Rebuilding Your Credit

[wordslayer]

This is interesting.

Went to the dentist in 2003 and had work done. Insurance paid the claim and all was well.

Collection agency sends me a bill for work they claim I had done in 2005. I paid the collection agency under advice from my banker. I don't think I had work done there in 2005, but they claim that I did. Therefore, I disputed and asked for validation.

Their valdation was a billing statement and my medical sign in sheet which is signed and dated by me for 2003.

Question:

What is the collection agency doing with my 2003 paper work? Is that, in and of itself, a violation for them to have medical paper work from an account that was paid in full by the insurance company?

And also, I have yet to receive validation on the 2005 debt that I have asked for, other than a billing statement generated by them.

[stef37]

They should provide a bill from the OC from the 2005 date. I don't see any violations from them having the sign in sheet from 2003. It does sound like they may have nothing for 2005. Just because they can print up a bill from their computer, doesn't mean you owe it.

[wordslayer]

just can't understand why they would send me my sign in sheet from 2003. If that account was paid in full and never sent to a collection agency, then why in the world do they have access to a 2003 sign in sheet? Just irks me. If it was one for 2005, which they are reporting me on, then that would be different.

[stef37]

Is this for the same dentist? It may just be from your file from then. It happens when you start requesting documents from the OC.

[wordslayer]

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stef37 wrote:

Is this for the same dentist? It may just be from your file from then. It happens when you start requesting documents from the OC.

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Yep, from the same dentist. The dentist must have had them send everything they had. Thanks for your insight.

[Bran9192]

Call your insurance company, if you had coverage in 2005 and filed a claim they will have record of it. After that call and if they don't have any claims for 2005 I would call the dentist and ask for copies of the date & procedures of your service in 2005 because your insurance company had no claim filed for them in 2005 and you think it may be a billing error. Its a shot in the dark but nonetheless a shot worth taking.

[sidewinder]

wordslayer wrote:
This is interesting.

Went to the dentist in 2003 and had work done. Insurance paid the claim and all was well.

Collection agency sends me a bill for work they claim I had done in 2005. I paid the collection agency under advice from my banker. I don't think I had work done there in 2005, but they claim that I did. Therefore, I disputed and asked for validation.

Their valdation was a billing statement and my medical sign in sheet which is signed and dated by me for 2003.

Question:

What is the collection agency doing with my 2003 paper work? Is that, in and of itself, a violation for them to have medical paper work from an account that was paid in full by the insurance company?

Same OC or not, if the bill the CA is trying to collect for supposedly occurred in 2005 and the insurance paid the 2003 bill in full, the CA has NO reason to have your information from 2003. HIPAA allows med providers to release minimally necessary information in order to collect a debt. I can't think of any reason your 2003 sign in sheet would be needed to collect a 2005 debt.

I'd call the OC and ask about the 2005 visit. Get as much information as you can regarding it, was it filed with insurance, if so, what insurance? Did insurance pay? What were you seen for?

I'd then ask about the 2003 bill. Did insurance pay it? Was there a balance due on it?

Then I'd call my insurance and get a copy of the claim from 2003 and anything they may have regarding the alleged 2005 visit.

I'd get all the information I could and then decide how to proceed.

And also, I have yet to receive validation on the 2005 debt that I have asked for, other than a billing statement generated by them.

[wordslayer]

Thanks, Sidewinder!

Yes, it is the same OC.   They are claiming that I had two root canals done...one in 2003 and one in 2005.   I know that i had the one done in 2003.   I know that insurance paid that bill.   I cannot remember ever having one done in 2005, not saying I didn't, but I sure can't remember it.  Therefore,  I have asked for validation on that one.   When I asked for validation, they sent me their computer generated billing statement that shows where insurance paid the one in 2003, but then it shows a bill for 2005 that was not paid and went to collections.

When I was applying for mortgages on my house a year or so ago, I saw the collection on my report and I was advised to pay it, because I would never get approved for a mortgage without paying for it.   Therefore, I paid it.  

I then decided later on to see what the deal was on this bill so I disputed it.   I received the paperwork from the collection agency that had their office generated billing statement along with my medical sign in sheet signed and dated by me for 2003.   The odd part is, they looked like someone has taken a stamp and stamped the date 2005 on it.  

The whole thing is just a mess.