Post #116,719
9/5/03 7:38:53 AM
|
Medical bills and bank assets
My insurance company is being a real collection of dicks - refuse payment over days in hospital that I had no choice but to be there.
I refuse to pay. Supposing this goes all the way to collection action, are my bank funds subject to attachment? Where do I get information? What are the procedures? With unemployment now, I can't just pay and argue later. I can't afford a lawyer. What is suggested?
-drl
|
Post #116,727
9/5/03 9:24:36 AM
|
Things to do
1. Contact Ins Co, find out why they are denying payment.
2. Get Doctor statement or whatever is necessary to counter Ins Co reasons.
3. Have hospital resubmit claim.
4. Pray a lot.
Good luck
|
Post #116,728
9/5/03 9:24:50 AM
|
Talk to the Doc...
...let him know that they are doing this. Sometimes all it takes is a "creative resubmission" in order to convince the provider that the stay was warranted.
If you push something hard enough, it will fall over. Fudd's First Law of Opposition
[link|mailto:bepatient@aol.com|BePatient]
|
Post #116,731
9/5/03 9:29:07 AM
9/5/03 9:29:27 AM
|
Re: Talk to the Doc...
OK, well I'm doing all that (perhaps tardily) but my main concern is protecting my assets - not much but it's my life, you know? I dont want to put it in a coffee can :) How are my bank assets protected? Under what circumstances are people allowed to levy them? (yes I'm being paranoid today but I'd still like to know).
I hate money. I absolutely hate it.
(Edit: Doc was assigned by hospital so it's not even my real doc.)
-drl
Edited by deSitter
Sept. 5, 2003, 09:29:27 AM EDT
|
Post #116,735
9/5/03 9:37:14 AM
|
They can't play that game...
...unless you declare bankruptcy.
All they can do is screw up your credit rating.
If you push something hard enough, it will fall over. Fudd's First Law of Opposition
[link|mailto:bepatient@aol.com|BePatient]
|
Post #116,736
9/5/03 9:43:32 AM
|
They can't touch anything
until after a lawsuit is filed (and won) by them. Normally your account is just aged for 90 days. In the 90-150 day past due window the account would be sent to a collection agency. They would dun you for 60-90 days and then threaten to sue.
Most companies are willing to set up a payment plan with you to ensure that their money is received. If it goes to a collection agency, they lose money, sometimes up to 50% of what is collected.
If you cannot convince hospital and insurance company that you should not be held liable, then somewhere within the 90 days, you should be talking to the hospital finance department to arrange a payment schedule.
FWIW - I wrote credit collection software 20 years ago. Things may have changed, but the basic philosophy is still to give consumer every opportunity to pay BEFORE legal action is taken.
|
Post #116,756
9/5/03 11:45:15 AM
|
You need to be proactive
First of all send a formal letter to your Ins. co requesting
an appeal and send it registered.
Second contact your government representative. They have people
who deal with these grievances.
Third, you can submit a request to an independent body for review.
Most states have these. Its simple and low cost. It takes power
away from the insurance companies and puts it in the hands of
"independent" and sometimes more importantly ..... medically
knowledgeable people.
See [link|http://www.deniedhealthclaim.com/insurance_appeal.htm| link]
Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it.
Andre Gide (1869 - 1951)
|
Post #116,787
9/5/03 2:33:52 PM
|
Call hospital and ask for patient advocate.
They can often knock down/waive fees.
Java is a joke, only it's not funny.
--Alan Lovejoy
|
Post #116,817
9/5/03 9:21:46 PM
|
Options
You can explain to the hospital that you are broke and cannot pay. They may actually write it off. This happened to me in 1991 for an ER visit that cost tens of thousands of dollars because I had no insurance at the time. They wrote it off and I never heard from them again, I was out of work at the time.
You might try talking to a manager at your insurance company, maybe they need a note from a doctor explaining why you needed the visit before they will cover it. You also might have a deductable that you didn't meet yet.
You also can try to contest the bill on your credit record and see if they will remove it.
There also may be some charities that could help you pay it, check with the United Way to see if you qualify. Since I don't know the nature of the illness that got you into the hospital, I can't honestly say if they would cover it.
My brother had a $35,000USD bill from a local hospital when he had his appendix out and his insurance didn't cover it. He just sends them $20USD a month, and they cash it. If they try to say he isn't paying, he can prove by the cashed checks that they accepted the $20USD a month payments.
"Lady I only speak two languages, English and Bad English!" - Corbin Dallas "The Fifth Element"
|
Post #116,844
9/6/03 12:26:27 AM
9/6/03 12:26:55 AM
|
Re: Options
I'm not broke, but I was in the hospital the minimum time for the transition from heparin IV to warfarin oral anti-coag. to take effect. I had no say so over whether I walked or stayed - I think the insurance companies deliberately throw up stupid obstacles in the hope that some people will just punt, or that others will no even know and they can obtain de-facto judgements. IOW HMOs are filled with slimebuckets. Surprise, it's here.
They HAVE to pay for the days when I was in - it was not voluntary, the condition was considered life-threatening. I owe only my co-pays and deductibles.
-drl
Edited by deSitter
Sept. 6, 2003, 12:26:55 AM EDT
|
Post #116,885
9/6/03 1:19:17 PM
|
Keep fighting it
Sometimes they refuse to pay, hoping that the customer won't fight it so that they can save money. See if you can contact Jay Nixon or one of the other politicians in our area if the insurance company gives you a hard time. Make sure that you document everything and get notes from your doctor that you had no choice but to spend those days in the hospital.
Most likely their major issue is that your Primary Care Doctor didn't send you to the hospital or treat you, see if you can get a note from him or her saying that they authorized a hospital visit. They might just write one up for you even if they didn't authorize it. Fax it to the insurance company and keep a copy for your records.
"Lady I only speak two languages, English and Bad English!" - Corbin Dallas "The Fifth Element"
|
Post #116,835
9/5/03 11:20:21 PM
|
Re: Medical bills and bank assets
You can also contact "The Sisters of Mercy" I think they are in the phone book, if not, let me know I'll hunt it up.
They are a catholic organization that paid my ambulance and ER treatment bills when I experienced a panic attack at a 7-11 and couldn't afford it.
Nightowl >8#
"I learned to be the door, instead of the mat!" "illegitimi nil carborundum"
Comment by Nightowl
|
Post #116,837
9/5/03 11:40:20 PM
|
start lettering with "return receipt requested"
to prove you heartily dispute the ins co findings. As noted talk to the "patient representative" of the hospital. Ask if the charges could be paid at the INS co rate over time at $50 per month. They cannot lien a bank account unless judgement is rendered so if sued by the hopital find a hack that will counter sue the Ins Co for the payment. and sue the hospital for breaking the insurance compact. They should not have admitted you without authorisation. If hy asked for auth and the Ins declined include the Doc who admitted you in the suit. Since Ins Hospitals and Docs have lyers on retainer they will see no fees to collect so will settle amicably. Do this if only sued by hospital.
thanx,
bill
"You're just like me streak. You never left the free-fire zone.You think aspirins and meetings and cold showers are going to clean out your head. What you want is God's permission to paint the trees with the bad guys. That wont happen big mon." Clete
questions, help? [link|mailto:pappas@catholic.org|email pappas at catholic.org]
|
