HIPAA DIDN'T WORK FOR ME!!!! PLEASE HELP

[tryin_to_make_it]

guys here's my scenario:

Central Financial Control reported a medical collection for $144 back in Oct 2003.  I paid the collection to CFC in Jan 2008, before i knew anything about HIPAA.  About a couple a weeks ago i found out about the HIPAA Process, so i tried it.  I knew the debt was mine so i did not do a DV to the CRA.  I did however send an HIPAA letter to the OC (Piedmont Medical Center Privacy Office) asking them to have CFC remove the account from my credit reports since I paid it off.  Insted of getting a response from the OC i got a letter from CFC which reads:

"In response to your correspondence sent requesting that the aboved mentioned account be removed from your credit report.  The conditions of services (COS) you were provided upon admission to the facility gave the facility permission to transfer your account to CFC.

The COS outlines your financial responsibilities for services rendered by out client.  The COS is the contract between our clinet and yourself where you agreed to accept financial repsonisbility for any charges incurred resulting from medical services rendered.

Per your primary insurance carrier presented at the time of service Insurance Company A, $144 was determined to be your responsibility as your co-insurance and co-payment.

After researching your reqest to remove the negative enrty from your credit profile, our office finds that removal is not warranted as payment was made on Jan 23, 2008 after the account was reported.  Your payment of $144 has been received.  At this time there is no outstanding balance on this account. "

I am going to respond to this letter asking the OC to send me a copy of this so-called COS agreement i signed during my admission to the hospital.  Is there anything else i can do?  What do i do if the OC doesn't send me a copy of that COS agreement? 

PLEASE HELP!! GUYS IM NEW AT THIS SO PLEASE BE DETAILED.  THANKS IN ADVANCE!!!

[Anonymous]

The HIPAA must be done in the proper order!!!    Did you send the PRE_HIPAA  dispute to the CRAs reporting?

[tryin_to_make_it]

No I did not sent the Pre HIPAA letter to the CRA because i knew the debt belonged to me.   I was just hoping to have it deleted on the bases that it was paid in full.

[Anonymous]

The HIPAA process must be done in the correct order. If you skip a step HIPAA might ignore your complaint. HIPAA set the process and are strict about it. They want a complete paper trail!!

The color paper and type is important when mailing any HIPAA dispute to the CRAs!!!  CRAs scann all disputes and you do not want that.  If you do not have the correct color paper  you might try handwriting everything.  I am only guessing that they can not scan handwriting.

The process can be very confusing. If you have any questions  just yell!

http://ficoforums.myfico.com/fico/board/message?board.id=rebuildingcredit&thread.id=27537

[203bravo]

Happydays -

thank you for explaining the reason for the colored paper and type face.  I was wondering what the reason behind it was.

[Anonymous]

Your more then welcome but it was fused that found that info.

[Anonymous]

Not surprised. Didn't work for me either. I sent the "pre" letters and all that happened was the bureaus verfied and re-aged the accounts. All this business about colored paper and such seems nonsense to me.

[Anonymous]

Ryan, the CRAs always scann everything. Then their PC contacts the the PC who you are disputing. When it comes to medical collections....the law states that the CRA must contact the OC (not the CA reporting)  It has to be manually read in order for this to happen!

You do what you can to keep it from being scanned!

When an account is updated after a dispute....this is not reaging!

[Anonymous]

HappyDays it would be great if the information you just provided was added to Fused's Pre-HIPPA letter template post.

It is not really clear to readers exactly why they need to hand address the envelope, use personalized stationary and a colored, italicized font as instructed in the post.  This is very helpful information. 

I almost skipped this step in the HIPPA process for similar reasons as the OP did.  Luckily you moderators set me straight in time and I hand wrote every letter in cursive with purple ink onto shamrock green paper.  My cursive is so poor it looks like a 90 year old woman wrote the letters!!!  LOL

[Anonymous]

---

@Anonymous wrote:
Not surprised. Didn't work for me either. I sent the "pre" letters and all that happened was the bureaus verfied and re-aged the accounts. All this business about colored paper and such seems nonsense to me.

---

In October I had 5 medical collection accounts and followed the process exactly as HappyDays says.  3 of the paid medical collections were DELETED  by both TU & EX.  I had one of the CAs send the proper validation for an unpaid collection and one just verified with the CRA and updated the collection from unpaid to paid.  Now I am down to just the 2 and with FUSED's sticky thread and HappyDays guidance, I am onto the next step and feel confidant of success.

Nonsense?  I don't think so!  40 days ago, I believed that I had to live with them for 6 more years.