Consumer complaint received 2016-02-18
Product: Debt collection — Medical
Issue: Cont'd attempts collect debt not owed — Debt is not mine
Company: Medical Society Business Services, Inc. (AZ)

We had a teenage friend staying with us who accidentally XXXX in XXXX of XXXX. We were not involved in any financial matters while she was in the hospital. Her mother lived out of state and spoke with providers by phone. After she left the hospital, she needed XXXX visit with the doctor she had seen in the hospital before she could fly home. The doctor wanted XXXX or he would n't see her. However, the XXXX provider insisted on payment before doing the XXXX. Over several phone calls with the doctor 's office and the XXXX provider, we negotiated an agreement to pay {$120.00} for minimal x-rays. I paid with my credit card. The patient had the XXXX, saw the doctor and flew home. 
In XXXX of XXXX, I got a letter from a collection agency saying that my " delinquent account '' with an XXXX Provider had been placed with them and that I owed {$390.00}. I had never heard from any service providers regarding the patient. As I stated before, her mother lived out of state and spoke with providers by phone. I knew nothing about debt collectors at that time. The letter from CA ( Collection Agency ) indicated that I had to respond within 30 days if I disputed the validity of the debt. So I did with a letter stating that I had no account or debt with the Creditor. Then I got another form letter a month later with no reference to the letter I sent. Another nine days passed before I got any response. I got a letter claiming to be " verification of original charges '' with no other reference to my letter. They enclosed a statement that was obviously typed up in their office, not from the creditor. There were XXXX charges listed - all but the last XXXX dated during the time the patient was in the hospital. The last one was dated on the date of the XXXX at an office outside of the hospital that we had paid {$120.00} for. It did n't show the payment I made and the charge was {$100.00}. At the bottom, it shows {$18.00} paid by the patient to provider but no other details. Not knowing the proper thing to do, my wife called the CA asking why they were still saying it was my debt. The employee she spoke to said that WE had to obtain a copy of the " intake paperwork '' from the creditor. So we called the creditor who refused to release the form to us since I WAS NOT NAMED ON THEIR PAPERWORK. That was in XXXX XXXX and we told the CA by phone what the creditor had said. No response. The CA sent another letter XXXX XXXX, XXXX. Enclosed was the same " statement '' plus a " document that bears your signature '' but there is no mention of the creditor 's response to our phone call. The document they sent does not prove that it was my account. It 's actually a notice about " Direct Payment for XXXX XXXX XXXX ''. It shows the price quoted as {$120.00} and explains how insurance is affected by paying directly for the service. It says that my signature acknowledges that I got a copy of the notice and waive my right to have a claim submitted to an insurance company. There are requirements about making a direct payment. I responded with another letter on XXXX XXXX. Again I stated that it was not my debt, explained in more detail what had happened in XXXX of XXXX because my wife found notes she had written at the time but forgotten about. I sent a copy of my credit card bill showing the {$120.00} paid. I explained to them what the form they sent " with my signature '' actually meant and questioned the accuracy of their " statement ''. I sent the letter certified so that I had proof that they got my letter. My receipt post card shows that they received it on XXXX XXXX, XXXX. I heard nothing further from them until XXXX XXXX when they sent the same old form letter with no reference to anything that had been detailed in our correspondence earlier in the year. I finally did some research on collection agencies and realize I missed several instances where they did not do things according to the law.