Need Advice-RMB hasn't validated

Hello All! I'm sorta new here, been lurking for a while and reading ALOT of info. I've posted a few questions and got a few replies. Briefly, here's the situation.

Got denied for loan in late October, got CR from EQ dated 11/6/03, found 9 collection accounts with 2 different CA's that totaled $2000 for medical bills. (This was before I found the board and I made an idiot move.....) I contacted the CA to make payment arrangements because I do want to pay my bills.

That evening, I realized that I should have been on TennCare at the time (Tennessee's Medicaid program). Contacted both CA's the next day and told them that TennCare should have paid these bills, and got the Dates of Service so I could call TennCare and get my dates of eligibility.

One CA with 3 accounts said that if I fax a certificate of eligibility, the accounts that should have been covered would be removed. Also, I faxed them a request for itemezed statement and received it 11/16/03. (Faxed Certificate of Eligibility on 12/12/03 and the one account that occured during a period of eligibility was removed from EQ by 12/18/03.)

The other one -RMB- with 6 accounts was a *witch (*b) and said it didn't matter if I was on TennCare or not, and furthermore these accounts have been in collections for over 3 years and she "finds it hard to believe that now" I "convienently" have TennCare. I was mad over her little attitude too.

It took me about a week of calling every 1-800 # ever created for TennCare, and explaining my situation to nearly every agent before they transfered me to another and I finally, spoke to someone in the "Policy and Procedure" dept. who told me that there is a TennCare Medicaid Rule that service providers must follow in order to accept TennCare. The rule states that the service provider may not go after an enrollee under certain conditions. I qualified under the one that if they fail to submit or resubmit the claim in the time specified. (The itemized statment from the one CA on date submitted states :"00/00/00"-so I'm betting they never submitte it.)

Just a little more info, my Insurance Carrier thru TennCare at that time was not paying their claims and eventually was terminated from the TennCare program and went Bankrupt. Little did we peons know that all these bills weren't being paid and hitting our credit reports.

Also, I discovered that my coverage had been "terminated" in 8-99, but I hadn't received notice. Little More Background on that - From 98-2000, TennCare was terminating people without notice and/or charging premiums with no basis or formula. A guy with the last name of "Rosen" initiated a class action lawsuit which was settled earlier this year. Of course TennCare didn't contact me and tell me that I was eligible to file an appeal under this settlement and have my TennCare made retroactive to the period that they had terminated me without telling me.

I did file two appeals on 11/11/03 with TennCare- One to pay the bills that should have been paid during a period of eligibility and another to reinstate (retroactively) my TennCare to cover the other $1200 worth of bills I had incurred during a time I should have been covered.

All I have heard on my appeal so far is that they have assigned me a "Hearing Officer" for an Administrative Appeal Hearing, and I got an attorney through legal aid. (Glad they sent me that notice a week before my job went full-time, so I could qualify for Legal Aid.)

I contacted the cooperative CA again, they agreed to postpone my payment arrangement until TennCare reached a decision on my appeal and if TennCare does make it retroactive all will be gone.

Did not bother calling the Witch at RMB, I sent them an improvised (I know, another mistake) validation letter CRRR. I quoted what the agent said and that she had said it didn't matter if I had TennCare or not, then I stated that yes it does matter according to TennCare medicaid Rule 1200-13-13-.08 and quoted that section to them. Advised that this was NOT a refusal to pay, but based on that rule payment arrangement was null and void until TennCare reached a decision. (little more background- if I pay one cent on these bills, then TennCare approves my appeal and says they'll pay them I do NOT get reimursed one red cent.) I also requested validation.

RMB signed for my letter on 12/3/03, so their 30 days are up Friday 1/2/04. I realize that's 2 days away, but I have heard nothing from them.

On the same day, I also sent a crrr letter to EQ (signed 12/3/03) disputing the accounts I had a Certificate of Eligibility for, and those accounts have been deleted.

I have pulled EQ 8 times since 12/12/03, and the remaining 4 accounts wil RMB is still showing, last updated in 2001 and are NOT showing as in dispute.

Here's where I need some advice.....
1. What should my next step be?

2. If I do not hear from RMB by Friday,
should I send them another validation letter or should i send copy of 1st validation along with a dispute to EQ???

3. Have they violated by not reporting account as "in dispute"?
-If they have violated and I dispute with EQ, and EQ lists it as being "In Dispute" how would I prove that RMB committed a violation by not listing it as being "in dispute"
-How long do they have to report account as "in dispute"


Okay, I know this was reallllly long, but it's all rather complicated.

I also know that I screwed up when I contacted CA and made payment arrangements. Believe me, I've kicked myself in the @$$ over that one almost daily. Now, I'm unsure what to do. Have I screwed myself out of validation by making Payment arrangements? If not *crossing fingers and praying*, and they have violated by not reporting the 4 accounts as in dispute, I believe that's 4 diff. violations for a total of $4000 which would surely make them eat this $1200 debt and delete it.

Since I have already been this long winded let me say that I am soooo glad I have found this board. I pi$$es me off that these corporations are already making millions of dollars, then try to screw us "peons" over. I'm a single mom, working 2 jobs, going to school and barely making ends meet, but I'm becoming aware of my rights daily. It makes me angry to think of the people out there in the same situation, but not aware of their rights and just taking this screwing politely.

I avoided even trying to get much credit for the past 4 years waiting on things "fall" off. I got a Crap One Visa- 18 months not a single late-just so I could rent a car and do all the other things you need a CC for. I got a car loan -8 months not a single late-because my job is 30 miles away and my old one was a death trap. I have 3 student loans that are still in deferment. And I dumbly thought I was doing okay credit wise because all the old stuff should have fell off until I get my free credit report and discover a FICO score of 490.

Thanks all for sharing your information and experience to assist people like me who are trying.
Amanda

 

I believe so, but I'm not positive, most of these places make a copy of it the first time and keep it in your file, plus, all of these were over 3 years ago.
Shorty

 

Which part may be irrelevant? The fact that I had made payment arrangements or the fact that they will be gone if TennCare approves my appeal?

Update -- TC called me at work the other day and asked for copies of the bill, I told her I had sent a crrr letter to RMB requesting copies of the bills, they signed for it on 12/3 and they haven't even responded yet. She asked me to call the hospital, I told her I would try, but most of the time the oc would not discuss it if the account had been turned over to a ca. I did call OC, explained the situation (mentioning the TC medicaid rule violation) and told her that I had requested copies of the bills from CA, but they had not responded yet. She faxed a copy of them to TC. (I called TC and verified that they received them.) So, we'll see.

Also, all of the RMB accounts have been deleted from TU. Still working on EQ, who hasn't even investigated yet.
Shorty