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Collections Law/Medical Billing Years Later

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Expert: - 11/30/2011


Question
I live in Florida and saw a doctor on 11/29/07.  Services were performed on this day.  I just recently received a bill dated 10/14/11 for $1500.00.  It does not appear that these services were submitted to my insurance company.  I have submitted the claim to them now but am being denied since the claim was not sumbitted within in the specified time frame.  My question is who is now liable?  The doctor's office never submitted the claim nor contacted my until now about this.

Answer
If you gave your doctor's office your insurance information at the time of service, they should have to write if off due to timely filing.  Call the office manager and see what is going on.  Let them know what your insurance company said and see what they say.  They should write it off.  Call you insurance company and see if it is in their contract with the doctors office.

If your doctor's office can prove that they did file it in a timely manner, the insurance company will have to address the claim just as if it happened yesterday.

Good luck with this.

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Volunteer

Ray A Miller

Expertise

I am qualified to answer questions on the following subjects: FDCPA, FCRA and HIPAA as well as medical collections, general collections and collection agency related issues. I trained these subjects at a nationwide collection agency and customer service call center and audited around 150 representatives for compliance to the laws. I have been in the Collections Industry for over 30 years. I feel that everyone deserves to be treated fairly and with compassion and that is the way I trained collectors. Even though I worked for a Collection Agency, I get great satisfaction in helping those who have been mistreated or in need of help with these confusing issues.

Experience

I was the Compliance Administrator with a nationwide collection agency and customer service call center-I have trained hundreds of collectors on the above referenced topics. I have been in the medical collections industry for over twenty years and research these topics on a daily basis.

Organizations
ACA International

Education/Credentials
Some college ACA Certified Collection Specialist

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