Unfair credit practices of CMRE Financial Services, Inc.

[infopractical]

This is the first post I've made public in a while, and I'm doing so because I want to publicly shame everyone involved.

Just over two years ago, I was treated in the emergency room at Grossmont Hospital. I received several bills for my treatment, and paid them all within a few weeks, in a pretty normal way.

Last month, I received a call from

Comments

My encounter with CMRE

[anonymous]

My father passed away unexpectidly in mid-August of 2007. As his daughter I am doing my best to deal with his unfinished business. I stopped by his ex-girlfriend's house after he died, to pick up mail she was holding for him. There was a piece of mail addressed to both my father and myself. Confused as to what it could be I opened it and found a CMRE credit collection bill in the amount of $1614.98! On the statement it says the principal balance due at the time CMRE was brought in was $987.43. Add interest in the amount of $627.55 and you come up with a total of $1614.98! Horrified that I am responsible for some unknown bill, I called CMRE to find out exaclty what the bill was about. After having to call back twice because I kept getting forwarded to "full mailboxes", I demanded to speak to A PERSON and not a mailbox. The woman I talked to told me that in October of 2003, I was a patient in the ER at TriCity Hospital. The bill from that visit was never paid and now I owe $1614.98. I explained to her that I was NEVER a vistior or patient in the ER like they claim and I want them to send me a detailed copy of this visit. She told me that her company and TriCity do not work off "the memory" of people and that even though they have been sending notices to THE WRONG ADDRESS I am responsible for 100% of the bill. When asked if I would be able to negotiate the bill back down to the principle balance she said no, not if I have to make installments of payments. I said to her,
Doesn't the hospital have to PROVE that they treated me in 2003?, and she said the fact that they have my DOB is proof that they treated me! So, totally flabergasted at the whole thing, I called TriCity Medical Center. I spoke with a young lady in the accounts department and she gave me the medical number of the bill in question. Somehow, by the Grace of God, I had actuely found this medical bill in my dad's files and kept it! The bill in question was from Radiology, not the ER of TriCity Medical Center, in October of 2003. The original bill was sent to THE WRONG ADDRESS in October of 2004, in the amount of--are you ready...$142.43!!! When TriCity did not get a response by December they sent it directly to CMRE and wiped their hands of it! I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Not only was this girl shocked to hear that the credit agency HER COMPANY EMPLOYS wants over $1600, but she also told me that I was unable to deal directly with her because the bill was too old to be in thier system. I demanded to know two things from her, 1) Why would TriCity wait only 2 months and be so hasty to turn this bill over to collections so soon? and 2) WHERE IN THE HELL DOES CMRE GET OFF CLAIMING THE ORIGINAL AMOUNT WAS $987.43 WHEN IT WAS REALLY ONLY $142.43!?!?!?!? Because, although the account could no longer be handled by her department, she was able to substanciate that the bill was originally only $142.43. So I asked her what I should do or who I should talk to about taking care of this screw up. I also explained that I would be more than happy to pay $142.43, it's just that I had NO IDEA that the bill from 2003 was never paid, and I don't understand why they were sending it to my father's old address, and not to me. All she was able to tell me is that the ONLY people I can deal with on this issue is CMRE Financial Services. I can tell all of you right now that I AM NOT PAYING THIS COLLECTION AGENCY $1614.98 FOR A $142.43 BILL!! I don;t know how this is all going to play out because I know how hard it is to dispute claims with these kinds of corporations. I also do not have the money to retain an attorney if need be, and in the meantime my credit is being royally screwed up at the ripe old age of 24! This is just one more thing I am now dreading to deal with after the death of my father. And by the way...EVERY SINGLE PERSON I have spoken to (including three major credit card companies) has cut me off in mid-sentence to offer condolences on the loss of my Father. NOT ONCE did I hear even an ounce of compassion in the voices of the women who answered the phone at CMRE or TriCity Medical Center. My story is yet another example of a major billing screw up on the part of a Hospital and the resulting consequences for the patients they sick CMRE upon.

Re: My encounter with CMRE

[infopractical]

I am very sorry to hear about the loss of your father, and your subsequent hassle with CMRE.

I can tell from the length and tone of your post that your buttons are all pushed at once, and I know that's the toughest. I hope you find a good resolution. Take a deep breath and move forward one step at a time. Perhaps legal counsel is in order -- particularly given the size of the bill in question.