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Old 04-21-2019, 06:03 PM
 
399 posts, read 691,474 times
Reputation: 629

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I have a $20k hospital bill that was sent to collections even though I was making monthly payments. There is an error on the medical records that was never corrected that prevented the bill to be sent to my insurance company. Over the past 3 years I have received letters from a out of state and local collection agency. I replied to each that there was a error in my medical records that prevented my bill from being submitted to my insurance plan, please have the hospital correct the medical record and submit to my insurance company. Each time I never received a reply or call from collection agency.

Is it possible to change a error in medical records after discharge and bill has been sent to collections? I was told by a records clerk at the hospital that you can't easily change a medical record after discharge. Is this bill now "uncollectible"?

Any input is appreciated.
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Old 04-21-2019, 09:27 PM
 
2,469 posts, read 3,247,182 times
Reputation: 2913
What is the error? Why didnt the hospital correct it? Sometimes it works out better to negotiate with the collection agency.
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Old 04-22-2019, 07:58 AM
 
107 posts, read 137,484 times
Reputation: 229
I used to work for a medical billing company. Collection agencies don't care if there was an error on the bill. They purchased it from the hospital for pennies on the dollar. All they care about is collecting. Now that the hospital has sold them the bill, they are technically done with it so you are not likely to get anywhere with them on your own. However, a lawyer might. Especially one who handles debt. He or she can negotiate with the hospital on your behalf and can get the collection agencies to stop hounding you until the issue is resolved.

For future reference, if this ever happens again, contact the hospital daily about a billing error. You have to be as relentless about it as the collection agency would be in collecting from you. Usually the hospital has to notify you that the bill will be going to collections, which I'm assuming they did. Hospitals usually allow you up to a year to complete payment on a bill, and then they can legally send the remainder on to collections, and yes, they can do it even if you're making regular payments. Pretty crappy, I know, but they have to collect any way they can.
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Old 04-22-2019, 07:20 PM
 
35 posts, read 38,973 times
Reputation: 74
^This. You need a good consumer protection attorney. I sent you a PM with a referral.
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Old 04-22-2019, 07:24 PM
 
Location: North Carolina
6,081 posts, read 4,569,565 times
Reputation: 10552
In addition to what JCVH and kespen have said, hopefully, this is a helpful reference (from the Federal Trade Commission concerning what bill collectors can and can't do):

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/article...ollection-faqs

https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/doc...ctices-act.pdf
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Old 04-22-2019, 11:54 PM
 
2,469 posts, read 3,247,182 times
Reputation: 2913
We dont even know what exactly the error is. It should have been dealt with by the OP, hospital and insurance. That is why people need to understand what their insurance does and doesn't cover and always go over EOBs ( Google the billing codes) I've caught many mistakes.
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