Consumer complaint received 2017-08-10
Company: Collection Consultants of California
State: CA
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Medical debt
Issue: Took or threatened to take negative or legal action
Sub-issue: Threatened to sue you for very old debt

Complaint:
To make this very clear : Neither Collection Consultant nor XXXX Hospital have attempted to clear the record. I have provided them both with my original insurance provider, XXXX. Collection Consultant is a debt collector and although I provided them with my original health provider, their claim is that it is not in their policy to contact the original insurance provider. In fact, they claim that I, the patient, have to deal with the original occupant of my bill, XXXX Hospital. Fact : I made the call to XXXX Hospital, ( after receiving a notice from Collection Consultant, from an old address, that I owed XXXX - the original bill was only XXXX dollars. This process is very slow and can take up to a month or longer to process. ( This takes time, and sometimes, causes the patient to forget to keep an eye for an upcoming letter or bill on the mail. During all this time, I am still an employee for the county of XXXX XXXX with full insurance. ) A few months later, after viewing a mark in my credit burial I contacted XXXX Hospital. I told them that I was contacted by collectors and there was a bill. They mentioned that due to the fact that it was passed onto a collector, XXXX Hospital was no longer in charge or responsible with that billing. Again, I have to contact Collection Consultant. Again, I mention to them ( Collection Consultants ) that I already have insurance. Again, they state that it is not in their policy to deal with my original medical insurance group, and so, I must deal with the original billing group - XXXX Hospital. After another two bills from Collection Consultants, I again contact XXXX Hospital with that information ( letters from Collection Consultants and my original insurance provider ) and XXXX Hospital asks me to wait for a reply after their research. Again, more waiting. So, when I contact them, XXXX Hospital claims that this issue must be dealt with by the collector - the case was transferred to a Collection Consultant. As a consumer, with actual full insurance by the county of XXXX XXXX, it is absurd that neither one wants to take responsibility. And of course, the bill with interest remains in my credit report. In the few bill collection letters I received from Collection Consultants, I responded to them - mentioning to them that I had insurance - original insurance provider XXXX. They claim to be collectors. Any changes to that fact, must be altered by the original billing group - XXXX Hospital : because XXXX Hospital updated its computer system, it takes longer to find billing history files - explained by XXXX Hospital. Of course, although they mention that it is not up to them to contact the original insurance provider, they do have a right to increase the bill cost on file, from the original cost of XXXX, to XXXX according to Collection Consultants. Now, the visit to the ER was a basic yes or no possible cold. That has turned into a 5 year voidance policy by both groups and so far, neither one bothered to contact the original insurance provider. They both still make the claim that it is not their need to contact my original insurance provider. I actually forwarded, with pictures, by original insurance providers to both. Collection Consultants refuses to even consider that fact. And XXXX Hospital says that the case was transferred and there 's nothing they can do about it. All that remains is a bill, originally XXXX dollars from a one hour wait visit to the ER into a XXXX dollars 5 year struggle with collectors. As things stand, neither group, either Collection Consultants nor XXXX Hospital are willing to consider the fact that I had, and still do, have insurance. How many billing letters did I receive from Collection Consultants over a period of 5 years, not many. And how many did I contact them? probably more. And another policy that I was informed about - upon my calls to Collection Consultants, not every call I made was being recorded. Nor notes I requested to be added to my file with them was being followed through. And upon requests to be transferred to supervisors or managers, was ignored or told that it was not possible. Similarly, XXXX Hospital has a similar policy. That once the case is transferred to collection, it is no longer their need to deal with the case. The policy continued for years. As a onetime patient, it is so absurd that I provided my original insurance provider and neither group bothered to contact them. Their only policy is to collect debt, even if it means avoiding the fact that there is an original medical insurance group for which could have been contacted for the bill. Similarly, yes, over the past few years, I did receive a few billing payment request from Collection Consultants. That is a fact. And yes, I did contact them. And of course, their claim is that, a few number of collection billing letters is sufficient to explain why my bill has been in their files for near to 5 years and how many times they attempted to contact me - with a collection request. Also to make a point - I have moved 6 times in rental properties in that period of time., as a College grad. I already provided my original medical provider. To both, XXXX Hospital and to Collection Consultant. I mailed it, as an attachment on my previous request.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation