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OldDem2012

(3,526 posts)

32. Write a letter to the hospital admins that until you get an itemized statement....

Tue Nov 27, 2012, 05:46 PM

Nov 2012

....from a single hospital source you intend to pay nothing. Send a copy of your letter to the state board responsible for certifying the hospital, and make sure the hospital knows you've done this. You may also want to send a copy of your letter to your local media and see if they'll do a story on this subject (I bet they will).

Additionally, you are NOT responsible for any charges for which you never co-signed. The hospital will get their money....it just won't be from you.

The people...and I use that term very loosely....who are sending you invoices you can't identify are the lowest forms of opportunistic scam artists, and so is the hospital for failing to set up a centralized billing function.

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I Went To The Accts Payable Dept Of The Hospital Yesterday To Pay My Mom's Bill's And Found This.... [View all] global1 Nov 2012 OP

They do this I think because insurance vampires make reimbursements as difficult as possible libtodeath Nov 2012 #1

Everybody just sends out paper everywhere to see what will stick BlueStreak Nov 2012 #52

The duplicated blood tests ... where have I heard about this before? hedgehog Nov 2012 #58

There are provisions that provide an incentive to upgrade records systems BlueStreak Nov 2012 #61

Yeah, it's a clusterfuck Bradical79 Nov 2012 #2

Based on my experience, absolutely correct. & Those scammers ARE mixed in there with legit stuff. nt patrice Nov 2012 #3

Your mother's bills are not yours. former9thward Nov 2012 #4

There Are Assets - Not Much - But I'm For Paying What's Rightly Needed To Be Paid..... global1 Nov 2012 #8

You will be part of the problem if you pay unjust bills. former9thward Nov 2012 #10

I Did Say I'm Willing To Pay Any Bill That Were For Services Incurred.... global1 Nov 2012 #12

hate to say this but good luck with that dlwickham Nov 2012 #53

I've heard about that practice. Incitatus Nov 2012 #38

You better wait until you see what that balance is. I wouldn't pay anything for awhile. Hoyt Nov 2012 #39

Here is a thought - avebury Nov 2012 #42

medicare always lets us know what they have paid, adn what the totla was. In other words the medicar robinlynne Nov 2012 #46

If she had Medicare and a supplemental, Frustratedlady Nov 2012 #5

Return anything mailed to her ...mark it "DECEASED".. SoCalDem Nov 2012 #23

Good advice No Vested Interest Nov 2012 #34

this is the correct answer SmileyRose Nov 2012 #50

Unless you cosigned to pay for her care, or unless you are the executor of her estate, not yours. FarCenter Nov 2012 #6

I wouldn't pay any of them. Ganja Ninja Nov 2012 #7

+1 Lugnut Nov 2012 #18

You are not legally required to pay any of her debts. Marrah_G Nov 2012 #9

The hospital here twice tried to bill the wrong insurance on me hobbit709 Nov 2012 #11

It's quite possible you don't owe them anything jeff47 Nov 2012 #13

I got bills from six different sources after I had a hernia repaired in 2006 slackmaster Nov 2012 #14

When dad fell, yup, that's is the way it is nadinbrzezinski Nov 2012 #15

If we have single payer health care, they'll consolidate the billing departments? hughee99 Nov 2012 #16

This Should Start At The Hospital First..... global1 Nov 2012 #17

There won't be any bills Doctor_J Nov 2012 #20

So with single payer, no one's keeping track of what was done hughee99 Nov 2012 #21

There is no billing department with single payer. robinlynne Nov 2012 #47

If there's no billing department how is a bill sent out? hughee99 Nov 2012 #49

There are none of those things in England or France. how they track expensees I dont know. robinlynne Nov 2012 #56

France has no co-pay? hughee99 Nov 2012 #60

Yup. After a trip to the hospital you'll be getting bills for a year Doctor_J Nov 2012 #19

What makes billing crazy is that services felix_numinous Nov 2012 #22

We are dealing with this now WCIL Nov 2012 #24

Labs are often off-site. Anaesthesiologists are independent., as, I think, are radiologists. WinkyDink Nov 2012 #25

True. dixiegrrrrl Nov 2012 #28

In some cases, the docs are in an association that owns the lab, imaging facility, etc. FarCenter Nov 2012 #33

My ex is part of a "death panel" at a health insurance company... Bigmack Nov 2012 #26

Gee you all are scaring me to death. Effective Jan I will start Medicare and my secondary southernyankeebelle Nov 2012 #27

labcorp. BlueMan Votes Nov 2012 #29

I thought they were shut down??? dixiegrrrrl Nov 2012 #35

then i guess i can toss out the envelope i got from them last week. BlueMan Votes Nov 2012 #37

FWIW... dixiegrrrrl Nov 2012 #43

I chose my current dr. in part because they do the bloodwork in the office. BlueMan Votes Nov 2012 #44

I guess you haven't had much to do with hospitals lately librechik Nov 2012 #30

Nearly every hospital I have been in SoCalNative Nov 2012 #31

Write a letter to the hospital admins that until you get an itemized statement.... OldDem2012 Nov 2012 #32

Unless you SIGNED something agreeing to be responsible her bills, you're NOT Lex Nov 2012 #36

this kind of crap is why I haven't gone to the doctor in years renate Nov 2012 #40

I hate to say this.. but this is nothing new SouthernLiberal Nov 2012 #41

Please don't pay anything for a year! erinlough Nov 2012 #45

It's not quite the same issue XemaSab Nov 2012 #48

I would do some calling riverbendviewgal Nov 2012 #51

There is NO SYSTEM of healthcare in the USofA. GeorgeGist Nov 2012 #54

Watch that you don't get charged for an ambulance ride that your mother never took. A well-known Raine Nov 2012 #55

There are plenty of people here who are helping you with your bill question. reflection Nov 2012 #57

Every hospital pays big bucks to managers, and hospital management hasn't changed in decades! hedgehog Nov 2012 #59