Hi all....I'm not even sure this is the right place to post this, but I'm at my wit's end with this. I've looked EVERYWHERE for this info, and all I've gotten is way too vague to provide any real information. I've even spoken to the lame billing department many many times and have gotten nowhere. I would GREATLY appreciate any info anyone can give.

We relocated from the north to FL last year, and have finally been able to find a hospital/doctor's office that we were satisfied with....until now.

My problem is that we have some outstanding balances from some recent illnesses/surgery that we are trying to pay off. However, the billing department at the clinic is telling me that they will accept NO LESS than $50/month per account (there are 5 of us in the family, each having their own "account," totalling $1,300.) I moved from a state where I was told that, as long as you were making consistent payments every billing cycle, it would not have a negative impact, and they couldn't demand a certain amount per month to be paid. Between the copays and prescription copays, we are spending almost $1,000/month. Now they want an additional $250/month for the outstanding balances. We just don't have the extra. I've already given up one of my major meds so that we can afford to even make payments on the outstanding balances at all.

I've tried working with them, explaining that it is only a temporary setback, and will have them paid in full when our settlement comes through....4 months, max. They are just totally inflexible and will not work with us at all, claiming "policy procedures." They can't even tell me which laws or regulations there are that allow them to demand that kind of payment without no room for negotiation. No wonder so many people just say "to hell with them." I know we owe the money and certainly will pay it, but they act like they WANT to send it to collections.

My questions are: Can they do this in Florida, or at all?? Is this legal? I've checked the "Fair Debt and Collections Protection Act," but have not come up with anything specific. Everything is too vague. I need some specific answers.

Thanks in advance for anyone's input..

Sue

Sue,

They are probably within their rights?

Can you just put the $1300 on a credit card to shut them up? (I"m sorry if that sounds a bit like Marie Antionette's "Let them eat cake?")

Since you say "copays and prescriptionj copays" I assume you have insurance for the future bills. Where did the $1300 come form? From before the insurance?

Due to recently and unknowingly buying a "money pit" of a house, we don't have the $1,300 available on our credit card yet. We're in the process of trying to recoup tons of money from the sellers of our house. They decided NOT to disclose about $50k worth of issues, and the home inspection is another issue we're dealing with. The $1,300 is the total amount of combined left over balances from the difference between our copayment and what our insurance ends up covering (BCBS.) Two of my children and my husband have ADHD, so not all of each visit is covered after we pay our copayment. This is only from the past 8 mohths, since we moved to FL.

I have every intention of paying the owed money, we just can't do it in the amounts that they're demanding right now, and they won't give us any negotiating room at all. They also can't provide any documentation that allows them to do this, not even what they told me was "their policy." It just sounds kind of fishy to me because they say they can't show me where it says they have the right to do that.. I'm just tired of getting my chain yanked by doctors and insurance companies. There was another situation where another doctor a while ago kept telling me I owed about $400 in blood work, which was the balance left over after my insurance made their payment. They even sent it to a collection agency. Come to find out, they had never even billed my insurance company. I'm just very leary at what insurance companies and doctors get away with.
thanks

God I hope you read this post. You say they never billed your insurance. Great. Every state (I don't know about Florida time frames) has a maximum "timely filing" limit and sometimes the insurance co's contract will specify a shorter period of time, but... If the time from the discharge date to the day the claim was sent to your ins co esceedes that time limit, they dont have to pay, and by extention neither do you. Generally this time limit is 90 to 180 days. If you find out they didn't bill your ins co within that general time, ask your insurance co rep about timely filing denials. It is basically a statute of limitations, so you should be good. In fact, if they billing should be denied for timely filing, demand your money back from the facility. Let them know they didn't bill in time and they get to eat the loss.

I know in my state they don't have to accept whatever amount that you send in as an acceptable payment. Companies that I've worked for have turned over accounts because although pt's were making payments, they weren't making the company required minimum. They probably have a designated timeline in which they want these accounts closed and off their books. Because alot of times when pt's are given the choice of either making the "minimum" payment or being turned over for collection, they'll just pay up. That being said, alot of companies will continue to accept whatever payments you are able to make, because at least they're getting paid. Once they turn it to collection chances are they'll never see any of that money.

This happened to me with a hospital bill recently, and they wanted it paid in 3 monthly installments of like $4000.00. (I wish I had cash like that lying around) They in turn said that if it wasn't paid in 3 months, then they would turn it to collection. I told them that there was no way that that was gonna happen & that I would have to make small payments every month. I'm still waiting for someone to call me back from the hosp. If they still refuse to accept my offer- well then they can send it to collection and I'll never pay it. I can't produce what I don't even have, and it's absurd to expect people to do that.

I do know that a trick some pt's try is to send in their payment with "account paid in full" in the memo section of the check. The thought being that if the business cashes that check, then the pt can go back and argue that they (the company) accepted their "payment in full" by cashing that check. I dont know if this actually works,but I do know that when we got them they were to be sent back to the pt uncashed.