(For the long-readers) It really is becoming an Idiocracy out there....

[joes01bullitt]

i thought medical bills could not affect your credit score?

good luck on getting this cluster fuck solved Rreemo!

[ceyko]

Be better off to be an illegal.

[Sean88gt]

i thought medical bills could not affect your credit score?

good luck on getting this cluster fuck solved Rreemo!

They hammer your score, but you can fight them using provisions of HIPAA regarding privacy. It still takes time and money.

I'm really surprised that creditors haven't begun striking medical bills when considering scores.

[Chili]

They hammer your score, but you can fight them using provisions of HIPAA regarding privacy. It still takes time and money.

I'm really surprised that creditors haven't begun striking medical bills when considering scores.

Many creditors will disregard medical collections when making a credit decision but the collection accounts will still impact your score.

Reemo - You definitely need to dispute those collections accounts with the credit reporting agencies directly, in addition to whatever other steps you take to resolve the issue. And make sure you pull and dispute on all 3 agencies, as most mortgage lenders pull all three.

[Broncojohnny]

If the house situation wasn't an issue I would say to get full documentation of the payments made and then hope they sue you. The counter you could make on something like that would probably be very nice. I had a relative who got sued for a bill that was discharged in a bankruptcy and he got a fat check for their mistake.

[Chas_svo]

Radiology Consultants are famous for billing like that, and billing relatives of people that died for services rendered after their loved ones died. I'm pretty sure there is a large spot in hell reserved for those people.

Yes, "those" people.

[AdamLX]

I shattered and dislocated my foot over the summer and spent some time getting x-rays in the ER at Plano Presby in Willow Bend.

I've been going through the exact same thing with Texas Radiology or whoever their name is. They had all my insurance information and still tried filing for collections months after the fact.

[Broncojohnny]

So if they do this systematically, isn't it possible that they are double dipping? IE, selling debts that are already paid off?

[CJ]

Man best of luck, this usually doesn't get resolved.

[talisman]

I bet it will if he files a lawsuit. It only costs about $150 to yank someone into small claims.

[jw33]

My favorite is going to the doctor and asking how much ____ will cost. Almost every time their response is, "Oh, we will check with your insurance and send you a bill." What the fuck is so complicated? It should cost whatever it cost and my insurance policy should cover a specific amount of that. Don't send me a bill twelve weeks later for $2.87 you dumb fucking cunts because you are too busy putting people on hold while I was standing in your office with my wallet already out.

[Ratt]

My favorite is going to the doctor and asking how much ____ will cost. Almost every time their response is, "Oh, we will check with your insurance and send you a bill." What the fuck is so complicated? It should cost whatever it cost and my insurance policy should cover a specific amount of that. Don't send me a bill twelve weeks later for $2.87 you dumb fucking cunts because you are too busy putting people on hold while I was standing in your office with my wallet already out.

I challenge anyone in this thread to call their primary care physician and ask what something costs. You won't ever get a straight answer. Why? Because nobody knows anymore. What I imagine happens is the doctors bill the insurance whatever they feel like is an acceptable amount, and then the insurance company will probably counter-offer a certain compensation they think is reasonable beyond your co-pay, and they settle on a number. It's all bullshit, smoke, and mirrors.

[Pro88LX]

I challenge anyone in this thread to call their primary care physician and ask what something costs. You won't ever get a straight answer. Why? Because nobody knows anymore. What I imagine happens is the doctors bill the insurance whatever they feel like is an acceptable amount, and then the insurance company will probably counter-offer a certain compensation they think is reasonable beyond your co-pay, and they settle on a number. It's all bullshit, smoke, and mirrors.

this.

[CJ]

One of the big problems is that the government got their hands into healthcare, even since they it's skyrocketed in price. When you introduce a payer that has an infinite amount of money the entire free market system is ruined. Private insurance companies at least attempt to drive down costs and argue about fees/costs, but government will not. Once Obamacare goes into effect all private insurance companies will be driven out of business within a decade, and then you will laugh at how much healthcare will cost. It's just been 30 years of price manipulation in the healthcare industry which is primarily attributed to the patient being taken out of the loop. People don't care how much it costs to get their broken leg fixed, as long as insurance pays for it. If everyone actually paid cash for procedures, you could shop around, find the best healthcare, and have an idea of what things actually cost.

[Rick Modena]

Pretty much what RATT posted, had it happen to me at a provider.

They sent me a copy of the insurance invoice and it was double what they sold it to me for at the storefront. I called to bitch and they told me that it was between them and the insurance company. I was like your charging my IC more than what we agreed on and what I have on my invoice. She just stood there on the other side of the phone with nothing to say.

And people wonder why we need to control the insurance and medical professionals.