Do I legally have to pay for a hospitals insurance billing mistake?
I had to go to the ER back in April of 2007. I had recently started a new job and had new insurance so I gave that to hospital when I checked in.
In February of this year I check my credit reports and see that the hospital turned my ER bill over for collections. I never received notification that the bill was past due. So, I call the collection agency and they tell me that my insurance denied the claim because I wasn’t covered. Come to find out the hospital had billed insurance I had when I was in school and before I got married and hadn’t had that insurance for 2 years. And the bills they were sending out were going to an old address and all collection attempts by phone were being made to an old phone number.
So, I had to resubmit the correct insurance and they had to remove the report from my credit report.
Now, on Friday I received the same hospital bill saying it was my responsibility. I call the billing company and asked why I was receiving this and the lady tells me because they tried to resubmit to the correct insurance but since they filed so late the insurance company won’t pay for it.
Do I legally have to pay for the hospitals mistake because someone didn’t do their job in updating my record with the correct insurance?
Yes, I know I’m responsible if insurance doesn’t pay, but when insurance would have paid had they received the bill on time, I think there is a loop hole there. The paperwork I sign states in the event I’m not covered – I was covered. Like I said before I didn’t get anything in the mail because they were using outdated information.
and Yes, I gave the hospital the correct insurance and my new name when I checked in
I’ve already paid the $50 I was responsible for when I checked in. That’s my proof, because had I been under my old insurance I would have paid $150 that is due when you check in.
By the way the hospital doesn’t send the bills directly to me, they all go to the insurance. It could take months before my paper work is processed. So as for thinking I got a free trip to ER, no I did not think that because I paid my co-pay.
hospital billing regulations
