Consumer complaint received 2025-10-22 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Medical debt
Issue: Attempts to collect debt not owed — Debt is not yours
Company: Lawson Hamilton & Associates
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
Please accept this formal complaint against XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  operated by XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX and the medical debt collection company, Lawson Hamilton & Associates for the practice of fraudulent medical billing tactics. XXXX XXXX XXXX is also associated with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, who has been caught using the same spurious medical billing scheme. According the XXXX complaint # XXXX, the XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX was referred to the FTC on XX/XX/XXXX by the XXXX for investigation  in such deceitful maneuvers like double billing insurance company and billing dependents, not give credit for copay payments made, declining communication and then begin billing the dependents, not bill the guarantor of the healthcare policy, then start harassing calls and send the fraudulent bill to collections. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. Which are all unethical! I am a dependent on this healthcare insurance policy used, not the guarantor. 

XXXX XXXX  is the office of XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX is where this doctor completes procedures, so it shouldnt be a surprise that both facilities participate in disingenuous treatment toward patients. Both fictitious bills from XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX were generated by the same practices. This is all unlawful, and since that is the case, I am admittedly requesting that XXXX XXXX with Lawson Hamilton & Associates be joined in the referral to the FTC for investigation. Lawson Hamilton & Associates is In violation of the Medical Debt Relief Act by threatening to put this fraudulent medical debt on my credit report ( SEE ATTACHMENTS ). XXXX XXXXT was informed from the beginning that, I am a dependent on the XXXX XXXX insurance policy and is not the guarantor, the first opportunity they were informed of was this back in XX/XX/XXXX, after a referral was made to XXXX XXXX by my primary care doctor. XXXX XXXX understood and acknowledged this and took the guarantor 's contact information complete with phone number, address, XXXX and ssn. They assured me that all bills would go to the guarantor, other than copays because copays are paid at the time of service. This is why it's disturbing that XXXX XXXX is basically trying to extort a payment from me after denying me credit for paid copays, adding erroneous charges, adding interest, and try billing the dependent seems particularly predatory and wholly corrupt. Moreover, for months, XXXX XXXX sent the bill with my name but to the wrong address. It wasnt until they sent me to collection did they have the collection company send the bill with my name to the correct address. 

Once again, very, very deceptive fraudulent billing tactics that need to be investigated. I am convinced that XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX with the assistance of Lawson Hamilton & Associates to do the harassing and threatening, is doing the same scheme to other patients that XXXX not know their Patient Rights. 
I have made many attempts between XX/XX/XXXX and now to reach out to XXXX XXXX to inform them of their wrongdoing by leaving multiple voicemails in the billing department and never received a call back. And even left a message in XX/XX/XXXX with a XXXX about their disastrous medical fraudulent billing. But, the fraudulent bills were continuing to be sent and after months of this, XXXX XXXX is trying to send me to medical debt collections for said fraudulent bill with interest, this is unhanded behavior in bad faith. I called the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX business days prior to cancel my scheduled follow up appointment with XXXX XXXX, because I was entirely apprehensive about receiving a bill less than XXXX months after XXXX that should have gone to the guarantor. Especially since that is unlawful and was not the prearranged agreement. I called and spoke to a representative from the office and the appointment was canceled. Shortly after that call, I received a voicemail from XXXX XXXX medical assistant said there are no fees incurred regarding follow up appointments and that XXXX XXXX really wants to see me, but acknowledged that I requested the cancellation. The voicemail goes on to say that the assistant was going to keep the appointment open for me anyway ( SEE VOICEMAIL TRANSCRIPT ATTACHMENT ). I called back for a second time to reiterate what I said in the first phone call to XXXX XXXX XXXX but once again, he explained that XXXX XXXX would like to see how I am healing and no fees would occur. The appointment was canceled and rescheduled for later that week that I attended, on time and was seen by XXXX XXXX but was still charged a {$50.00} cancellation fee ( SEE BILL ATTACHMENT ). How is that NOT illegal? While attending the rescheduled follow up appointment with XXXX XXXX, on XX/XX/XXXX, I asked for a copy of the bill that would be sent to the guarantor to make sure it was correct. Clearly, on that bill it shows that I am only the patient and my information is not in the guarantors section, cause I never was. I had a third scheduled follow up appointment that I canceled because I could not attend in good consciousness. 

XXXX XXXX unlawfully inflates their medical bill with fake billing charges, doesnt give credit for the copays made, adds artificial interest, then sends the dependent to debt collections to experience harassment, intimidation, and threats. This is the definition of double-dealing via fraudulent medical billing methods. Therefore, I enthusiastically ask the XXXX to get involved to stop these tactics and force XXXX XXXX  to comply with Federal and XXXX laws to bill the proper party that is financially responsible for the XXXX policy without the fraudulent charges, give credit for payments made and cease any collection activity regarding XXXX XXXX. 
XXXX XXXX must withdraw this unscrupulous medical bill from debt collections immediately, credit the bill for the ( XXXX ) {$40.00} copays that were made directly to them on XX/XX/XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX ( SEE ATTACHMENTS ). Then XXXX XXXX must remove the frivolous {$50.00} cancellation fee that was improperly charged and outright inaccurate. Also, XXXX XXXX must remove any interest incurred over the year and the interest incurred of {$26.00}, capitalizing on a fraudulent medical billing ( SEE BILL ATTACHMENT and SEE DEBT COLLECTION ATTACHMENT ). And should have tried sending the accurate bill to the guarantor for payment. 
{$550.00} fraudulent bill amount ( even though original fraudulent bill was {$510.00} ) - {$26.00} fraudulent interest incurred and any additional interest added over this year- {$40.00} copay paid on XX/XX/XXXX, not {$13.00} - {$40.00} copay paid on XX/XX/XXXX, not {$15.00} - {$50.00} fraudulent cancellation fee {$350.00} to {$390.00} should have been the billed amount that was sent to guarantor However, the medical bill became void once XXXX XXXX started to add fraudulent medical charges, according to the Health Care Fraud Law in California Penal Code 550 ( a ) and should be dismissed.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation