ComplaintsforSouthern Tier Health Care Credit

• Initial Complaint

  01/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I recently reviewed my credit report and noticed a creditor named Southern Tier ****** Care Credit listed without my knowledge. I requested a debt validation letter, I was provided the original creditor as *********** *** ********* *********** There is some missing information, is there insurance as it appeared "Y" verified on the statement? If not, please provide documentation regarding the payment plan after this medical emergency was stabilized. I verified with **** ********** ** ********* ********** *** ********** that Southern Tier ****** Care Credit isn't licensed to collect debt in the state of California. I am not aware of this debt

  Business response

  01/22/2024

  I received a written dispute from ******* ***** and I mailed him a detailed statement, itemized bill and copy of last billed ***** ****** mailed to him on 11/2/2018 while he was living in Savona, NY. I also sent him a consent form he signed making himself responsible the for debt and a copy of the admission form showing he voluntarily went to the ER. I attached all the documentation I mailed to him on 1/11/24.  He didn't have any insurance at the time and was listed as a self pay patient.  He may be living in California now but he did live in NYS when the charges were incurred. He certainly is aware of the debt when the provider and our company both made calls and sent letters (STHCC sent 7 letters over a 4 years)  to no response from him. To this date, he hasn't called us to set up payment arrangements.  

  Customer response

  01/22/2024

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.   This didn't answer the complaint submitted, the complaint inquired about the "Y" pertaining to insurance verified and the missing information. In addition, to the collection policy attached as it pertains to ***** hospital and obtaining this missing information from ***** to determine this unknown debt.  Regards, ******* *****

  Business response

  01/26/2024

  A detailed statement, a signed "General Consent and Financial" form, along with an admissions form were all mailed to the debtor on 01/11/2024 in response to a request of validation letter that was received in our office. In regards to his complaint about the "Y" pertaining to the Insurance, it clearly states right above the "Verified? Y" under Insurance name, "Self Pay Payer/Self Pay". Which means the patient either did not have insurance at the time of admission or did not supply the insurance to the provider when they asked the patient for their insurance information. The provider was simply verifying "Y" to asking the patient for that information, not "Y" that the patient actually had insurance. If the patient had provided any insurance information at that time, then the insurance information would be listed there instead of "Self Pay". If the debtor is claiming now that he did have  "Active" insurance for that date of service, then he would need to supply a Proof of coverage at this point. And depending on what type of insurance, the debtor may have to take it up with his insurance company at this point for it to be billed and either paid or adjusted off for timely, due to the age of the bill. As stated prior from our office, the debtor was sent 7 letters over the last 4 years as well as phones, and the provider also sent the patient 2-3 letters before the account was turned over to our office for collections. The debtor did not respond to letters or phone calls.  The debtor was a resident of the state of New York when these services were rendered and he signed the Financial consent form that states he is responsible for the charges. The financial responsibility does not change, just because the debtor moved out of the state.  The charges are valid and a validation of the debt and proof of the debtor's financial responsibility have already been provided to the debtor. Debtor has made no attempt to set up any payment arrangements in regards to this debt. 

  Customer response

  01/29/2024

  Can you send documentation that th* ********* **** ******** **** was offered? This medical bill isnt valid

• Initial Complaint

  09/24/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This company placed $39 into collections without alerting me. As this had all been paid off back in 2018 I was not even aware that there was a charge. I went into their office and paid everything out. I wasn't alerted by phone email or by conventional mail. The records that I got back after I disputed it through Equifax TransUnion and Experian. Were that this was from 2017. However this was all paid off in full. I did get oral surgery to have my wisdom teeth removed and had a hurdy paid off the balance. There are two different dates provided by that company. As to what the charge date actually pertain to. Would the new dispute I had a new status and charge date added on. This hit my credit report. And also seems a little fraudulent to me because if I had a payment due for the last 5 or 6 years depending on what charge date you want to go with that they chose. Would you think that a company would call or email or send a letter through the mail in order to alert the person that there is a charge. And it didn't show up on my credit report until September of 2022. I had no knowledge of this I was not contacted with it and then to just charge it right onto my credit report is dirty practice. I would like them to fix my credit score and add the 26 points for each credit bureau back onto my score. Since they have made me ineligible for my mortgage now.

  Business response

  10/24/2022

  The debt was set up with us on 5/8/18 and the initial letter was processed on 5/11/18.

  No reply from ***** ********, therefore, another letter was processed on 6/15/18 when a phone call was unsuccessful.

  On 8/10/18 another attempt to contact her was unsuccessful, another letter was processed.

  On 12/7/18, the account was submitted to the credit bureaus to list the outstanding debt.

  Still no reply from ***** and the account became idle until 2/26/21 when a Final Demand letter was processed and still no reply.

  We have always had 1 address: **** ****** ***** *, Addison, NY 14801 (which I see is still her current address) and the phone no. we had on file was ###-###-#### and by law, we can not leave messages.

  On 8/19/22 & 9/19/22 she filed consumer disputes with the credit bureaus stating she had paid the debt but didn't provide proof or call us to discuss it.

  On 9/24/22 she went to our website and paid the account in full for $39.74. On 9/30/22, a updated credit file was processed and a request was sent to Experian & Equifax to delete the account from her file.

  Still, to this date she has not called our office to question this debt.

  As you can see, we diligently attempted to contact ***** to no avail.

  I can not do anything about her credit score.

  I hope this answers all the questions.

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