Consumer complaint received 2017-10-16
Company: State Collection Service, Inc.
State: MO
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Medical debt
Issue: False statements or representation
Sub-issue: Attempted to collect wrong amount

Complaint:
State Collection Services ( Document 1 ) will be notified of this complaint by certified mail ( tracking # XXXX ). It is recommended that the collection of this debt be returned to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, in order for it to be sent to the FTC alongside the other complaint lodge with the FTC against the XXXX XXXX Hospital organization. It is also recommended that this be transferred, unless State Collection Services ( acting as a representative of XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) would also like to be held accountable as an accessory in the unethical and illegal actions conducted by the XXXX XXXX medical staff/physicians/and representatives. 
First interaction with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( will be referred to as STA through the remainder of this letter ) was on XX/XX/XXXX, which I received a phone call from Representative XXXX XXXX confronting me with this debt. I had previously not received any physical mail stating any additional bill due and stated this to her ; in which she emailed it to me directly while we were on the phone ( Document 2 & 6 ). This also is roughly sixty days after my last hospital visit. While on the phone, I asked specific questions as to whom some of the doctors were ( such as XXXX, XXXX, etc ) and the response I received was they work at the hospital. 
I contacted the office on XX/XX/XXXX ; when I finally received a paper bill that matched the one I was emailed ; again questioning who the doctors on the bill were. I will acknowledge two of them ; one was my XXXX XXXX XXXX and the other a XXXX that I spoke to twice while I was in the hospital. Again I was given the generic response of they work at the hospital by the representative I spoke with. I inquired further, asking if these were doctors who were overseeing a floor I was on ( such as overnight, or mid-day ). The representative told me that there was always a doctor on shift, which would imply that there is a doctor available for consultation at any time. 
On XX/XX/XXXX I spoke with a doctor that morning ( after being admitted the afternoon of XX/XX/XXXX ) that stated I would be discharged that evening. When roughly XXXX came around and the nurses shift change occurred, I asked if I was being discharged. One nurse said I was being detained under directions of the consulting XXXX   ( who I never saw, I spoke with his nurse practitioner due to him being in XXXX ). The same nurse also stated that she knew her personally, and would call and see why. Around two hours later, I asked the nurse what the status of my discharge was ; and was refused an answer. I asked to speak with a floor doctor and was denied. 
I got on the phone and spoke with the patient advocate center, and they sent a representative to my room. She came in with the same nurse who refused to send the floor doctor in for a consultation. We spoke, but she said openly that she could not help because she had no access to medical records. She stated she would bring the floor doctor to me to review my case. Roughly XXXX a charge nurse came in, and read the doctors orders from the computer. I questioned some of the statements, and there was no mention that the consulting XXXX   gave directive for me to be detained. I asked the charge nurse what doctor wrote that order, and was denied that information. I asked to speak with the floor doctor, and she told me no one is going to come see you. I was given the option to leave, but would be against doctors orders. My reaction to her was no doctor has given me any orders or direction. She stated that I just read them to you. I told her a statement can not be questioned or cross-examined, that unless the doctor that wrote it or the floor doctor comes in to give it to me directly, then it is void. Again, she stated that the only way I was allowed to leave was against doctors orders. 
The next morning, I spoke with the XXXX nurse practitioner about the situation ( again he was in XXXX ). She stated that they were only consulting, and had no authority to detain me. So I caught the staff in a complete lie. A different doctor that the one I spoke with the previous morning came in to see me shortly after ; and I questioned why I was no discharged as the previous doctor had stated. I was given no answer other than I needed to be observed. 
The following day, I filed formal charges against the hospital staff with the hospital. I never received a follow-up as to the status of my complaint. It was obvious that the hospital staff lied to me as to why I was being detained. I also do not feel I should have to pay for the doctor who said I was going to be discharged, but never received a follow-up stating that I was not eligible. I was never given any directives as to my care status. I do not feel I should have to pay for any floor doctor who REFUSED to consult me, even after patient services were contacted ; nor do I feel I should have to pay for the doctor on XX/XX/XXXX when I should have been discharged the previous day as I was directed by the doctor in charge of my care the previous day. 
Since we have established the unethical concerns, lets document the illegal concerns. When speaking with the representative for XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX ;  I asked a specific question. A statement that the representative made was I could not return to a XXXX XXXX physician until the bill was paid. I asked so you I can not see my primary care physician because I did not pay him {$3.00} that took you six months to provide me a bill for?. Her reply was no you are not allowed to see any XXXX XXXX XXXX because you have not paid this bill. This statement violated the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, which states that I can not be discriminated against based on ability to pay. During my THREE hospitalizations in XX/XX/XXXX I  have lost income. I have been struggling to pay other bills ( such as rent and utilities ) to provide myself standard living conditions. Also, with that statement she has excluded me from being able to seek emergency medical care ; as there are TWO XXXX urgent care facilities and ONE XXXX hospital under five miles from my residence. So in a medical emergency those are my only options to go to. I also take this as an IMMEDIATE threat to my health, as my primary care physician manages many of the minor medications in relation to my sever XXXX XXXX ( covered under the ADA ). 
I wrote XXXX to let them know I disputed the charges. XXXX received the letter XX/XX/XXXX and received a reply ( Document XXXX ). I did state to XXXX   that I had intentions on turning them over to the FTC due to the same issues I have stated so far. The letter was hand written, and someone took the time to type the official statement, but refused to sign it. If someone would have given me a direct contact, instead of not putting their name on the statement, then maybe we could have worked it out before now. 
I do however want it to be known that I did turn the XXXX XXXX Hospital organization into the CFPB who then forwarded the complaint to the FTC for some of the same reasons as stated in Document 4 of this complaint. First off, I have a right to have my questions answered as to who or what I am being billed for by the person presenting the bill. As it is written, I am told to consult my explanation of benefits. At the point I was presented with the bill, I no longer had a contract with that insurance company nor had do I have access to the explanation of benefits which were presented ONLINE only and my account expired. So that is a written, documented refusal to answer my questions. 
Second, on page two of Document 4 where I was offered a soft apology for failure of delivery of XXXX   statements. Document 5 is pictures taken at various points during a week time ; showing failure to properly deliver letters/magazines by the USPS. I am not accountable for failure of delivery by a third party in this issue ; nor am I responsible for actions by a fourth, fifth, or sixth party who has intercepted delivery, disposed of delivery, or returned delivery. 
These issues are the reason why the XXXX XXXX Hospital organization now has a complaint resting with the FTC. Failure to answer questions ; pushing responsibility to a third party for explanation of bills being presented by a first party organization ; and pushing blame of failure of delivery of invoices to me. 
Finally, Document 7 is a statement from the XXXX XXXX Hospital organization. The final line of the invoice states XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX for {$650.00}. Since the hospital failed to provide a definition of this term, but the XXXX can not prove that one of the doctors on their statement was not part of this bill presented by XXXX XXXX Hospital. In which case, this would be a double bill and overpayment for doctor services.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation