My question involves collection proceedings in the State of: CO
Just yesterday I received a letter in the mail from a debt collector stating that I have a past due bill for $1,793 regarding Quest Diagnostic.
To understand the high level frustration on my end, you need the back story:
A few years ago, I used Quest Diagnostic to complete the blood work for my annual physical. My insurance company at the time was Blue Cross Blue Shield and my plan covered the physical minus the co-pay. A few months later, I receive a letter from BCBS stating my claim is denied. I also receive a letter around the same time from Quest stating I have a past due bill of $1,793.
I call BCBS to try and get to the bottom of this, as my plan always allows for an annual physical as part of the preventive care portion. After a few weeks of waiting, I am told that I will have to call Quest for more information as they can’t locate a record of my visit. I then call Quest trying to get to the bottom of this and they say call BCBS and offer no additional info. I decide to dig into this a bit more myself and notice additional details have been posted in my online transition. I notice several charges that correspond to the approximate date and amounts that I have in the bill from Quest. (charges are broken down individually online)
The online history also shows Metwest as the service provider. I call BSBC and inquire as to why there is a charge from Metwest ( I have never heard of them), and I also point out that for a routine physical Metwest is billing at least 2 X if not more the cost of normal blood work. After a few weeks the BCBS claims department gets back to me and explains that there was a change in the record coding (Quest DBA as Metwest or merger if I so recall), so there was some confusion as to my record. They also seemed perplexed as to the billing amount for a physical and send my claim to another department that handles special cases.
After a few more weeks of waiting, I finally hear back from the BSBC claims department and they acknowledge that there was a billing error and my claim was now approved. My health care plan provides for blood work, annual physical no problem. They send me documentation of this, and they consider the case closed. I move on with life thinking nothing more of this.
Just yesterday, I receive a letter from a collections agency stating that I have a past due bill from Quest for $ 1,793, and they are attempting to collect. I have since switched health care providers and I am no longer with BCBS.
My question is who should I contact first. BCBS or the collections agency?
Should I request a letter of validation from the Debt Collector? I have no clue if BCBS paid or not. I have documentation from this as an approved claim and had moved on.
Should I even contact the debt collector by phone? Should I send them the documentation from BCBS in this matter?
What steps should I follow?
Also, from what I understand in looking into this, Quest has a history of over billing BCBS. I only point this out because the bill is at least double of what it should be for routine blood work as part of a physical. I do not want this issue impacting my credit because two companies can’t seem to get it together. I also don't want to be stuck for a bill that is at least double what it should be if for some reason this falls back on me.
Please help me out. Thanks.
Just yesterday I received a letter in the mail from a debt collector stating that I have a past due bill for $1,793 regarding Quest Diagnostic.
To understand the high level frustration on my end, you need the back story:
A few years ago, I used Quest Diagnostic to complete the blood work for my annual physical. My insurance company at the time was Blue Cross Blue Shield and my plan covered the physical minus the co-pay. A few months later, I receive a letter from BCBS stating my claim is denied. I also receive a letter around the same time from Quest stating I have a past due bill of $1,793.
I call BCBS to try and get to the bottom of this, as my plan always allows for an annual physical as part of the preventive care portion. After a few weeks of waiting, I am told that I will have to call Quest for more information as they can’t locate a record of my visit. I then call Quest trying to get to the bottom of this and they say call BCBS and offer no additional info. I decide to dig into this a bit more myself and notice additional details have been posted in my online transition. I notice several charges that correspond to the approximate date and amounts that I have in the bill from Quest. (charges are broken down individually online)
The online history also shows Metwest as the service provider. I call BSBC and inquire as to why there is a charge from Metwest ( I have never heard of them), and I also point out that for a routine physical Metwest is billing at least 2 X if not more the cost of normal blood work. After a few weeks the BCBS claims department gets back to me and explains that there was a change in the record coding (Quest DBA as Metwest or merger if I so recall), so there was some confusion as to my record. They also seemed perplexed as to the billing amount for a physical and send my claim to another department that handles special cases.
After a few more weeks of waiting, I finally hear back from the BSBC claims department and they acknowledge that there was a billing error and my claim was now approved. My health care plan provides for blood work, annual physical no problem. They send me documentation of this, and they consider the case closed. I move on with life thinking nothing more of this.
Just yesterday, I receive a letter from a collections agency stating that I have a past due bill from Quest for $ 1,793, and they are attempting to collect. I have since switched health care providers and I am no longer with BCBS.
My question is who should I contact first. BCBS or the collections agency?
Should I request a letter of validation from the Debt Collector? I have no clue if BCBS paid or not. I have documentation from this as an approved claim and had moved on.
Should I even contact the debt collector by phone? Should I send them the documentation from BCBS in this matter?
What steps should I follow?
Also, from what I understand in looking into this, Quest has a history of over billing BCBS. I only point this out because the bill is at least double of what it should be for routine blood work as part of a physical. I do not want this issue impacting my credit because two companies can’t seem to get it together. I also don't want to be stuck for a bill that is at least double what it should be if for some reason this falls back on me.
Please help me out. Thanks.
Disputing Debts: Debt Collector Quest Over Billing, Consumer Stuck in the Middle
0 commentaires:
Enregistrer un commentaire