurance would cover it. Unfortunately, it didn't. If I knew beforehand what my out of pocket expense would have been, I would've told them in no uncertain terms that I was not going to undergo the procedure instead of sheepishly going along with it. The fact that I alone am responsible for knowing what my insurance plan covers and what it doesn't aside, what exactly is my recourse in a prolonged battle with CA's over this? The CA is getting a DV letter right off the bat, but I'm curious what could be in store for me if they decide to push further and I continue to fight them.
Believe me, I can understand how you feel about this. Our healthcare system is so messed up. That said, since you said yes and received the care, they're going to hold you liable for the bill if you insurance didn't cover it. The worst thing that could happen would be they sue you to collect. How much money are we talking about here?
Indeed, and while we're on that same subject, I also have a feeling that since my insurance was already billed, I would essentially have a really difficult time trying to convince anyone that I didn't consent to the procedure. Trying to dispute the charges with my insurance company may prove to be equally fruitless. Would you believe less than $100? Though apparently, that's not "chump change" to the practice that sent my account to a CA. I s'pose that if they did sue me, the worst that can happen is they obtain a judgment against me, and I would ask the MDJ to place me on a reasonable payment plan. This would be great for me because: 1) No liens or garnishments can take place provided I'm making timely payments. 2) I'll be making my payments to the Magisterial District Court and not the provider's and/or CA's attorney. 3) It'll be broken down into affordable payments as opposed to a "ginormous" lump sum which will undoubtedly include court costs (these usually run around $95 or so).
Yea, I don't think you're going to get much help from the insurance company at this point. I doubt you will get sued for less than $100 though. That's highly unlikely IMO. Have you determined if your account has just been transferred to the CA? If so, you may still be able to convince the medical provider to pull your account back from collections so you can deal with them directly regarding payment. If you don't plan to ever pay, then you can try discussing your reasons directly with the medical provider and they may come to some sort of an agreement with you. Medical providers waive charges under $100 all the time. I just called a hospital regarding some charges my wife incurred and they actually waived over $1,000 just because I questioned them.
I cannot say for sure, but based upon the initial communication (dunning letter) I got from the CA, it appears that they're merely acting on behalf of the provider and didn't have the rights transferred to them. This is good to know, and I may do just that. Thank you. I can't imagine them being unreasonable as long as I return the favor. I'll let you know how it works out once I've had the opportunity to send them a letter and they respond.
