Phoned and left no message. I've received no letter, and to my knowledge, owe no one. Most of our medical bills are centered around Morristown, NJ, and the new computer system with Atlantic Health shows any balances. Each time I see someone, I ask if my file shows any balance due. Last year, I was in an auto accident, and the hospital started using the auto insurance of the person who hit us as the primary insurance. No one ever mentioned it until we needed a new family doctor, and she asked if we knew we had a balance. The other driver, and ourselves, both had State Farm, so I phoned and asked who had submitted bills to them, then went through that list to make sure they resubmitted to Blue Cross. But, it was almost a year later, and no one had mentioned any balances, so now, I ask. We hadn't received a bill for anything, so I had no idea we owed anything. Now, I ask at each Atlantic Health visit.
My experience is that I receive collection calls from episodic providers. Anesthesia, x-ray, pathology. Not the people you see all the time. Just my experience. And, I think some are a scam, where the provider does not go after the patient responsibility, but the staff forwards it to a collection agency for a cut. One surgeon told me it isn't worth the time to hire someone full time, pay benefits, etc., to have them bill for the patient responsibility. We had one physician who, when contacted, told us we owed no money, yet we received a collection call. Our attorney told us to never admit that you owe money, because if you say you will pay it, you are responsible, even if it turns out to be a mistake. And, never send a check to the collection agency. Send it to the physician.
An agency phoned in the spring, with info that matched my Blue Cross EOBs, and when I sent the check to the physician, they said I owed no money. The insurance company's fraud dept is investigating, but it is easy for someone with access to their records to get EOBs, and send a bill. I've had it happen a few times.... and, the office calls, wanting to know why I sent a check, because they have no accounting way to handle it, and I owe no money. I honestly believe someone in the office forwards some accounts to an agency for a cut of what is owed. They are never large amounts.... amounts that would make someone think twice. $40, $50. And, if the amount matches your EOB..... In one case, Blue Cross actually took back their payment because I didn't remember seeing the physician, and his office had no records of me being seen there or at the hospital.