Consumer complaint received 2021-10-17
Product: Debt collection — Medical debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt was paid
Company: Adelante, Inc (TX)

Several months ago, I received a collection call from a collection agency called Account Services. They advised me that I owed {$490.00} to a company called XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I advised that I didn't think that I owed them any money, and they advised me that it was for XXXX done on my XXXX. First, I was surprised that they were in possession of medical records. I was aware that I had consented to allow records to be sent to other medical professionals that I was working with, but I didn't realize that XXXX was able to send my medical records to a bill collector. It seemed a bit of an invasion of privacy. However, I assumed that it was a mistake because I've never had an XXXX injury, and I had no recollection of ever having received a bill. I advised them that this must be a mistake, and they assured me that it was not. I told them I would look into it, but I didn't immediately do so. Over the next few months, I was called repeatedly by Account Services attempting to collect this debt. On each occasion, they assured me that it was for scans done on my XXXX which I knew to be false. When I insisted to one of the collectors that I had never had an XXXX  injury, she told me that if this was true that I would have already filed a police report by now for identity theft. I advised her that I had no reason to believe that my identity had been stolen. I just thought they were trying to collect a debt that I didn't owe. 

Even though they knew that I was disputing the validity of the debt, they reported it to the credit bureaus. When I filed a dispute with the bureaus, they sent me a written response as validation of the debt. When I saw the dates of service, I suspected that this might actually be connected with some appointments I had regarding a XXXX injury last year. I called Account Services and offered to pay the amount due, if they would delete the derogatory reporting from my credit. I didn't think I should owe that much, but given the length of time that I had passed, I figured my best option was just to pay it. However, they refused to clear up my credit. They said that the best they could do was to show it paid in full. I advised them that I wasn't going to do that because I didn't feel that I had been properly invoiced. Rather, I advised them that I would be contacting XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX XXXX to resolve. 

Prior to calling XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, I decided to confirm the amounts owed by reviewing my health insurers website. I was surprised to find that there was no record of a claim having been filed by XXXX at that time. So, I called XXXX and advised them of the situation. The representative told me that they had changed computer systems earlier this year and no longer had records from last year. She showed no outstanding balances owed by me. I advised her that if that was the case, she needed to have Account Services delete the derogatory credit. If they don't show that I owe money, they shouldn't be reporting. She advised me that all records had been sent to Account Services, and that I should just take their word for it that I owed the money. 

I insisted that they needed to delete the reporting if they had no records. I made it clear that, even if there was a balance due, they hadn't filed an insurance claim according to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. She put me on a very long hold and came back with an amount that she said that I owed. I asked her where she got it, and she told me that, contrary to what she had just told me about them no longer having those records, her manager actually still had access to them. However, all she had was an amount owed and no specific records of my visit ( including details of any insurance claims filed ). 

The information she gave me was basically the same thing that Account Services had. I suspect that she actually called them for the information rather than obtaining it from her supervisor as she said. However, either way, their records of what they did as far as filing an insurance claim are very sketchy. Given that XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX has no records, I don't think a claim was ever filed, and I certainly don't feel comfortable paying when the only records are in the hands of a collection agency. I don't owe the Collection Agency anything. I MAY owe XXXX TXXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, but they have no records.