Consumer complaint received 2020-04-22
Company: Choice Recovery, Inc.
State: SC
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Medical debt
Issue: Written notification about debt
Sub-issue: Didn't receive enough information to verify debt

Complaint:
I was a patient at XXXX XXXX in XXXX SC. I was seen numerous times before my XXXX was scheduled. It is XXXX  XXXX  policy that all payment is due before or at time of service. On the day of my XXXX I was given a form to sign stating everything in detail that I owe. I was given a statement of what my insurance was paying and also told that insurance was not a guarantee of payment. However in this case my insurance paid EVERYTHING 100 % that was told and documented to XXXX XXXX. Of particular interest on the copay line for their XXXX center it was listed as XXXX. As I do not have a deductible or copayment with my insurance unless I am using is called an ambulatory XXXX center. As it is not often one has to have XXXX and I am not in the medical field to know the medical jargon. I rely on the patient assistance/financial assistance, and what is written on paper to make my financial decisions as to the place of medical treatment. The last appointment before my XXXX I was asked as to my preference to use XXXX  XXXX center or an affiliated hospital. I advised whatever would be the most affordable option. In my case with my particular situation I would only have been responsible for a small portion of the bill had I used an affiliated hospital. However as you can see on their website they state their center usually saves insurance companies hundreds of dollars and it is clearly advocated to use their XXXX center. After reviewing the document and signing before my XXXX I was told my copay for this facility in which the XXXX was performed would be XXXX. This is a simple oversight on XXXX  XXXX. I was told I was paid in full less than a week later. To verify I logged into XXXX  XXXX  online payment portal to verify I had a zero balance. A month later I received a bill for {$480.00}. As soon as time permitted I called and spoke with the head of the financial department and she said she was unsure why I had a balance of that amount. She also said she would send me all the transcripts of my payment history. A week or so later I received a huge stack of letters not showing a simple account ledger and payment form but pages of insurance codes payments from my insurance company subtractions from my insurance company, subtractions from XXXX XXXX, sporadic listings of my personal payments via their online portal and payments made to the actual XXXX center. As I am not a medical worker or involved in any type of medical coding I could not make any since of what I had received in the mail. I called back to speak with XXXX XXXX and she advised me to call my insurance company and ask a patient advocate. After waiting for my insurance company to get back to me about another month later at this point they told me everything had been paid. I owed a XXXX copayment for using their ambulatory XXXX center instead of using one of my local hospitals affiliated with XXXX XXXX. At this point I called back and spoke with XXXX XXXX and I explained the situation. This is when I was informed that they have two billing systems so some people may had told me my balance was XXXX because their system is not affiliated with their own XXXX centers billing system. She advised me I could make a payment arrangement and I advised her I would call her back within the week as I would need time to figure out where to acquire this unexpected money that I had not budgeted because I had been told numerous times my balance was paid in FULL. Less than a week later I called the billing department to make a payment arrangement and was informed my bill had been sent to collections. I asked if I could still pay them and I was abruptly cut off by a resounding NO. I then asked to speak with XXXX XXXX, head of billing and I was not able to get through. I then called back and left a voicemail with no return. I called and left another voicemail and again no return call. I do not find it fair that I have to pay an excessive amount of money because I was misinformed, not once but many times, by many people, and via their own payment portal. With this being said, when I spoke with XXXX XXXX, I did not dispute the charge. She said she would absolutely allow me to make a payment arrangement. Now I am receiving letters from Choice Recovery , Inc., a collection agency. If arrangements can not be make to have this removed from this credit agency and an arrangement to make payments to XXXX XXXX I will pursue every option I have available including seeking legal advice. {$500.00} may seem a small amount to hire a lawyer over, however if my credit is adversely affected I will use every agency, and legal authority at my disposal. I have already filed a complaint with several agencies, including the XXXX XXXX for XXXX XXXX XXXX your organization is part of, as well as our states Attorney General XXXX XXXX, the XXXX XXXX XXXX. If an arrangement can not be made between myself and XXXX  XXXX  for me to make payments on this bill with 100 % excluding this collection agency and no adverse action on my credit report. I will take legal action, and as part of that action it will include damages.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation