Out of nowhere collector calls about debt from six years ago...what to do?

[danny4l]

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@pisspoorcredit wrote:

USF18 I'm not sure if its appropriate that I get a more damaging tradeline entry on my cerdit reports over $25. i cant even recall why I missed the appt to begin with. But if they had notified me to cancel within a certain amount of time I would have. (shrugs)My point was that is how dirty doctors play. I think there should be a minmum dollar limit to Dr's selling to a CA. It protects a person from getting dinged for a little amount and keeps Dr from having to go to those lengths...bc im sure it cost him WAY MORE to do that than the amount of the debt.

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You think you're story is bad, I've seen accounts go to collections for less than $25.  Can you imagine how much it costs them to send you notices? It's certainly more than the debt they are inquiring about!!

You want to talk about dirty doctors here's one dirty tactic that I personally did something about.

I have to see a doctor for a routine finger stick blood test.  We both agreed I would pay a flat fee of $25 each month and it would be a quick in and out procedure.  After months of just paying the $25, I noticed the office was charging my insurance for the whole damn doctors visit!!  I couldn't believe what I was seeing.  They didn't even see me in the examination room and you are billing my insurance for something you never provided me because you could easily disguise it?  I knew it was wrong so I contacted my provider and and they did an internal investigation.  Two months later, no more office charges to my insurance.

[danny4l]

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@wa3more wrote:

The OP was just looking for guidance. If someone, does not feel comfortable with the topic, they should not respond.

Every business factors bad debt expense into their business model and P&L. Most companies will experience say 3-5% of their receivables as uncollectable. It's a cost of doing business. They build it into their pricing.

Healthcare expenses are escalating due to increased and costly litigation.

If someone does not understand what I am talking about above, they don't understand business or how business finance works

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Thanks for clarifying that.  Years ago, when I asked someone about what was wrong with healthcare in America, they told me that it was so easy for people to sue.  I guess that still holds true today.

I just wish there was more honesty in medicine because quite frankly, if I get sick, I'd rather stay sick than go to the hospital and be taken.  But I'll tell you something, there are good docs out there and they don't do stuff like this.  I'm going to be one of them soon.

[wa3more]

If anyone believes that unpaid medical bills are a driving force behind rising medical costs, they don't know what they are talking about or have not been paying attention the last 10 years or so.

Just some commentary from a senior level financial professional,

[pisspoorcredit]

danny4l I see ur point. Makes me want to take a look into this mysterious morfing bill I have. Especially when they have my minor daughter's name on it too. I may call accounts dept at the hospital and see if I can pay the ORIGINAL $100 and have them pull back the CA's collection attempts. As for the runt $25 collection acct I now have on my credit, I sent them a PFD and said that this was a result of a overlook.

[danny4l]

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@pisspoorcredit wrote:

danny4l I see ur point. Makes me want to take a look into this mysterious morfing bill I have. Especially when they have my minor daughter's name on it too. I may call accounts dept at the hospital and see if I can pay the ORIGINAL $100 and have them pull back the CA's collection attempts. As for the runt $25 collection acct I now have on my credit, I sent them a PFD and said that this was a result of a overlook.

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After I got sick a few years back I was bombarded with bills from doctor's who I don't even remember.  I saw this specialist in the city for a consultation before I needed surgery but I ended up having the surgery with another doctor. Would you believe this doctor who I only had a consultation with (who works at the same hospital) paid me two visits while in the hospital.  I thought he stopped by to say hi but he charged me for both!  What the hell was he doing there and how did he even know when I had the surgery?  You think I paid him?

My experience with hospital collections is this.  Don't contact them. If you contact them, they will go after you or threaten you with a fake lawyer.  Most all of them will probably not sue to begin with and if it's old enough, it will just come off your report like the one I am dealing with now (even though they didn't report it)

[wa3more]

with any collector, stay off they phone. Never call.

Ask for a validation of debt in writing, send it certified mail. When you get the bill, send it to your insurance company.

Always respond to any collection letter.

[pisspoorcredit]

danny4l That is HORRIBLE...and you are absolutely right! Now dont me wrong...just b/c you go and get a treatment doesn't mean not pay the bill. But what you can and have every right to do is make sure that bill is EXACTLY for what they treated you for. So I totally understand where you're coming from. I'd even go as far as to ask for an itemization.

[pisspoorcredit]

You're right...I wont call them. I'll do like you said and just ask for a DV and send that to the insurance company.

[danny4l]

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@pisspoorcredit wrote:

danny4l That is HORRIBLE...and you are absolutely right! Now dont me wrong...just b/c you go and get a treatment doesn't mean not pay the bill. But what you can and have every right to do is make sure that bill is EXACTLY for what they treated you for. So I totally understand where you're coming from. I'd even go as far as to ask for an itemization.

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Yes I totally agree with paying for anything you have agreed to; the same as paying a credit card bill. Why some people can't see that leaves me scratching my head.

Itemization?  You mean you want to see them charge you $50 for a Tylenol pill and $300 for a bag of IV fluids or $35 for the box of tissues?  I'd have a stroke if I looked at an itemized bill.

[danny4l]

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@wa3more wrote:

with any collector, stay off they phone. Never call.

Ask for a validation of debt in writing, send it certified mail. When you get the bill, send it to your insurance company.

Always respond to any collection letter.

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That's interesting.  That's exactly what I did when they called, I said send it to me in the mail.  But I'm interested to know why we should respond to the collection letter?

I thought that if we contact them in anyway, that they will always find a way to use that against us.