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Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 5:28 am Subject: Medical bills....

ok so here we go again!
My husband has CHD and sees a cardiologist regularly. And also goes to the "same" hosptial for all work-ups and has for MANY years now.
Back in February he has an ultrasound done on his liver as his enzymes were high. At the time of this test he paid for our portion of what insurance did not cover.
Well, today i receive in the mail a bill from a collection agency! It's only for 54 bux but that's NOT the point! Why is it we have NEVER recieved anything from this specialty hospital but months later receive something from a collection agency? Also, will this be on his credit report? SIGHS
So, what do i do from here? It's not about the $54, it's about where did this amount come from? I will have to go back and check but what i remember is, this hospital is on our bill pay and we have been paying them monthly payments for years now so why now all of a sudden a collection agency is involved!
I'm SO sick of medical bills and the nickle and dime u to death ordeal!
URGHHHHH
Ang

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 5:36 am Subject:

OMG!
Glad i went back and checked on my bill pay!!! This EXACT amount was paid to the hospital back in April! Now what? Should i call the agency with my information?
Ya see, that's what i'm talking about, they will nickle and dime u to death and send u over to a collection agency for a bill that was already paid!
GRRRRRRRRRRR, i'm angry now!
Ang
P.S. Sorry i posted this before i looked it up on my bill pay! This post can be deleted if deemed so! But maybe it should stay up for people to be aware of this sort of activity!

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 5:47 am Subject:

What a way to start a Saturday! I am absolutely livid! I tried to call the collection agency and of course got a stupid recording that says "our offices are closed right now. Please try calling during regular business hours" And they don't give the reg business hours! grrrrrrrrrrr
I'm so mad that i'm actualy posting to myself now! ha ha
Guess that's ok long as i dont' answer my own post?! Oh wait i have! he he he
My heart rate has gone up now!
Ang

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 5:54 am Subject:

Ang call the hospital and tell them to recall the debt and remove the illegal tradelines that the collectors put there.You are well within your rights to demand this as the debt was paid and there was no reason for a collector to work the account.

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 5:57 am Subject:

So call the hospital billing dept? Will do Cajun! Ya know i can almost guarantee if my hubby had checked the mail and gotten this, he would have just paid it, thinking he over looked something! that's what makes me angry is that it's such a small amount but imagine if they collected from everyone!
sheeessshhhhhhhhh
Again Cajun to the rescue!
Thanks a million,
Ang

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 8:21 am Subject:

The hospital business office can call the collector and tell them to cease all collection activity on your account, as it went to collections due to their error. Good job...

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 8:21 am Subject:

Ok so i called the hospital billing! ARGHHHHH!! This is what i was told,
Each time he goes into the hospital, which is monthly at least, he is given a different acct number and the payments we have been making over 200 bux worth have been applied to teh wrong acct number. So supposedly this money has just been sitting in this "old" acct that has been closed since August of 2006!!
Now does that make ANY sense to any of u? Or is it just me that doesn't get it?!?!
They MUST have a bookkeepers nightmare of an accounting system going on! (speaking as a bookkeeper myself)
Now this "new" number i need to call isn't opened til Monday!
SIGHS,
Ang

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 8:30 am Subject:

Wow...
So you don't have the same account number with different dates of service on it, but different account numbers each time? No lie that's confusing! At the hospital I work at, everyone has one number on their card, and when patients come in, it just shows as a different date of service.
If it was me, I would ask for a complete audit of my account, to make sure your payments are being credited properly. Again, I can see where it would be very easy for errors to happen under this system. You also want to make sure that payments from your HMO are getting credited properly.

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 8:33 am Subject:

Yea Ks, isn't that the CRAZIEST thing u've EVER heard of?!?!?
Good idea of asking for a complete audit of his acct, cuz who knows how much of "OUR" money they have sitting in some unknown acct!!
Thnx for the idea!
Ang

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 8:37 am Subject:

Glad you're going to do that--
and depending on how they've credited your HMO payments, you might want to call them and ask for a list of any preauthorizations for services they have given for you and your husband with dates. This would help the hospital get it straightened out--and the scary thing is that if they've done this to you, what have they done to others??

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 9:01 am Subject:

I know ks, i know!!
And btw... this is one of the "best" cardiovascular hospitals in the nation! Too bad their accounting dept is one of the worse!!
YIKES!
Then, also, my hubby tells me, well i sent them $50 in March just because i KNEW i owed them something but hadn't recieved a bill yet! I was like WTH? Do NOT send them money without a bill... DOHHHHH
Ahh well what's happened in the past is in the past but i told him from now on, ANYTIME u get something from CIS, plz give it to me and i will keep track from now on! Have already this morning organized folders for them! I know we have like 6 inches or higher of medical bills for him and NONE of the others use different acct numbers and they are all pretty straight forward to read also!
Ahh well i guess as long as his heart is being taken care of i'll take care of keeping the hospital straight on the $$ issue!
Over worked,
Ang
lol

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 9:06 am Subject:

You are so right, Ang. And based on my personal experiences in the business, there are two rules that they follow in the hospital:

1. Never tick off Medicare!
3. Never tick off ANY HMO!! And messing up accounts and misposting their payments will tick them off, believe me! If they get enough complaints, I have seen in my local area where a huge HMO threatened to pull their contract with one of our local trauma centers, and let me tell you about the serious puckering up that was being done at that hospital, LOL... And believe it or not, the problem was fixed!

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 9:10 am Subject:

So are u saying i need to contact Blue Cross/Blue Shield about all this mix up?!?!?
Interesting, very interesting but i SURELY understand. Money talks and boy o boy do they deal in a TON of money!
Thanks a lot Ks,
Ang

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 9:14 am Subject:

I would call the Business Office first at the hospital and make sure that what they have corresponds to what you have. If everything's posted correctly, then I would go with that--but if there are errors, I would then call Blue Cross/Blue Shield to get a list of what they have preauthorized and what payments they have sent out on your behalf. Bear in mind that if the HMO has a problem with the claim they hospital has sent them, they can and will kick it back to them--and I'm sure they can also tell you if that happened as well.

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 9:29 am Subject:

Ok ks, i'll do that first thing on Monday but only thing is, he has SO much medical that's it's hard to keep up with it all!! And for some reason, i think these hospitals know this and try to confuse u even more!! Of course, as u prolly already can see, i get confused easy! ha ha
Mind if i ask where u from?
Thnx again,
Ang

Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 10:40 am Subject:

No prob...I'm from California! Never been to Louisiana, and from what I can see, it's an absolutely lovely state. One day I'll get there!

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