I have a balance from 1999 on a hospital bill that my insurance company decided not to cover. I wasn't aware of the charge until recently when it posted on my credit reports. I contacted the hospital and collection agency involved to try to resolve this matter. I particularly wanted to pay the entire balance off on condition that ALL negative info was taken off of my credit report. Well, the problem I ran into was this: One credit report shows I owe $301, another credit report shows I owe $484, and the third credit report doesn't even show the account as being past due. I called the hospital and they said I owe $785. Would somebody please tell me the best way to handle this as I am now totally confused....Thanks...ED
Both ca accounts add up to the hospital charges claim of $785. Are these two separate accounts? Do the account numbers match up on each report? Seems kind of hard to make a settlement if you don't what you owe or how many accounts you have. I would ask for validation from the ca, on whatever account is showing on your credit reports. Also, are you sure your insurance company refused to pay the bill? Medical providers frequently mess up and forget to bill the provider. Then come back and ask the patient to pay for it. It's one thing if your procedure was not covered, and something else when they don't bill your insurance carrier. And yes, that is a problem that you were never notified of a bill. Violates the Fair Credit Billing and FDCPA.
Actually, according to the hospital, there are 3 bills totalling $785. The collection agency also has these 3 bills on file that they say I owe. I'm just not sure why the ca's are showing the 2 different amounts. Poor reporting I think. As far as billing the insurance company is concerned, there was a big stink when these charges came up to begin with. My Cigna doctor I went to called Cigna and assured me they said they would cover these tests. That's all it was was tests....for arthritis. Nothing really important, but I made an appoint to tell all concerned that I could not afford to pay for these tests. My actual cost should have been $17 co-pay. The original bill I got from the hospital was around $2,000, and I was told the insurance turned it all down. To make a long story short, I had a go around with the insurance and really had no idea what they ended up paying, if anything. Now I fund this is on my credit and I want to get it resolved, and needless to say, I don't really trust what the hospital says I owe, especially when I keep seeing different numbers. Thanks for your input...ED
Well, I would definetely start with validation from the CA's, for each account. Make them show what you owe and what it is for, assuming they can do that. If they can't validate the debt, they are supposed to delete it. The validation letter may not solve all your problems, but it is a start. Send CCCR and don't actually sign it, ca's have been known to "cut and paste" your signature. Here is simple validation I have used before: To Whom It May Concern: I hereby dispute the validity of this alleged debt against me. Please provide 1) the document with my signature, agreeing to pay this alleged debt and interest. 2) documentation of the social security number provided by the account opener of this alleged debt. 3) itemized accounting to substantiate the alleged balance. 4) the agreement with MCI that grants you the authority to collect this alleged debt. **this is only a sample, you may want to do a search on validations and tweak the letter. **I would also include a cover letter with your validation request, stating you were never notified of the "alleged debt", in violation of FDCPA and FCBA. Please delete account from CRA's or comply with the enclosed validation. I have had a PAID and unpaid CA account deleted with this cover letter enclosed in my request for validation. Unlikely they will delete, but worth a shot, especially if you were never notified of debt.....didn't belong to you.....etc. etc. Of course, you can forego validation and try to settle with CA for deletion (I did with most medical CA's on numerous accounts, some accounts were VERY DIFFICULT TO SETTLE, one CA would not agree to settle)....GET IT IN WRITITNG!!!! But starting the validation process can provide more incentive in the future for a CA to settle.
I found something by surprise on my husbands report. I faxed a validation letter yesterday. I informed them of their failure to notify me of the debt and that by doing so denied me my right to dispute the debt. I demanded validation and itemized the validation the way cinderella did in the post above. At the end of my letter I again pointed out that they had been reporting this alleged debt since such and such date and by covertly doing so their actions have defamed my character, ruined my credit, caused me to pay unfair high interest rates and on and on and on. All because they never sent me a notice of any kind. I wrote because of the severe damage you have caused me already "time is of the essence" therefore I must demand you respond immediately. They surely did.....got a fax at work today that they were deleting the account from all CR's. Could have knocked me over with a feather...lol
Thanks Cinderella...I'm still a little dumbfounded by how fast it happened but hey....I ain't complainin'! LOL
