Question for Piobaire (or anyone else)

[Pennglock]

Piobaire, I gather from your posts here you're a hospital exec, and I was hoping you could give me a bit of advice. The situation is this:

I was hospitalized a while back, and the hospital improperly billed my insurance provider. Did not bill the insurance in a timely manner. By the time the hospital figured this out, I had switched insurance providers, and the hospital is holding me personally responsible for the bill.

I argued with a few lower level billing staff members at the hospital, got no where, and had a collections agency sent on me. Had my attorney send a cease and desist letter to the agency and the hospital, agency decided they would not pursue the collection, and the hospital just switched to a different collection agency.

My main question is- what is the best course of action to pursue from here. My attorney recommended meeting face-to-face with someone in the hospital, and seeing if they would settle for a percentage of the bill. Do you feel this course of action would yeild results, and if so who would be the best person to speak with?


Another detail I thought I might use for a bit of leverage- I did not receive proper during this hospital stay. I had a ******* viral meningitis infection and the docs at the ED sent me home. Since no harm resulted to me, I don't think I have any standing, but the situation as it was has made me less than motivated to settle-up on the (unrelated) billing issue.

If you took the time to read this, many thanks.

 

[MetroStyles]

What is the downside to not paying at all? I assume this kind of thing does not go onto your credit report, but I could be wrong. Can you be blacklisted at hospitals? A collections agency can't do anything to you. You would easily win this in court and they would not take it that far.

I'm not condoning skipping on the bill but these guys seem like real jackasses.

 

[Piobaire]

This is not a real area of expertise for me, so legal advice would be best (which I read you have consulted an attorney). Here's a few things as I understand them, and again, I'm not expert in these little cases.

The hospital will have a contract with the insurance company that they have X number of days to submit a "clean" claim for billing. If the hospital cannot submit a clean claim in the billing period, tough for them. I don't think the hospital can go after you, but I'm not 100% sure on that, and that's where the real action is, right? Seek legal advice on that point.

You feel you did not get proper care, and want to leverage that. Wrong move. All that happens is the organization lawyers up and someone like me, gets pissed off and grows much less likely to negotiate or give on a point.

If it turns out you need to pay, as long as you are making some sort of payment, they have to call off the collection dogs.

Wasn't too much help, but hope you find something to use there.

 

[Tardek]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

You feel you did not get proper care, and want to leverage that. Wrong move. All that happens is the organization lawyers up and someone like me, gets pissed off and grows much less likely to negotiate or give on a point.
So you're the test case rather than the settlement? I don't know, negotiations always seem to start with, "Well, we think that if this were to come to litigation we'd have a strong case because of X Y and Z, however, we want to come and negotiate a settlement in good faith.". I can't see why poor hospital management wouldn't be one of those points. Penn, I think a sit-down meeting with a hospital rep, yourself, and your lawyer would be a good decision (or at least, can't hurt). You might also mention that you're newly a pauper because of your spiritual sabbatical etc.

 

[whusurdadi]

On a similar note...

I just got a bill yesterday for a procedure I had done on my wrist in December 2007....how is that even possible?