Creditors

[Anonymous]

I had a procedure at a local hospital a few months ago. I got bills from the hospital and doctor. I received statements from my insurance on what they paid and what I was responsible for. Now I have a collection agency saying I owe 700 dollars to the Anesthesiologist group. Apparently they never put it through my correct insurance. They tried insurance I haven't had in 5 years. They sent the bill to a 5 year old address. The creditor is acting like I'm a deadbeat and saying I should have given them correct information. As I told them that is what hospital registration is for. I got bills from everyone else and I'm sorry I'm not psychic and can't anticipate bills I had no idea I owed. Anyway my insurance probably won't pay it because of the time that has elapsed so I'll be out 700 dollars. My credit report is probably going to be blemished over someone else' incompetence after I spent a year cleaning it up. I just bought a house and my credit has been in the upward direction. I'm very proud of that and I don't think it is right for it to be so easily damaged over something I have no control over. This is just a warning to anyone that is going to have any type of medical procedure. Make sure you know who all is going to be billing you and make sure they have the right address and insurance info. Don't trust them to get it from the hospital.  

[LIGHTNIN]

HI welcome to the forums,

DH and I  both have had medical bills over the years, and boy i know what you mean about them mmm not getting the correct address or ins info.

But you said you have this procedure a few months ago, i think most insurances , you have a year to submit a claim(s). tho i maybe wrong.

Have you checked your insurance policy, on how long you have to submit a claim?

Good luck to you, and hopefully you still have time to submit the claim.

Please let us know the outcome. And thank you for your story, I noticed you didnt asked any questions and just told your story only to help others. 

[haulingthescoreup]

I agree, keep pushing the insurance. They can't claim that they didn't know you were there and that you needed pre-approval --they paid the surgeon's bill, so it's pretty obvious that you had anesthesia as well.

I'd also get back to the anesthesiology billers and tell them to re-submit the claim, this time with the correct information which you supplied when you registered. That's just sloppiness on their part. This kind of thing happens all the time, where everyday people don't realize that not only is there a hospital charge, but also charges from the physician(s), radiology, pathology, you name it. They have no business acting like you're a deadbeat.