Thanks Happy Days and welcome happy0510! Nice to be surrounded by all this happiness!
OK, so what if "we" (I'm including you happy0510) send payment to OC with HIPAA letter. Then send pre-HIPAA letter to CRAs after check clears. Any problems doing it that way?
I have had so many problems with this billing department over the years (it's for a university medical center) that I don't trust them to remove the collection. I requested an itemized statement from them for a bill they waited 15 mos. to send. Instead they turned it over to a CA who never contacted me before posting it to my CR. This has happened twice (once for a lab bill and then again for a physicians bill - which are handled by two different depts). The physicians bill is the one I'm inquiring about. The lab bill is another matter and I was considering PFDing on it because I was overcharged. I sent a settlement offer to OC 3 weeks ago, but they haven't responded, deny receiving letter (even though it was confirmed delivery) and supervisor won't return my calls. CA and OC have both proved to be unscrupulous and I don't trust that they will remove the debts once they're paid.
Is there any situation in medical where PFD is warranted? What should people do if they can't pay the whole amount? If the OC won't respond, aren't you forced to contact the CA (although it really behooves me to pay them a penny, but seems like they'd be more willing to settle and they're the ones who posted the CO so they'd have to remove it anyway)???
You're right happy! It's such a small amount to be such a pain. I have a friend who couldn't get his mortgage refinanced because he had a $15.00 CO that he knew nothing about. FIFTEEN MEASLY $$$ !
Starting Score: 615