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Collection agencies are harrassing us



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livalittle




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Sep 15 2008, 9:45 am
I had quite a number of trips to the emergency room over the years - usually related to bleeding issues and pelvic pain. My insurance for some reason wont cover the complete costs, or it didnt process bec. I was treated out of state (Nj instead of NY). There were times when I was bleeding excessively and they were true emergencies. I sent my bills to the insurance and bec. there were abt 4 trips, I lost track of what I sent to whom and the collection agencies have literally been harassing us to no end.

They call at 8 in the morn every morn. I finally picked up and told them to just find the info and bill my insurance - I gave them the info countless times and they havent done anything with it. my claim address was upstairs and told tehm taht I couldnt givethem my info again atthis time - so they said - we are tired of hearing this - we are going to take this to the next level. We have been getting intimidating phone calls and threatening letters.

My question is - do collection agencies have any real power? My husband says taht they cant really do anything legally and they just threaten as a means to get the money. I'm really nervous though. They had said taht they would get money from my payroll - at least I'm not working on the books anymore-taking abreak this year- but can they take money from my bank accounts legally? What are their powers? I dont have the strebngth to dealwith this - I'm due with twins IYH any day and just trying to stay intact with all I have going on over here.
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costanza




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Sep 15 2008, 9:52 am
I think you need to treat this seriously.

You need to gather all of your documentation from your hospital visits and all of your documentation and correspondence from your insurance company. You need to contact your insurance company and educate yourself about what you were and were not covered for. You could very well owe this money and I think that they can make your life complicated and difficult. Your credit rating will probably be very badly affected, and who knows what will happen with your insurance coverage. If you are about to give birth, you'd best not ignore this. From what I understand the cost of having a baby in the US can be staggering if you are not insured.
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yo'ma




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Sep 15 2008, 9:52 am
I don't think they can take your money without your consent, but I do think they can ruin your credit.
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livalittle




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Sep 15 2008, 11:02 am
costanza, I am covered now and I was supposed to be covered back then. I have documentation from the insurance booklet that says taht all emergencies are covered, including out of state and that an emergency constitutes anything that may be life-thrteatening including bleeding.

Do you think they have to take me to trial before ruining my credit? Do I need my credit for anything now? (we're buying a house but using my husband's name and credit - we were Bh approved) And also, does your credit aotomatically restart after a certain point - like seven yrs? (ive heard of that)
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greenfire




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Sep 15 2008, 11:45 am
make a copy of all your paper work ... including the insurance claims ... the emergency rules ... hospital bills ... and send it with a copy of the collection letter to the collection agency and to the hospital billing office as well as a copy to your insurance company ...

probably an easier task now than with 2 infants at home ...
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costanza




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Sep 15 2008, 12:47 pm
I really am no maven on insurance. But I think you should speak to your insurance agent and get the facts instead of assuming stuff from what you've read in a pamphlet. I'm sure there is a lot of fine print and who knows what you are actually covered for.

I also don't know what steps are taken by collection agencies after they have harassed you for so long. Can they garnish wages from your husband? If you are married aren't your debts shared?

This just makes me nervous and I'd want to know as much as I could about where I stand - and definitely do so before you go to the hospital again to give birth.
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chaylizi




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Sep 15 2008, 1:08 pm
costanza wrote:
If you are married aren't your debts shared?


It depends on the state law. I forget what the statute is called, but if there is a law in that state that marital property is automatically shared he could be liable for your debts.
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ReallyRosie




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Sep 15 2008, 2:11 pm
Hi. Something else to keep in mind. With the internet, credit card companies sharing information etc.. there are a lot of swindlers out there, and one way they can get to you is to pose as a collection agency. Just before my husband and I made aliyah, we completely cleared our last credit card (paid it off.) A few months after we were in Israel, our relatives started getting calls from a "lawyer" and "collection agencies" re: this credit card debt that they insisted was never paid. Their language was abusive, threatening, etc. Went on for months.

We googled the particular "lawyer" and found more listings indicating his scheme of extorting money out of people. We tried to track down the "agencies" only to find that their business names were non-existent. We called the credit card company and they were apologetic, and said they had no idea how our info had gotten out.

1. Call a lawyer and find out exactly what the process is. If a collection agency has to collect from you they will most always arrange some kind of payment plan option (they can't just take away your paycheck.)

2. Check with the hospital and the insurances and make sure the bills weren't actually paid in some part already.

Good luck.
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dr pepper




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Sep 15 2008, 4:59 pm
I messed up my credit when I was 18 and have had various collection agencies come after me. Some just call and send letters and have given up over the years. But one actually went to court and got a judgement against me.

I never got notice that they were going to court. A lot of times these collection agencies are very sneaky and will mail notice to an old address to make sure you don't come and fight the judgement.

One day I went online and saw $1200 had been taken out of my available checking account balance. It turned out that with a judgement they can put a lien on your bank account or on your paycheck if and when you do start working on the books again.

So yes, they can take your money just like that. Gather all documentation you can and try to fight it, but don't just assume you're in the right because of something you read. Most likely if your emergencies fell under your insurance policy, they would have covered it already.

Try to make a deal with the agency before it goes into judgement, because a judgement is much worse on the credit than a partial charge-off.
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morahaviva




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Sep 16 2008, 12:01 am
First gather every bit of paper you have pertaining to all of the visits- or at least whatever you can find.

Write down the sequence of events best you can remember.

Have your insurance card in front of you.

Call the insurance company, follow all the prompts until you give your id number, then try pressing "0", some insurance companies automatic systems have this as a shortcut to a human being. Be prepared to stay on hold.

Be sweet - and pleasant -its ok to sound desperate "Hi - I am having an ongoing issue with some emergency room claims that have not been paid, and the hospitals sent it to a collection agency.... I hoooooppppe you will be able to help me -"

KEEP CALM!! keep in mind that the ppl who work the phones at insurance companies may not be the most intelligent ppl in the world. You may have to explain yourself more than once. Find out if they even recieved the claim, first of all. If so, ask why was it denied, or how much they paid and how much was your copayment or coinsurance. If it was denied due to lack of notification (some carriers require notification within 48 hours - just a phone call to let them know you were in the ER).

If there are no claims on record, it is the hospitals onus to get the claims to the insurance company. If they are not being paid due to it being sent too late (timely filing) they cant bill you unless you did not give them the correct information.

If the insurance company did get the claims, and either are not going to pay or paid partial payments which still leave you with a big amount to pay, call the collection agency, and try to get them to deal - sometimes they will go down in the amount.
GOOD LUCK!
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chewbaccasita




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Sep 16 2008, 11:06 am
look up the fair debt collection act online -- there are things the agencies cannot say or do without opening themselves up to a lawsuit from you.

consider filing bankruptcy to discharge the debt. your credit will be ruined anyway if you cannot pay the bill.
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bubby




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Sep 16 2008, 11:48 am
Next time they call, tell THEM YOU will sue them for harrassment. You gave them all the info countless times & you want it ON YOUR RECORDS that you are sending everything return receipt requested one last time. After that, you will take legal action. Then PM me for the name of a lawyer. And don't forget to get the name & # of the person you talk to.

A friend once offered her children as payment...I thought that was funny! Don't recommend it, though!
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