What to pay for?
Okay, so I was in the E.R. and hospital last month, and the bills are coming in. EEEK!!! I don’t have that much money, and not all the bills are even in to me yet.
But today I received this in the mail:
It’s not on letterhead.
It does not show what services are being charged for, nor does it show any particular amount balance due.
I’ve never received ANY other bill from “Bayshore Medical Center”, nor am I sure why it would be in Atlanta. Although, in fairness, some of the real bills i’ve been receiving are from medical associations also not in Houston — but they are normal-looking invoicing paper, with itemized things being billed and they just LOOK like real medical bills, and they make sense.
Also, notice there is no phone number giving in the signature block, nor is there a name of a real person.
It looks bogus to me, but how can I tell if it is real or not? What course of action would you take for this?
The hospital at which you were treated likely has a financial counseling office. I would take that letter, and all your other bills, and ask them to help you sort it it. If the letter is a scam, they should be informed of that, especially since it means they have probably been breached. If they are worth their salt they should also be able to help you find other options for help and possible sources of money. I live in a much more progressive state than TX, but our hospital’s financial counselors saved my bacon when my wife was terminally ill.
You might also send a copy to you state’s attorney general…
keep it; but ignore it at least for now.