Consumer complaint received 2025-08-25 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Medical debt
Issue: Communication tactics — You told them to stop contacting you, but they keep trying
Company: TENET HEALTHCARE CORPORATION
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/XXXX I was working at a client 's home at my job with XXXX XXXX XXXX providing an intake assessment for XXXX XXXX XXXX. During the assessment the client 's dog bit me and I reported this as a XXXX XXXX XXXX injury by calling my regional supervisor, XXXX, the same night. She referred me to go to the nearest XXXX XXXX so they could start my claim. So, I went to XXXX  XXXX XXXX XXXX which is owned by Tenet Healthcare. 

Shortly after receiving services I received my bill and was contacted about a week later for payment. I informed them that it was a XXXX XXXX XXXX  claim and provided the information for my employer and claim. They told me it would be resolved in the next 60 days or so, but that they may contact me for additional information. In XXXX they called again and stated that they did not have info showing it was a XXXX XXXX XXXX claim despite my claim representative reaching out to them with the information. I provided claim number ( # XXXX ) and confirmed employer information and believed the matter to be resolved. I was contacted again in XXXX of XXXX, but did not answer as I was at work. No voicemail or written communication was received. They contacted me again in XXXX, and as I was told it had been paid by XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX  on XX/XX/XXXX, I did not answer figuring that they system was not updating my claim yet, but that they would eventually stop calling. Calls briefly started and stopped from XX/XX/XXXX- XX/XX/XXXX as I repeatedly tried to inform them of the situation and refer them back to my XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX. claim representative. But I began to grow suspicious of their collections practices as the reason they could not resolve the matter kept changing. They didn't have the information ( untrue ), there was a wrong billing code used ( unsure of how I was supposed to resolve this ), my claim representative never contacted them ( untrue ), they couldn't note any information provided by past calls ( I don't understand how it would even be possible to not keep records of attempts to collect ), and was also told various amounts which were never sent to me in writing. Sometimes the amount owed was as low as {$50.00}, other times they told me it was thousands of dollars owed. 

In late XX/XX/XXXX I had enough of this back and forth and demanded they provide me an email so that my claim representative ( XXXX XXXX ; phone number XXXX ) and her supervisor, ( XXXX XXXX ; phone # XXXX ), could send them a written notice of where to send any remaining balance and to warn them that they should not be contacting me as California Labor Code 3751 ( b ) prohibits billing me directly for the claim. The supervisor sent an email with this information to the email address provided by their representative, along with a list of what they would need to process any outstanding balance and the address for XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX as well as their fax number. XXXX XXXX 's phone number was also provided for them to contact with any further questions or concerns. This notice was sent as a formal letter to the email address provided ( XXXX ) on XX/XX/XXXX. 

Contact ceased until XX/XX/XXXX when I was told that the XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  denied my claim, which I knew to be false as I had already confirmed with them that it was paid on XX/XX/XXXX. I contacted my XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX representatives and told them that I was recieving contact again but there was nothing else that XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX  was able to do. So on XX/XX/XXXX I called them and requested a physical address to which I could send a cease and desist. They instructed me to send it to the attention of the billing department at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX as they only had a XXXX XXXX I spent the next few weeks reseaching how to write a formal cease and desist and wrote the letter on XX/XX/XXXX and was told by XXXX that it would be delivered on XX/XX/XXXX. 

They did in fact receive it as I was contacted by the same XXXX XXXX  email by someone whose screen name was only listed as " Attorney. '' However, this " attorney '' was from the same support email as the billing representative, provided no name, law firm, or bar number and asked only for my claim and billing information. I did not respond as I suspect that this was the billing department misrepresenting themselves as an attorney. I, as of XX/XX/XXXX, have not been contacted by any legal department or provided any written notice that I am being sued or subject to any legal issues. So, I believe this assumption that collections was representing themselves as an attorney against laws for collection to be correct. A real attorney, I'm sure, would have served me by now. 

After XX/XX/XXXX I began to block their calls as I was routinely being interrupted by them during sessions and was leaving my employment with XXXX XXXX XXXX and would soon lose access to much of the HR documentation. This was distracting and unfair to my new clients and I knew I was preparing a cease and desist and expected that soon I would have no further contact. I forwarded a few emails to myself so I could still access the claim number, the written email notice of payment, and contact information for the claims representative. However, they have continued to contact me since the receipt of my cease and desist on XX/XX/XXXX and continue to claim I owe them money despite being informed repeatedly that I am not liable for this bill by phone, and additionally via written notice on XX/XX/XXXX. 

Since XX/XX/XXXX when it was confirmed to be paid in writing by my employer 's XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX  representative I have received 61 phone calls from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX attempting to collect on this debt from XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX and have just received today, XX/XX/XXXX, a letter stating that they do not have my previous employer 's information or information about the claim being XXXX XXXX XXXX. This is ridiculous as I have provided this information over XXXX in the past 2 years. So, I do not understand how any company would not have recorded this information in my file. This appears to be a purposeful attempt to collect twice on the debt or to badger me into paying an amount that I am not liable for, as they continue to provide only verbal communication of what amount was owed, can not confirm a reason it was not paid other than their own billing error, and are unwilling to abide by my desire for them to cease and desist all contact. I also, despite their claims that they were denied, have not received any proof of denial in writing from my employer or the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX I have only received a one page letter that says " Your claim was denied '' with information on how to send my payment and no attached supporting documentation. Additionally, I can think of no reason to misrepresent yourself as an attorney unless you are trying to scare someone into paying. 

XXXX XXXXXXXX contacted me on the following 61 dates from XX/XX/XXXX to present : XX/XX/XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation