medical SOL question/customary billing practices?

May 142010
 

 

Hello,

 

I am hoping someone could help me with a  fairly basic semantics question-  I received a collections notice yesterday regarding a “Final Notice ” doctor’s bill received less than a month ago (on a side note, CO law requires at least 30 days notice before being sent to collections) , for an ER visit in May of 2007.  Everything I have found indicates that the SOL for medical collections in Colorado is 3 years. 

 

  However, according to the Final Notice bill,  the physicians’ group went back and forth with the insurance provider I had in May of 2007 a few times (June 2007, June 2008, November 2009)  last trying to bill them November of 2009.  Does the SOL period begin from the day medical services are provided, or the day that the health care provider gives up trying to bill the patient’s insurance company? 

 

  From what I have read, CO law requires you to notify the health care provider of your insurance coverage within 30 days of services being provided- no problem, they required proof of insurance  before any services were provided.  It seems absurd that they would wait so long in between trying to bill my ins. provider-I’ve tried to look up statutes regarding customary billing practice guidelines or requirements, but could not find any. 

 

  I was living in CO at the time services were provided, and still live in CO, and have only moved one time between then and now. I lived at my previous address for 18 months AFTER this ER visit, filled out a forwarding form at the post office when I moved, and the “Final Notice” nasty-gram was the first I had heard of this bill.  If the SOL is 3 years, it seems really fishy the first I would hear of the bill is after 2 years 10.5 months.

 

Thank you all for any help you may be able to provide

 

Paid medical collection – how much is this hurting me?

Apr 232010
 

I had a medical collection placed on my report back in February.  The services were for my wife and the insurance was in her name, and they hit my report but not hers.  Go figure.  Anyways, long story short, I did the HIPAA process except for the redispute letter with the CRAs and second letter to OC.  The collection is for $76 and was originally reporting to all 3 CRAs.  I paid the OC through their website.  After I sent the HIPAA letter to the OC it was deleted immediately from TU and EQ, but not EX.  EX shows it as a paid collection, disputed and validated.  Not sure if there’s anything I can do at this point to get it removed yet, but I’m wondering how much it’s actually hurting me and if it’s even worth it to pursue it further.  This is the only negative information on my report now.  Reporting CA is Americollect.  Thanks in advance!