demanding payment over the phone.if i didn't pay right away,she said she would bring this to court.she said the bill is for a radiology thing.i have been covered by medicare and medicaid since i have been paralyzed.i am on disability and live from check to check.any advice would be appreciated
2006-06-06 11:01:58 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
It's probably a scam. Call a medicaid or medicare representative to double check this. It doesn't hurt.
2006-06-06 11:04:42 · answer #1 · answered by anh51787 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don`t give her any answers to any questions first thing.
Secondly it is against the law for any collector to threaten you in any manner.
Tell her/him to send you an itemized statement of the bill.
AND, REMEMBER, IF IT IS REALLY A COLLECTION AGENCY THEY ALREADY HAVE YOUR ADDRESS..
tell them to send it to the address they have on file. You also want delivery confirmation.
MAKE sure tell them you want the address of where to pay the bill now, while they are on the phone..
Then you can take all this to the District attorneys office, and they will know what you need to do.
I don`t think you will ever hear from them again, when you request this information.. There are so many scams out there.. Be careful, never give ANY info over the phone, no matter WHO they say they are. Unless you called them and KNOW who they are. Get everything in writing.. Good luck and God bless.... {:-)
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2006-06-06 18:12:17 · answer #2 · answered by jaantoo1 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First, relax. Contact your local county bar association. They probably have a pro bono panel. This means that you will be assigned to an attorney who volunteers to help low or no income clients.
The next time that you speak with someone regarding the alleged bill, ask that a copy be sent to you. Then make two copies. The one sent to you is for you. Give one copy to your attorney and the other to medicare/medicaid for handling. Good luck.
2006-06-06 18:13:52 · answer #3 · answered by billhill1066 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bill collectors are a pain. They often shoot first and ask questions later. Get a copy of the bill, find out who the 'client' is, and attempt to resolve the issue with the client. You will never solve anything with the bill collector as they have a single interest - collecting the bill. Whether the bill is an actual, rightful bill is completely irrelevant to them.
2006-06-06 18:07:58 · answer #4 · answered by c_schumacker 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
On the bright side of things, in some states, if you are on disability, no one can sue you for damamges. ALso, check to make sure this isnt something that medicare over looked...it may be form something that you forgot about, and they didnt send medicare the bill. Check it out, I dont know the state you are in for sure to know what the statutes are.
2006-06-07 00:05:16 · answer #5 · answered by lilbreeze2000 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
YOU HAVE RIGHTS, IT SOUNDS LIKE A COLLECTION AGENCY, THEY SHOULD NOT USE THESE TACTICS ON YOU. AND YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE A BILL IF YOU HAVE MEDICARE AND MEDIC ADE, THEY USUALLY PAY ALL IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. IT MAY BE AN ERROR ON THE DR'S OFFICE PART. DO NOT GIVE THEM ANY PERSONAL INFO. GO TO THIS WEBSITE TO SEE WHAT YOUR RIGHTS ARE: http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/money/fair-debt/fair-dbt.htm
MAYBE SOME LEGAL HELP:
http://www.fair-debt-collection.com/index.html
2006-06-08 04:33:13 · answer #6 · answered by Deborah G 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tell them you will not deal with them until they've sent you an itemized bill. Then contact Legal Aid in your area. You have like 30 days to dispute a bill, so get on this right away. Tell them you're disputing it, that you've been on Medicaire/caid for X years. Also tell them that you want no further contact from them (you may have to write them a letter).
Good luck.
2006-06-06 18:06:43 · answer #7 · answered by tagi_65 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
LOOK do have them send you a bill. THEN have them tell you your ss# over the phone. THEN copy their name, phone, and ask 4 a bill. TURN it over to the POLICE dept 4 threats , harassment+ extortion,and black mail. ID also tell them could i have your attorneys name so my attorney can have lunch and discuss this matter civilly..SEE once they use the mail service that's another offense as well. IF this is scam they will go to jail. good luck
2006-06-06 18:11:41 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tell them that you have contacted an attourney, and do so. have them speak directly to the atty and not to you. Also you should be able to get the people at the medicaid office to look into the situation. they should have records of the medical that they paid for. Be very aware of IDENTITY THEFT.
2006-06-06 18:06:07 · answer #9 · answered by aleciagma2 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tell her to mail you a copy of the bill before anything else. Sounds like a scam.
2006-06-06 18:04:01 · answer #10 · answered by TheOnlyBeldin 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋