Can a collection agencey collect on a medical bill when proof of insurance was supplied at time of service?

Question

Took my child to ER,,,all cards were provided at time of service and I received a bill for $800 supposly for the doctor...WTF???
Is this legal? Are dr and hospital or serperate within the ER?
I also must add, bill is three years old and collection agency admitted to sending the bill to the incorrect address.
Only recently found out b/c its on my credit report

Answer 1

It depends on your insurance payouts to how much was covered during the initial office visit. ER visit coverages vary widely with different companies. Also, assume every part of the hospital is a separate entity, as many different aspects of a hospital act as such with the hospital umbrella. ER and recovery, for instance, will bill separately.

A hospital bill on your credit report is also not used in consideration for major loans (business loan, mortgage), so you have no worries about it being there, whether legitimately or not.

An easy way to get the collection people off your back and the item off your credit report is simply to contact the hospital and find out where the charge came from. Then you can work with the collection company to pay what is truly due (usually at a much lower rate, since the collection companies buy debt for about 10%-40% of the actual bill).

Good luck, and I hope your child came out of the ER well.

Answer 2

When you're seen in a hospital, doctors, hospitals, labs, and x-rays are all separate entities, and all bill separately.

If any part of the visit was non-participating in your insurance (which does happen), you can be billed for any part of it.

HOWEVER, after three years, that's a little unreasonable to expect you to pay the bill, if you've never been billed before. IF the address and insurance you provided at time of service was valid and correct. You said the collection agency admitted sending the bill to the wrong address - was it your old address or a completely incorrect one? If it was your old address, there's not a lot you can do about it. If the collection agency screwed up the address info, then they should take it off your credit report, and the provider needs to take it as a loss. If they billed your old address, then you're kind of liable for the payment and it should be reflected in your report.

Answer 3

Yes, this probably happened because the insurance did not cover the charges. You should call the insurance company and check whether those charges are covered in your policy - for example, maybe your daughter required a specialist (and there was no such person on the hospital staff) so they had to call a doctor who does not provide coverage under your plan. If they are not, you're responsible for the bill. If they are covered, it's likely that the billing dept at the hospital made a mistake. It happens all the time.

Answer 4

ER doctors are often contracted through an agency. Their corporation bills seperately from the hospital.