Debt collectors in MN pushing a little too hard?

[brandonb]

... which means your job security is at least partly tied to ensuring your customer can continue to buy your product; what's good for debt collection companies is good for you.

Right. You have connected the dots. Good job.

I'm also very much aware of how many people rip off the hospitals, and don't feel bad for those who do rip off the hospitals and still expect to get service. On our legacy system, there is a limit of 100 charges (visits or dates of service) and we have many accounts which exceed the 100 limit. Which means, not only did they not pay the hospital once or twice, but actually over 100 times. If you want the breakdown of how many times people who have not paid keep going back and getting services, I can provide that.

 

[CycloWizard]

Yes, that's the law.

Oh, well pardon me - I forgot the law is immutable and not open for discussion. As long as zombies mindlessly follow the law because it's the law, things will continue to go downhill.

 

[zsdersw]

Right. You have connected the dots. Good job.

I'm also very much aware of how many people rip off the hospitals, and don't feel bad for those who do rip off the hospitals and still expect to get service. On our legacy system, there is a limit of 100 charges (visits or dates of service) and we have many accounts which exceed the 100 limit. Which means, not only did they not pay the hospital once or twice, but actually over 100 times. If you want the breakdown of how many times people who have not paid keep going back and getting services, I can provide that.

... which means your bias must be factored into weighing the accuracy of everything you say on this matter.

I have no doubt that hospitals are ripped off... and that's wrong. What these debt collectors are doing is also wrong.

 

[fskimospy]

I think we have clearly learned from this thread that two wrongs make a right. If someone is not paying their bills due to a lack of financial resources debt collectors should be free to break any number of debt collection and privacy laws. I mean what else could be the answer?

What I do know is that the answer is definitely not requiring health insurance from people, that's commienaziblacksocialistmuslimuppitynegroism.

 

[PokerGuy]

1. HIPPA does not apply:

Who Can Look at and Receive Your Health Information

In other words, if you owe a bill, HIPPA is thrown out the window to help debt collectors and to make sure the doctors and hospitals get paid.

Sorry, that's wrong. Hipaa does not get "thrown out the window" at all, it still applies. The debt collector should be provided the relevant information to collect the debt without giving the collector medical (ie private) information. Giving some collector access to private medical information is a violation of Hipaa, the collector does not need specific medical details to collect.

2. Only if they are collecting as a 3rd party debt collector.<snip> FDCPA only applies to 3rd party.

True, FDCPA usually (not always) only applies to 3rd party collectors, but most every state has a similar law that applies to original creditors as well.

3. If you stole from a store, and went back there, they can refuse service.

Be that as is may, hospitals by federal, unlike a normal store, cannot simply refuse service to someone who may owe money on a prior bill.

And we are not the company listed in this article.

That's because the company listed in the article is not a third party collector based on assignment or sale, they are a subcontractor. They are on property and participate in the billing and collection activity before the hospital takes a next step and involves an outside collection company.