After reading for about a month - my turn but need guidance

[rmuse00]

Ok....my turn to contribute with returning power to the consumer!

I have been reding and reading and now I am actually sending out my first DV Received a letter from an attorney debt collector - says so in the letter. It is a hospital bill for 550 dollars from April of last year. The letter states simply your were previously notified by this office regarding your delinquent balance of 550. (never received a phone call from them!). Goes on to say "This is in important matter. Please contact our office immediately or remit payment in full. Please make check payable to "hospital name" but send payment to "attorney's info".

Thats all it says. It does list hospital name, account number dates of service patient "my husband" and balance due. Ok I am not saying that we might not owe but it might have been missed by the insurance company. Can I send in a DV asking for verification? validation? Shouldn't I have 30 days? How can they assume the debt is valid? How do I know the hospital has asked them to collect, just cause they say so?Are they in violation?

Thanks!

[rmuse00]

Ok....my turn to contribute with returning power to the consumer!

I have been reding and reading and now I am actually sending out my first DV Received a letter from an attorney debt collector - says so in the letter. It is a hospital bill for 550 dollars from April of last year. The letter states simply your were previously notified by this office regarding your delinquent balance of 550. (never received a phone call from them!). Goes on to say "This is in important matter. Please contact our office immediately or remit payment in full. Please make check payable to "hospital name" but send payment to "attorney's info".

Thats all it says. It does list hospital name, account number dates of service patient "my husband" and balance due. Ok I am not saying that we might not owe but it might have been missed by the insurance company. Can I send in a DV asking for verification? validation? Shouldn't I have 30 days? How can they assume the debt is valid? How do I know the hospital has asked them to collect, just cause they say so?Are they in violation?

Thanks!

[res0nzy7]

DV them. You say the insurance may have missed paying this? Some insurances will take a claim up till one year past the date of service. Call your insurance and see if a claim was ever submitted by the hospital.

[res0nzy7]

DV them. You say the insurance may have missed paying this? Some insurances will take a claim up till one year past the date of service. Call your insurance and see if a claim was ever submitted by the hospital.

[rmuse00]

I am getting ready to type up letter but have another question.....can I mention that they have violated my rights as they did not give me anytime to ask for validation of the debt? I'm referring to the 30 days. I guess I want them to know that I know that they have already made a violation. I was looking at the sample letters and wondered if i should mention this.

[rmuse00]

I am getting ready to type up letter but have another question.....can I mention that they have violated my rights as they did not give me anytime to ask for validation of the debt? I'm referring to the 30 days. I guess I want them to know that I know that they have already made a violation. I was looking at the sample letters and wondered if i should mention this.

[Valkyrine]

Personally, I would contact my insurance first.

I would mention in the DV that you never received any notice prior to this one, therefore you are regarding this as the first notice, where's my mini miranda (etc etc) and prove it.

[Valkyrine]

Personally, I would contact my insurance first.

I would mention in the DV that you never received any notice prior to this one, therefore you are regarding this as the first notice, where's my mini miranda (etc etc) and prove it.

[rmuse00]

Thanks Valkyrine!

I will send out letter today. I will also check with the insurance i just want this collector to back off and know that they better not put anything on credit report in the mean time!

[rmuse00]

Thanks Valkyrine!

I will send out letter today. I will also check with the insurance i just want this collector to back off and know that they better not put anything on credit report in the mean time!

[strumpeace]

Keep in mind that no health care provider is required to submit anything to insurance for payment. That is a courtesy -- a common one, but a courtesy nonetheless. When a provider submits a claim, it does so on behalf of the insured -- not because it must. Ultimately, an insurance contract is between the insured and the insurance company; the provider is merely a third party. (This is my line of expertise.)

Check the laws in your state before going after the hospital for not submitting the claim to the insurance company. In the states with which I am familiar, it is ultimately the insured's responsibility to make sure that all claims are submitted properly -- even if it means filling out the claim form yourself.

[strumpeace]

Keep in mind that no health care provider is required to submit anything to insurance for payment. That is a courtesy -- a common one, but a courtesy nonetheless. When a provider submits a claim, it does so on behalf of the insured -- not because it must. Ultimately, an insurance contract is between the insured and the insurance company; the provider is merely a third party. (This is my line of expertise.)

Check the laws in your state before going after the hospital for not submitting the claim to the insurance company. In the states with which I am familiar, it is ultimately the insured's responsibility to make sure that all claims are submitted properly -- even if it means filling out the claim form yourself.