Consumer complaint received 2023-06-30
Product: Debt collection — Medical debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt was paid
Company: The Outsource Group, Inc (NC)

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX, my family and I were in an auto accident. I subsequently had XXXX XXXX and went to a local walk-in clinic. I had a few XXXX taken of my XXXX. 

This was our first auto accident with significant damage. With some medical bills, I wait for adjustments to be made by medical insurance. In the past, I have paid medical bills prior to adjustments and have not been reimbursed. Sometimes, medical bills are sent out months after a medical event. The hospital system may have erroneously sent the referenced bill to collections before adjustments were made. 

Medicredit , Inc., a debt collection company, sent me a letter seeking payment. The letter was dated XX/XX/XXXX. I paid the bill on XX/XX/XXXX. My wife mailed proof of payment on XX/XX/XXXX. Medicredit ignored her communication and sent me another statement claiming that I still owed the money they were seeking. My wife again contacted Medicredit, and included extensive proof of payment along with her letter of late XX/XX/XXXX. 

Medicredit would not stop sending me letters stating that I still owed the money. One statement claimed that I had requested an itemization, which was a fabrication. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, my wife called Medicredit. The employee she spoke with was unprofessional. My wife explained to the employee that she had mailed in proof of payment twice. My wife told her that she had investigated within the hospital systems payment website for any open balances on our part, even taking the extra steps of entering intentional incorrect data to see if any open balances would become evident. My wife told the woman that she could not print up a complete ledger from the payment website that would prove that I do not owe any monies to XXXX. My wife asked her repeatedly how she could prove to Medicredit that I do not owe any money. The woman transferred my wife to her supervisors voice mail. He never called my wife back. 

My wife made several phone calls to various departments within the hospital system to check if I did indeed have any open balances. She even called the office of the physician that had read my XXXX There were no open balances under my name. 

I then sent Medicredit a certified letter opposing the alleged debt, along with a request for proof of my debt on their behalf and questions about their company. Medicredit ignored my questions. They sent another statement seeking payment. The next statement stated that my case was under investigation. I assumed that they had finally realized that I did not have an open balance. A few weeks later, Medicredit sent me another statement stating that my debt was valid.

My wife finally called the brick-and-mortar facility where I had had the XXXX taken. The employee in billing sent me a ledger for the date stated on all Medicredit communications. I mailed a co
py of the ledger to Medicredit with proof of delivery. Medicredit is still claiming that I owe money.

Despite all the proof I have given Medicredit, they disregard all of it. The proof I have given Medicredit is for the date of XX/XX/XXXX. That date is stated on Medicredits written communications. The names of the involved practices and physicians are all entities within my local hospital system. Medicredit is asking for {$100.00} or {$180.00}, or for both amounts.

Medicredit is possibly not compiling with Regulation F at this point in time. They have not provided any proof to me that the debt is valid. They have never answered any question that I put forth to them. We can not afford a lawyer to help us with this matter. This situation is affecting my familys mental health. The time we have spent on disputing the alleged debt is disrupting our life. My older child has XXXX. Her XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I want to focus my attention on my family ; not on a company that has poor ethics. 

Addendum : I know that your division can pass my complaint on to other divisions. However, my wife contacted the State Attorneys Office of Consumer Complaints about a funeral home a few years ago. The woman assigned to her case never provided her with a conclusion to the complaint. This past XXXX, my wife implored the Attorney General himself for an update to the complaint. Only then did my wife get a response. I am hesitant for my Medicredit complaint to be sent to the state level. I understand if protocol calls for that action. 

I could not add documents which support my case to this complaint, as my laptop would not allow me to do so for unknown reasons. I can provide proof by postal mail if needed. 

Thank you.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation