Going to the emergency of Good Samaritan Hospital Baltimore Was My Biggest Mistake
Last year, I took my son to Good Samaritan Hospital for an emergency treatment. I filled the forms correctly and gave the medical insurance cards. However, after about one and half month, I started receiving phone calls from HRRG (a collection agency) for an amount of about $672. However, I never received the bill. After calling several numbers at Good Samaritan Hospital, I was told that Physician’s Emergency bills are processed at Pennsylvania (PA) and I was given a number to call. When I called the Billing Department, I was told that the bill was sent, but it was returned to them because of wrong address. When I verified the address, I knew that the billing department sent the bill to the old address that I left about 5 years ago. It shows how the billing department was so negligent in changing my address while I filed the correct address. However, when I asked them why the bill is not being sent to the insurance, I was told that it was not paid. When I tried to give the detail of my secondary insurance, the billing department refused to take information, which it appears it already had. I was told I should contact HRRG. As usual, I sent all the details of secondary insurance to HRRG through certified mail with return- address. However, HRRG did not stop calling. In the mean time, I received a letter from the Insurance that $622 has been paid. I again sent a copy of this payment to HRRG through certified mail with return-address. In the mean time, I also started getting the bill of $672 from Physician’s Emergency Services from PA on the correct address, as I initially corrected it when I first contacted the Billing Department. It was so frustrating that on the one side, the billing department would say I should deal with HRRG and on the other hand I was being billed from the Emergency Physician’s Billing. During this period, I also sent a money order of $50 to HRRG toward the balance of the money remained. When I called the Billing Department and told that I already paid $50 to HRRG and rest $622 was paid to you by the Insurance Company. The Billing Department wanted a proof via Fax. I told them I do not have a fax machine, then the billing department started saying, “do you want us to believe you?” Finally, I sent the proof to Billing Department by a letter. Thus the bill was paid and I did not receive the phone calls from HRRG anymore. But wrong, after 2 month gap, I started receiving phone calls from HRRG again in April 2009 for $622 payment. When I told that I already sent you the proof of $622 paid by the insurance via registered post with return receipt, HRRG people would not listen. The person on the other side would say “call your insurance company, and pay through the credit or debit card.” When I called after a few minutes, the other person on the HRRG side would–say it must have been paid to the hospital, we are affiliated with emergency billing. When I told that I already sent you the proof with registered post of this payment. HRRG would not listen; rather argue that I should pay this bill of $622, because it only received $50. I again called Emergency Physician’s Billing and I was told that the account is paid in full. However, when I told why is HRRG is still calling? I was told they would send the information to its billing investigative team. Should I believe that HRRG would not call me now onward? I do not think so, because it will call since it can receive some money from unsuspecting clients. On the other hand, I suspect that Good Samaritan Hospital is going to send me some more bills for the hospital charges; while it has also received some money from my insurance (beyond the emergency physician’s bill). A large chunk of it will be overinflated phony overcharges. I would be happy for a news media to investigate this matter in detail, including the phony overcharges that I am expecting to receive from Good Samaritan Hospital. I guess it was my biggest mistake to take my son Good Samaritan Hospital Baltimore. I could have taken him to some other place. If new developments occur on my story I will post it soon.
Bhatt, G., April 24, 2009
By: Bhatt,G.
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