HIPPA question?

[Anonymous]

I am so sorry for being so high-maintenance here, and asking so many dumbo questions!!

But I just don't understand the HIPPA letter ... does it apply in our situation??

We have medical bills in collections: 1 from a hospital, 1 from a pathology lab, and 1 from a diagnostics lab. Each are with different CAs. We are MORE than happy to pay the full amount with each (crossing fingers that they haven't accrued uber interest). But if we can, we'd love to pay the OC and just have the mess off our CRs.

But ... they ARE our debts, they ARE within the SoL, and it is the CA reporting, not the OC. AFAIK, the OC never reported (I don't know that for sure -- this is the first time we've heard of these bills, but we do know that they are ours).

So does that mean the HIPPA letter (pay in full and delete) will work for us? Or are we the other kind of SOL?

As always, thanks again!!

[Anonymous]

*Bump?*

[Anonymous]

Why Chat's letter is to be used with payment to the OC, sent to the OC, insert A.

He also will state what restriction's need to be placed on the back of the money order or cashier's check.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Why Chat's letter is to be used with payment to the OC, sent to the OC, insert A.

He also will state what restriction's need to be placed on the back of the money order or cashier's check.

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Ah ... so since the OC (the hospital) said that I must deal with the CA in paying this off, I assume that means that I'm out of luck? Since I assume that I can't "force" the OC to accept payment? While I don't think the account was sold to the CA, I think the hospital has a policy of having the CA only deal with it ...

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

Why Chat's letter is to be used with payment to the OC, sent to the OC, insert A.

He also will state what restriction's need to be placed on the back of the money order or cashier's check.

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Ah ... so since the OC (the hospital) said that I must deal with the CA in paying this off, I assume that means that I'm out of luck? Since I assume that I can't "force" the OC to accept payment? While I don't think the account was sold to the CA, I think the hospital has a policy of having the CA only deal with it ...

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If the hospital has not sold this, then you can still use why chat's letter program.

http://www.whychat.5u.com/hipltr.html

Read up and see how to use and what to send. It's alot of reading.

[Anonymous]

Do not contact the CA!!!!!  call the hosp. and all Dr.or labs     get the complete amount due......pay them (in THEIR name only)    examp.......loonytoons hosp......crazy dept of radioligy....etc.

I would wait 2 - 4 weeks and then......dispute with this letter for each CA reporting

                 CAs are know for adding charges AND we all know that the CRAs do not always do what they should!...They get caught this way

In addition, the new FACTA regulations require the CRA's to do a REAL investigations and contact the Original Creditor for requested information in a CONSUMER DISPUTE. This is why you SHOULD use the NEW "CRA dispute letter BEFORE using any part of the HIPAA letter proccess.

this is the dispute letter

PRE HIPAA MEDICAL DISPUTE LETTER TO CRA

You dispute medical accounts this way:

Dear CRA,

My name is xxxxx xxxxxx , my SS # is xxx xx xxxx.

I am sending this dispute certified mail # xxxx to make sure you receive it.

I have no knowledge or records of account # xxxxx on my report # xxxxx.

Please advise me as to the name and address of the medical provider, the date and type of service,and to whom the service was provided, as any account I might have had would be obsolete.

If you can obtain this information, I also would need the name of the person providing this data, and the manner in which it was provided in order that I may pursue additional legal remedies.

Very truly yours,

xxxxxx

Make sure you HAND ADDRESS the envelope, use personalized stationery and purple or teal font, ( preferably italic).

DO NOT send it RR -WAIT FOR THE FULL RESPONSE FROM THE CRA BEFORE CONTINUING WITH THE HIPAA LETTER PROCESS

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Do not contact the CA!!!!! call the hosp. and all Dr.or labs get the complete amount due......pay them (in THEIR name only) examp.......loonytoons hosp......crazy dept of radioligy....etc.

I would wait 2 - 4 weeks and then......dispute with this letter for each CA reporting

CAs are know for adding charges AND we all know that the CRAs do not always do what they should!...They get caught this way

In addition, the new FACTA regulations require the CRA's to do a REAL investigations and contact the Original Creditor for requested information in a CONSUMER DISPUTE. This is why you SHOULD use the NEW "CRA dispute letter BEFORE using any part of the HIPAA letter proccess.

this is the dispute letter

PRE HIPAA MEDICAL DISPUTE LETTER TO CRA

You dispute medical accounts this way:
Dear CRA,
My name is xxxxx xxxxxx , my SS # is xxx xx xxxx.
I am sending this dispute certified mail # xxxx to make sure you receive it.
I have no knowledge or records of account # xxxxx on my report # xxxxx.
Please advise me as to the name and address of the medical provider, the date and type of service,and to whom the service was provided, as any account I might have had would be obsolete.
If you can obtain this information, I also would need the name of the person providing this data, and the manner in which it was provided in order that I may pursue additional legal remedies.

Very truly yours,

xxxxxx

Make sure you HAND ADDRESS the envelope, use personalized stationery and purple or teal font, ( preferably italic).

DO NOT send it RR -WAIT FOR THE FULL RESPONSE FROM THE CRA BEFORE CONTINUING WITH THE HIPAA LETTER PROCESS

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HD....you seem to know what you are talking about here, so if you don't mind, would you explain this in greater detail to me?

Let's say the CRA gets the letter you just showed us and they call the CA and validate the debt, which is probably what will happen.

Then you go to step two and dispute with the CA for verifying a fradulent validation. Then you follow up with the CRA and let them know that the CA validated.

Now, this is what I don't understand. Chances are that everything is going to be validated, so where is the HIPAA violation? Why is this a HIPAA issue at all? And what if everything does come back validated, then where to from there?

[Anonymous]

"It is NOT applicable if the account is valid and you are unable to pay it.
It will ONLY work if the claim is either INACCURATE, or you remit the valid correct amount due with the letter." From Why Chat's webpage.

If the debt is inaccurate or paid, it is a HIPAA violation when protected health information (PHI) is shared when there is no permissible purpose for it.

[Anonymous]

I have read over and over again about Hippa and I still don't understand. Let me explain my situation...

I have 5 accounts with CA- 4 are with the same CA-Senex and the other is with a Lawyer and there is a judgment on that one. I have contacted the OC-Hospital and he is going to be my mediator and get a hold of the CA and the Lawyers office and try and settle for a different amount. I have asked the hospital why he can't pull these from the CA and he said he couldn't but once paid they should come off my report.
In my situation..do I send a HIPPA letter after I've paid these off and whom am I suppose to pay-the OC or the CA? This is just so frustrating...

Please help!

[Anonymous]

I hope this will help you.. I  work  in the billing dept for a Health Care Provider. Let me try to explain how  OUR collection process works. This may not be true for all Health Care providers but it might help.  When we send an account to collections,  we forward a file evey month of names, balances and account numbers.  When this file goes, our records  then show a zero balance. therefore if you call us "the provider"  we are showing you with no balance due.  If you call and say I just received this collection notice, we will  tell you  that you have to contact the collection agency, if a payment comes in to our office, and the account is in collections,  we will forward that payment on to the collection agency, they take it off of their records,  and then forward that same payment back to us. Note: they get paid by us on a percentage that they collect each month.... My question to you is, was there insurance inforce at the time, if so did they pay anything, deny the claim etc... did the hospital send the labs, to the pathology lab, diag lab etc?  is the hospital a participating provider with your insurance carrier?  If none of the above ,  some Health Care providers will offer you a discount if  you pay the balances in full.. Although you have to ask the collection if there is a prompt payment discount, they will then contact the  Hospital, lab etc, and the hospital, lab etc  will tell them what kind of  discount to give.