Consumer complaint received 2024-05-01
Product: Debt collection — Medical debt
Issue: False statements or representation — Attempted to collect wrong amount
Company: AMCOL Systems, Inc. (ME)

It is my belief that XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) has knowingly transmitted a false accounting of my patient responsibility to AMCOL Systems, Inc ( AMCOL ) for debt collection following an XXXX XXXX visit. Additionally, it is my impression that this represents standard business practice and XXXX maintains this through a lack of internal quality review and by preventing patients from contacting an employee with the knowledge and authority to meaningfully assist with billing problems. Finally, the documentation I have provided demonstrates XXXX lack of transparent accounting. 

Below is a sequence of events to detail my efforts to assist XXXX in correcting the inaccurate billing : 1 ) The first bill from XXXX dated XX/XX/XXXX only related to the first line item in the debt transmitted to AMCOL. This first bill was issued prior to Covenants receipt of payment from my insurance provider, XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ). When I inquired with XXXX customer service, I was told that the bill was issued in error and that I should ignore it. 
XXXX ) The second bill from XXXX dated XX/XX/XXXX included a new, additional line item of {$330.00} for the XXXX XXXX charge. The {$12.00} charge did reflect insurance payments but did not reflect a hospital discount I received for paying my copay on site. The XXXX XXXX charge was never billed to XXXX. I contacted XXXX customer service and was told that it appears something is coded wrong, that my account was under review, and it was not like I would be sent to collections. 
3 ) The third bill from XXXX dated XX/XX/XXXX included a Past Due notice and reflected the same amount due as the second bill. I contacted customer service and was told my account was still under review and that I was in level XXXX of collections. 
4 ) The fourth bill from XXXX dated XX/XX/XXXX included the warning that my account is now seriously past due yet still showed the same, inaccurate patient responsibility. I called XXXX and the XXXX representative called XXXX with me on the line. I listened as the XXXX representative informed XXXX of the information required for XXXX to transmit the {$330.00} charge to XXXX for payment. 
5 ) The fifth bill from XXXX dated XX/XX/XXXX was marked as Final Notice. I filed a complaint with the Maine Bureau of Insurance, which issued a letter to XXXX dated XX/XX/XXXX. This prompted XXXX Regulatory and Consumer Affairs division to contact XXXX. XXXX once again provided XXXX with the information required to transmit the charges to XXXX for payment. I received confirmation via email from the Maine Bureau of Insurance and XXXX that XXXX claimed they would put a rush on transmitting the charges to XXXX for payment. 
6 ) I received a debt collection notification from AMCOL Systems , Inc ( AMCOL ) on XX/XX/XXXX that was dated XX/XX/XXXX to collect a total amount of {$340.00}. I responded to AMCOL via a tracked USPS envelope containing a detailed letter disputing the debt along with supporting documentation on XX/XX/XXXX. 
7 ) I contacted XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX and the Maine Bureau of Insurance on XX/XX/XXXX to alert them to the fact that XXXX referred me to debt collections. 
8 ) I contacted XXXX alongside an advocate from Consumers for Affordable Health Care on XX/XX/XXXX. During the phone call I was told that the charge that had not been transmitted to XXXX was dropped from my account that very day and the charges had been recalled from AMCOL that day. I informed the XXXX customer service representative that I expected costs associated with responding to the AMCOL collection letter to be deducted from my patient responsibility. The customer service representative told me she lacked the authority, and I insisted I be managed up to someone with authority. I was told that I could expect a phone call from a supervisor within a day. I also informed the customer service representative that I required the updated account balance in writing and confirmation that the debt had been recalled from AMCOL in writing. 
9 ) I communicated the results of my phone call to XXXX and the Maine Bureau of Insurance on XX/XX/XXXX. The XXXX representative responded and informed me that only a day earlier, on XX/XX/XXXX, when he was speaking with XXXX he was informed that XXXX would still try to transmit the {$330.00} charge to XXXX. 
10 ) I received a call from XXXX at XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX who had received the escalation request from the customer service representative I spoke with alongside the patient advocate. She informed me that the remaining charge reflected another mistake that reduced my patient responsibility to {$0.00}. 
11 ) I received a letter from the XXXX Customer Service Department that my account balance was {$0.00}. The letter only addressed the {$12.00} portion of the debt, in stating it was a hospital error. I have never received written confirmation regarding the hospital error associated with the {$330.00} charge. Additionally, I never received any offer to make me whole after hospital error forced me to defend myself to a debt collector.