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Hospital Bill Liability?
David W asked:
When I was 19 years old I became very ill very suddenly and was taken into the emergency room by an ambulance. I was unconscious for most of the episode, I did not give the hospital any information, I did not sign anything at all; at the time I was homeless.
<BR%20/>Tags: 8 Years, Hospital Information, Mistake, 19 Years <BR%20/>When I was 19 years old I became very ill very suddenly and was taken into the emergency room by an ambulance. I was unconscious for most of the episode, I did not give the hospital any information, I did not sign anything at all; at the time I was homeless.
I was never billed for the treatment.
Here I am 8 years later. I was refused financing based on a collection on file. When I checked my credit report I had a collection with a company called Credit Control Corporation for over $3000.00 dollars. The address listed on my credit report was an address that I haven’t lived at since I was 17. The hospital gave the collection company outdated and completely invalid (even when I was 19) contact information and as a result it my credit was ruined. Is there anything that I can do other than just pay the bill? I don’t feel that I should be held responsible for the hospital’s mistake.
medicare fraud
First of all, this debt is no doubt beyond your states statute of limitations for taking legal action (this is most likely why you have not heard from them).
If they did indeed submit false information to the credit reporting agencies to place or keep this on your credit report, then they violated the following federal law:
15USC1681s-2] § 623. Responsibilities of furnishers of information to consumer reporting agencies. This means it is illegal to re-date a debt for the purpose of collecting it.
Send the collection agency the following letterrequesting validation of the debt. If you get no response after 30 days, then contact the credit reporting agencies and ask that it be removed as un-validated,. I have included a sample, you fill in the information. Send it certified mail/return receipt.
DATE
From:(NAME)
(ADDRESS)
(CITY, STATE, ZIP)
To:(NAME OF AGENCY)
(ADDRESS)
(CITY, STATE, ZIP)
Subj: Verification of Debt, request for
Ref: (INSERT ACCOUNT NUMBER SHOWN ON COLLECTION NOTICE)
To whom it may concern:
This letter is to inform you that pursuant to Title VIII, Debt Collection Practices, § 809 of the Federal Trade Commission and 15 U.S.C. § 1692g, I am hereby registering a formal request for Verification of Debt.
The account in question listed with (NAME OF ORIGINAL CREDITOR) opened (insert date) and indicates an initial balance of (enter amount) It is now currently being shown as collection account with past due amount of (enter amount) as of (insert date).
Unless legal proof and verification can be shown, I request you remove the derogatory entry with any credit reporting agencies that may list this debt (and any other agencies you have filed with) immediately to avoid any possible legal recourse on my behalf pursuant to 15 U.S.C.§ 1692k.
Respectfully
(NAME)
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: The advice contained herein is for informational purposes only. It is not to be construed as Legal Counsel nor Legal Advice.
hmmm, so the bill was from your hospital stay (back when you were younger & homeless) so it is your bill – and imagine if they hadn’t put you “in the system” should they also have not treated you?
I’d call the collection agency and see if they’d take about 20 cents on the dollar to settle it outright – once it’s paid your score will go back up (put yourself in their shoes – do you work for free? why should the hospital?)