And Now, I Will Rant
Posted By Kristabella on October 13, 2009
I have a land line at home. This is strictly so that I can have DSL through AT&T. I never answer this phone. It’s true, ask my brother. I only answer it when someone I know starts talking on the answering machine. Sometimes it is my brother calling at 3 AM, sometimes it is a cab driver that I gave my number to.
Last week I came home and I had a message from some medical billing place.
I should back up.
About a month ago, I got an Explanation of Benefits (EOB for those in the know) from my old insurance (from the old job that I haven’t worked at in over a year) about an urgent care visit from November of last year. It was this visit, where they gave me an EKG even though I had heartburn and then I cried and was shamed for having such hairy legs.
The EOB came and it said I owed money, about $150, to meet my deductible from old insurance that I no longer have. But as we know with those little EOB statement things, it says very clearly that THIS IS NOT A BILL.
So I waited for a bill. I wasn’t too concerned since it wasn’t for too much and really? If you can’t send bills within a year’s time, not really my fucking problem. Right? Can I get a “hell yeah!”?
Turns out, it is my problem. And it could have been a BIG problem.
So the medical billing place finally calls and tells me that they keep getting mail that they send to me returned and this is an urgent matter and PLEASE CALL BACK! So I call the next day. I tried to give the lady a shit ton of attitude because hi! I HAVE LIVED AT THIS NEW ADDRESS FOR FIVE MONTHS! Also, THIS BILL IS FROM 11 MONTHS AGO!
She wasn’t hearing it. I later figured out she probably gets that excuse all the time.
So she tells me that she’s resending out the bill and since I called back so quickly, she won’t turn it over to collections. I thank her and tell her I will pay it as soon as I get it. Which I do, two days later. Done and done. Right?
Well, no. See the day after the medical billing place calls, I have a recorded message on my answering machine. It’s all foreboding and scoldy and says things like “If you are not Kristin Johnson, DO NOT LISTEN TO THE REST OF THIS MESSAGE! I MEAN IT! YOU WILL BE DOUSED IN ACID THROUGH THE PHONE LINES IF YOU CONTINUE TO LISTEN!”
Since I am said person, I keep listening. But since I have an answering machine and this message has long pauses so “you can listen to this message in private, out of ear shot of your cats or something”, the fucking thing cuts off. What I did hear is that it sounded like a bill collector. I hear something that sounded like “collec…” before the message cut off. I’m guessing it was about this medical bill.
The problem is, they didn’t leave a number. I’m sure it was after the long pause, you know the one I needed so that no one overheard me, say if I was on the bus and didn’t want the homeless man to know I was DELINQUENT. So, that’s fun.
Hopefully, since this place should have received their money last Friday (or tomorrow at the very latest, it’s right down the street from me!) there will be no more phone calls.
Now, I don’t have any experience with bill collectors. But I’m still pretty pissed about this whole thing. I’m pretty sure these collectors have WAYS of finding you. I mean, I’m listed in the phone book for pete’s sake. And my mail is still supposed to be forwarded. Also, MAYBE SEND YOUR BILLS ON DAMN TIME!
Has this ever happened to any of you? Should I be worried about the fact that a bill collector maybe called and I didn’t get the number? AM I GOING TO BE LABELED A DELINQUENT? WILL THIS AFFECT MY MORTGAGE?
All I know is I’m never going to that stupid Urgent Care place again.
About the author
Deep cleansing breaths. No, it will not affect your mortgage. However, should you NOT hear back from them, do get a copy of your credit report and if there’s anything bad on there, write a rebuttal and send it on. (You could use this post as your rebuttal, but I think that the “fucking” MAY affect their desire to wipe your credit report clean. But then again, you never know.)
.-= Ree´s last blog ..McCann Park – where troubles fade away =-.
Hi there – is the Urgent Care part of a larger Health Care group? If so their billing/receivables department are probably located there…if you want to be proactive what you can do is call the primary hospital (or the Urgent Care if it is free standing) and explain you want to talk to the Billing or Accounts Receivable Department.
Once in the correct department you can explain the scenario and ask to speak with a supervisor – may be a Department Supervisor, Chief of Accounting, Financial Manager, etc. If you’re nice and explain you just want to make sure this is taken care of and you’re off ALL the delinquent lists the individual should forward you no prob and not “accidentally” hang up…
Once you get a supervisor on the phone I’d recommend letting them know the entire story. You’d never received a bill, had only recently gotten a phone call which you promptly responded to, and had sent the payment but are still receiving harassing phone calls and would like the calls to stop and to have your account corrected since this appears to have been an error on their part.
.-= Suz´s last blog ..Stage IV =-.
we do get those ‘this is not a bill’ papers, and then the ‘why haven’t you paid the bill’ calls.I don’t know why it isn’t taken care of sooner rather than later. My guess is it’s all the insurance peoples fault. Bastards!
.-= paperdiva´s last blog ..bad. =-.
Don’t worry….the bill is paid and that info will catch up with whoever called. If you’d feel better about it, call the Urgent Care place to make sure they got the check & to call the hounds off. Regardless, when I worked for a company that did credit reporting for MORTGAGES, we ignored any small medical collecion items since it was common knowledge that most are screw-ups from either the hospital, provider, or collection agency. That was a long time ago but I wouldn’t worry about it since it’s paid and it was for such a small amount.
Oh darling. I WISH that that was all I got called about. I don’t answer the phone BECAUSE of the bill collectors! Fun times at my house!
.-= tracey´s last blog ..A Day In the City =-.
Hey I work for a collection agency. (not as a collector though so don’t shoot me)
I can only speak for how we do things here, but we don’t report to your credit for the first 30 days. So it’s possible if you pay it off right away it will never show up on your credit. You will want to ask them that though to be sure. Or you could call the doctor’s office and have them ask the collection agency for you. Esp since you just talked to someone there.
Also it won’t affect your mortgage, but if it does end up on your credit it will affect it just like any other bad debt. The best thing to do is get it in writing that it will be deleted off your credit once it’s paid (if it’s even on there).
And make sure it’s deleted and not just reported as paid.
Email me if you need to
I have plenty of experience with the bill collectors, and yeah they’ll drive you crazy. There is some differing opinions about whether or not medical bills end up on your credit report, so you should probably get a copy of that at some point in the future and see. Then you’ll have to start the battle to have it removed. Don’t worry though, he won’t break your kneecaps.
.-= Candy´s last blog ..XMstacy =-.
Everything Hotfessional said.
.-= Jen on the Edge´s last blog ..Even the teachers and the bus driver… =-.
I’ve no idea about these things myself, but from what everyone else is saying, it sounds like you’ll be fine – I’d definitelg give them a quick call, though, just to set your mind at rest. Then I’d pour a huge glass of wine, because yikes, sounds scary!
.-= Amber´s last blog ..The one where we go to Blair Castle =-.
No, it will not affect your mortgage. NUT. Wait a month and check your credit rating – at ALL 3 AGENCIES.
.-= lceel´s last blog ..Nightmare’s dance – take two. =-.
Oh. Crap. I did NOT mean to call you a NUT. I meant to say BUT.
I watch my fingers when I type. I don’t watch the screen. Apparently, sometimes I don’t keep such a good eye on my fingers like I should and a typo gets through. Whip me. Hurt me. Baby.
.-= lceel´s last blog ..Nightmare’s dance – take two. =-.
I’d be a little more cautious than others have written here. If these s-4-brains companies can mess things up so colossally for 11 months, what makes you think they will clean it up within 30 days? (If that’s how long it takes to hit your credit report.) I did have something similar many years ago, where the medical office was sending bills to the incorrect address for almost 2 years and I never knew I owed them money until they dinged me! You can’t expect the medical office to notify the collection company right away– I’d do that yourself. Sorry this is happening! (And yes, they s**k and call you at oddball hours…)
I was JUST going to say that Carrisa is your girl on this one.
ohh, I’m dealing with something similar, but different. Truman had a newborn hearing test done and I paid the bill, but the stupid medical company keeps resending it. And I keep calling and telling them that the check has cleared and I’m not paying again (even though it’s only $13.55. It’s the idea, not the amount) Now they are threatening to turn it over to a collector to which I say “BRING IT!” I have bank statements to prove they have my money.
.-= regan´s last blog ..Things that prove my brain is broken =-.
yikes! How flippin annoying, I think I would freak out too I mean its one of those things that you know will work out but in the mean time it is so stressful
.-= Sensibly Sassy´s last blog ..It Was A Dark and Stormy Night… =-.
Ugh…this is why you should move to Canada. When we need to go to the doctor, we just go. There are no bills other than our monthly Medical premium.
I’m sure it’s fine. You paid your bill!
Dumb question: do you guys have *69 in the US (or something equivalent)? You’ll be able to get the last number that called your line. For a nominal fee. Of course. *eye roll*
Yeah, I’m dealing with my lovely dentist office for something similar. Except I’m having to be the go-between with them and my insurance company, which neither will agree on the amount owed, if anything at all.
.-= Darcey´s last blog ..Dad v Frigidaire =-.
I LOVE your rants. and I won’t tell you to move to Canada…since I just left there, but – sigh – yes…I know nothing of this.
.-= ali´s last blog ..alimartell’s day off. again. who is wearing their ’save ali’ shirts? =-.
Medical bills are THE WORST about this collections crap. I’ve had 97 medical bills accidentally sent to collections.
.-= slynnro´s last blog ..Three Years. =-.
I don’t really understand collections agencies, and I like to live under the umbrella of blissful ignorance that if I don’t understand them, they can’t hurt me.
I would love to hear a story of when medical billing DIDN’T get messed up.
.-= Noelle´s last blog ..Well, to be honest I’ve never been so scared. But at least I have a husband. =-.