Can't PIF...want to offer settlement and use HIPAA?

[Anonymous]

Thanks in advance for your help. 

I have an unpaid medical debt that CA is reporting to 2 of the CRA's.  I cannot afford to PIF, as amount is $2500.  I was hoping to use PFD process and offer them half that amount in exchange for deletion from CR.  However, I've read on many threads to not use PFD, but always HIPAA since the debt is medical.  

The $2500 is for an anesthesiologist in an out-patient surgery center (not a hospital).  The DOFD is only about 6 months ago.  The debt is mine, and is unpaid.  I have started no steps of any process or had correspondence for this debt specifically.  (Although I have done all the Opt Out for other collections.)  

Is there a way to offer a partial payment during the HIPAA process?  Is it better to use PFD instead (even though its medical)?   Who am I offering--OC or CA? 

Thanks so much!

[fused]

Are you 100% certain this is a doctor's bill and not a surgery center bill? Did you have insurance when treatment was rendered?

[Anonymous]

Do not have any contact with the CA!   Contact the OC and ask for a deduction and make payments to them. Always put your account # on every check and use the restrictive endorsement.

You need to PIF before you can use the HIPAA process.

Message Edited by HappyDays on 03-30-2009 10:32 AM

[Anonymous]

Fused: 

  Thanks for your response.  This is for the anesthesiologist part of a Surgery Center.  I did have insurance that covered most of the surgery, but this was not covered.  This was billed to me separately, and I am not not why the insurance didn't cover it. 

HappyDays:

  Thank you.  If the OC grants me a deduction, and I pay the reduced amount, will that be considered same as PIF for the HIPAA process?  What about if the CA owns the debt now? 

Would it be a better avenue to attempt a PFD?  (even though it's medical, I know.)

Thanks again!

[Anonymous]

I would call the insurance co. and ask why they didn't cover it. Many times the OC never filed a claim.

If they will deduct and you pay, YES that is considered PIF.

[fused]

If you are able settle this debt, be sure it reports a $0 balance on your credit reports. Otherwise, the entire HIPAA letter process will not remove the med collection.

[Anonymous]

Thank you very much for the help!  I'll let you know if I run into problems.  Thanks!

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I would call the insurance co. and ask why they didn't cover it. Many times the OC never filed a claim.

---

  I contacted the OC and found out they only had information for one of my insurance policies (which the benefits had been exhausted).  When I tried to give tthe OC my secondary insurance information, they kept insisting I had to call the CA (who has the debt now) to give them my insurance information.   This does not sound right to me.  Would an insurance company actually pay a CA?   I know to never have contact with a CA, so giving them my insurance information sounds like a really bad idea.  Upon my insistance, the OC finally took my insurance info and said they will try to submit it.  I just wanted to see what your ideas would be on this, and if anyone has heard of OC's doing this. 

[fused]

Yes, this can happen. I work for a surgeon, and he need the assistance of a heart surgeon for the purposes of retracting vital organs. My doctor was paid, but the co-surgeon (the heart surgeon) wasn't. The CA went after the patient. Once the insurance company found out about this, they called the CA to pay them.

The problem was the co-surgeon didn't submit the bill in a timely matter and they overcharged. Now the insurance is going to pay the OC and not the CA, and hopefully collection is removed from his CRs.

Wait to see how all of this shakes out.