Expert: Ray A Miller - 8/24/2010

Question
Hello...I'm just looking into any options for our situation.  
We live in Ohio and my mother had surgery earlier this
year...within the last couple months we've been getting
bills from the doctor/etc (for what their insurance didnt
cover)...but we never got one from the hospital.  We had
called a couple times and left messages but nobody ever
called us back.  Now today we get a letter in the mail
saying they (my parents) have been turned over to a
collection agency and we never got one bill from the
hospital.  I do not think this is fair, she's paying all her
other bills each month and would do the same with this one
if she got a bill.  Now its with collections...under my
fathers name (yet she was the patient)...so this is also
affecting him when it shouldnt be.  Can something be done
about this...is there any rules/laws/etc to help with this?  
I highly doubt the hospital will get back to us this time or
if they do they probably will say sorry about your luck
nothing we can do now.  But this is totally unfair and
hurting both of them when it shouldnt be.  Please help!

Answer
The best thing to do is to write a letter to the Director of the Business Office, copying the Administrator, stating the facts above.  Mention in the letter that if you do not hear from them, you will report this matter to Consumer Affairs and the BBB.  This should get you some results.  It would not hurt to copy the collection agency as well.

Now for the collection agency, I would dispute the matter so that it will be reported as disputed to the credit bureaus.  I hope you find this helpful.