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Some of you may recall that my son had surgery on a vacation in the US. For some months thereafter we dealt with the invoices from about a dozen different service providers with our insurers and everything presented got paid. We were surprised at the number of different providers in a single hospital system but it went ok.
Then . . approximately 15 months after the service was provided, we get another bill from a collection agency for the emergency room doctors. We had never seen an invoice from them (still have not ) and with so many different providers billing us for a stay in one hospital system, we never thought about who might have been missed. Being a "nice guy" I called their number. The first guy I talked with was great, commiserated that its sort of stupid that they chase us a year later when my insurers say they will pay only bills tendered inside a year but that I need to call their international guy (based in Florida)-- he transfers me but no answer and no message machine. So I forget about the whole thing.
Now about 4 months later -- I get another collection notice from them. Again I call and this time get put on to the international guy. He admits they face this all the time as the particular doctors group's systems cannot handle Canadian addresses and had sent the invoices to Blue Cross in the US and its only when it ws old enough to get sent to their collection agency that they actually straighten it out . In any event he wanted some insurance particulars. I told him I was more than happy to help but I had to dig that stuff out since I don't keep details about travel insurance for trips 18 months ago close at hand and wished him well in collecting since I had two insurance policies with duplicative coverages and certainly didn't intend to pay it myself---
WELL--that certainly changed the call-- Abruptly he launched into what seemed to be a script about my "refusal to pay" and the dire consequences to me including passing references to criminal law, lawsuits and credit rating. I was actually a little amused by his content and tone. There were bits about the fact that they had no obligation to bill an insurer as it was my obligation to pay (interesting and amusing since I have to this day not seen the actual bill in question, only the debt collectors bill thing SINCE THEY SENT THE INVOICE TO THE INSURER BUT THE WRONG ONE) and even a sentence that mentioned my moral obligation to pay. I believe the tone and content was designed to intimidate me into paying.
I interjected a very little about
1. the absurdity that they would chase me for 711 dollars in any practical way
2. somewhat scoffing at them threatening my credit rating ( I think I told them I don't need credit)
.. . but the concluding sentence of his script was essentially that given my "refusal to pay" that concluded our business . So in a short period we went from the idea that I would confirm insurance particulars so they could try to get paid that way--( and I would have dug out the particulars ) to it seems the idea that they will ignore the insurance and chase me somehow. I thought the script would have given me a chance to whip out my credit card and pay immediately or something but maybe they find it more effective to threaten a little and then abruptly conclude things so that their ominous powers can start to cause me to worry and fret and then pay them
I will be interested to see what form if any this takes. I have no US assets and would find it hilarious if they retained someone in Alberta to chase me over 711 dollars. I just don't see the point for them. They are far more likely to get an insurer to waive their within one year requirement than they are to get me to cough up the money-- Did I mention I had TWO insurance policies LOL??
Anyone know what happens next? Perhaps I am not taking this whole thing serious enough. I would help them out but when he tried to get all collectiony I just cannot be anything other than amused since I generally see them as pretty impotent as against someone that doesn't feel threatened.
Then . . approximately 15 months after the service was provided, we get another bill from a collection agency for the emergency room doctors. We had never seen an invoice from them (still have not ) and with so many different providers billing us for a stay in one hospital system, we never thought about who might have been missed. Being a "nice guy" I called their number. The first guy I talked with was great, commiserated that its sort of stupid that they chase us a year later when my insurers say they will pay only bills tendered inside a year but that I need to call their international guy (based in Florida)-- he transfers me but no answer and no message machine. So I forget about the whole thing.
Now about 4 months later -- I get another collection notice from them. Again I call and this time get put on to the international guy. He admits they face this all the time as the particular doctors group's systems cannot handle Canadian addresses and had sent the invoices to Blue Cross in the US and its only when it ws old enough to get sent to their collection agency that they actually straighten it out . In any event he wanted some insurance particulars. I told him I was more than happy to help but I had to dig that stuff out since I don't keep details about travel insurance for trips 18 months ago close at hand and wished him well in collecting since I had two insurance policies with duplicative coverages and certainly didn't intend to pay it myself---
WELL--that certainly changed the call-- Abruptly he launched into what seemed to be a script about my "refusal to pay" and the dire consequences to me including passing references to criminal law, lawsuits and credit rating. I was actually a little amused by his content and tone. There were bits about the fact that they had no obligation to bill an insurer as it was my obligation to pay (interesting and amusing since I have to this day not seen the actual bill in question, only the debt collectors bill thing SINCE THEY SENT THE INVOICE TO THE INSURER BUT THE WRONG ONE) and even a sentence that mentioned my moral obligation to pay. I believe the tone and content was designed to intimidate me into paying.
I interjected a very little about
1. the absurdity that they would chase me for 711 dollars in any practical way
2. somewhat scoffing at them threatening my credit rating ( I think I told them I don't need credit)
.. . but the concluding sentence of his script was essentially that given my "refusal to pay" that concluded our business . So in a short period we went from the idea that I would confirm insurance particulars so they could try to get paid that way--( and I would have dug out the particulars ) to it seems the idea that they will ignore the insurance and chase me somehow. I thought the script would have given me a chance to whip out my credit card and pay immediately or something but maybe they find it more effective to threaten a little and then abruptly conclude things so that their ominous powers can start to cause me to worry and fret and then pay them
I will be interested to see what form if any this takes. I have no US assets and would find it hilarious if they retained someone in Alberta to chase me over 711 dollars. I just don't see the point for them. They are far more likely to get an insurer to waive their within one year requirement than they are to get me to cough up the money-- Did I mention I had TWO insurance policies LOL??
Anyone know what happens next? Perhaps I am not taking this whole thing serious enough. I would help them out but when he tried to get all collectiony I just cannot be anything other than amused since I generally see them as pretty impotent as against someone that doesn't feel threatened.
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