Consumer complaint received 2024-05-11
Product: Debt collection — Medical debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt was paid
Company: State Collection Service, Inc. (SC)

I have been turned over to collections many times when I have always paid my medical expenses and with this situation I am perplexed. Please note, I pay between XXXX and XXXX annually for out of pocket medical expenses. For over 10 years I kept a record of my medical expenses, so my husband and I may write off the expenses on our taxes if we were over the IRS standard deductions. I typically pay all medical expenses via check unless, financially I am not able, then I will use a credit card. One of my situations is, I wrote and mail check XXXX on XXXX XXXX, XXXX for {$24.00}, and check XXXX on XXXX XXXX, XXXX, for {$24.00}, to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, SC XXXX which was both withdrawn from my checking account. Then via mail I received a refund check XXXX written XX/XX/XXXX, from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, SC XXXX for {$24.00} dated XX/XX/XXXX, with XXXX  : XXXX Memo XXXX. XXXX days after the {$24.00} refund, I was turned over to State Collection Services , Inc. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, WI XXXX for {$24.00}. Considering the difference of what I paid versus the refund, it was a total of XXXX cents. I have numerous refund checks from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, SC XXXX showing this has been the pattern for the past 3 or more years. Also, XXXX XXXX sends a new statement requesting payment for the same bill 2 times within a 30 day period, which certainly has caused me to over pay my account on several occasions. The bills are being generated before the Explanation of Benefits ( EOB ) arrives from the insurance company, which also results in overpayment. I have spoken to XXXX XXXX numerous times and was given vague explanations that's how the hospital chooses to conduct business. I have also asked XXXX XXXX billing department why are my checks being held 2 weeks or more before being processed. Many times, the checks were held so long that another bill would generate showing I have not paid. Sometimes due to multiple statements arriving within 30 days, I would pay the same bill two or three times if I do not have time to micromanage XXXX XXXX billing practices. I feel my civil rights are violated, but I can not decipher if it is by demographics, ethnicity, that it is presumed assumptions that I will not pay even though, I have proven I will pay my medical expenses! Plus, I have friends of a different ethnicity that mentioned their medical expenses are not turn over to collections as quickly as I am. It could be months to a year before a large bill is paid. In addition, the harassment from the collection agencies have caused me to be afraid to answer my telephone! It causes XXXX  and fear due to the harassment! So, I have my telephone set to screen calls and if the person does not leave a message after the third call, I block the number which is noted on my voicemail. I am being held hostage from answering my phone because of practices of XXXX XXXX and other facilities for paid bills that should have not been sent to collections. So, I decided to use physicians that are not affiliated with XXXX XXXX, unless it is a specialty that is not elsewhere to avoid the stressors of the billing practices. So, I need State Collection Services Inc. to be removed from my credit file and I need XXXX XXXX to correct the damages and create a policy and procedure to rectify the uncouth practices of how medical bills are being handled! I often wonder why it is so easy for medical bills to be turned over to collection to ruin consumers credit that are paying their bills given, some people probably do not care if their medical expenses are paid! It saddens me that medical bills call ruin a person with good ethics paying bills can be classified like someone that does not care if they have good credit or make no efforts to pay! So, is demographics, ethnicity, race, education, or etc? Why would any business turn someone over to collections without verifying? I did not request any of my refund checks! I paid my bills in good faith! If XXXX XXXX did not refund me {$24.00}, I would have only owed XXXX cents, which makes this matter insulting! XXXX XXXX needs to inform me why the {$24.00} could not be applied to a balance they felt was legitimate to turn over to collection for a difference of XXXX cents. Since, the incident I wrote check XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, for {$18.00}, check XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, for {$25.00} and check XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, for {$24.00}. It took me a while to address the matter because I was focused on my education in graduate school which is a huge commitment that takes up most of my extra time. Also, as previously mentioned, my EOB does not always match what I am required to pay meaning, many times the payment amount is less on the EOB. A law should be in place to keep medical facilities from turning over balances before verifying! I probably have XXXX refund checks from XXXX XXXX over the past XXXX years due to overpayment from what I paid out of pocket. Those refunds is like playing a game of I owe you, you owe me, and we keep passing money back and forth with no one ever being satisfied of their financial responsibility. In addition, I feel it is unfair that those would private insurance or Medicare credit is at jeopardy to be scared because of medical expenses. As I was told by someone that had free service, she never needed to worry about her credit, because she does not pay any medical bills therefore, her credit was good. She only needed to pay her creditors. Why is medical expenses a determining factor if one keeps good credit that have worked hard to make sure bills are paid on time with creditors, but perceived medical expenses can cause one 's credit score to decline? I have personally written XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX around 50 checks over the past four years and it was not enough to keep me safe!