How do we stop getting harassed about medical bills we don't owe?

Serendipity asked...

My spouse, has dementia, is being harassed by Wellington Hospital for by 3 collection companies. They have been incompetent in deducting a reimbursement by Blue Cross and Blue Shield. They have presented 1 bill in 2008 and with proof of the deduction, nothing since then. I personally have spoke to 3 unit supervisors who have lied that they would take care of the problem and not send it to collection. I and wife are continuously being harassed by their collection agencies and we need help with the destruction of our credit their gross incompetence and supplying of fraudulent bogus bills.

Expert Answer

Steve Weisman hosts the nationally syndicated radio show A Touch of Grey, heard on more than 50 stations, including WABC in New York City and KRLA in Los Angeles. He is a practicing lawyer specializing in estate planning and is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court. He's a public speaker and commentator who has appeared on many radio and television shows throughout the country, and he's the legal editor of Talkers magazine, the preeminent trade publication of talk radio. His latest book is The Truth About Avoiding Scams.

First, in regard to being harassed by the collection agencies, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act outlaws a number of abusive, unfair and deceptive collection practices. And perhaps most important to you, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act provides you with the right to stop collection agencies from contacting you by merely informing them in writing that you do not wish them to contact you again. It is prudent to give them this notification in writing and by certified mail with a return receipt. This does not prevent the creditor from bringing a legal action against you, but will stop the harassment. If indeed the bills that they are attempting to collect are, as you characterize them, bogus, you should be in a good position to prove this if legal action is brought against you.

In regard to your credit being harmed by these collection agencies, you should first obtain free copies of your credit reports to make sure that indeed your credit has been adversely affected. If this is the case, you should contact the credit reporting agencies and contest the accuracy of the adverse information supplied by the collection agencies. You should also demand that the credit reporting agencies investigate these claims. Under the provisions of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, the credit reporting agencies then have 45 days to investigate the disputed information. Provide the credit reporting agencies with as much information and copies of documentation to support your allegations.