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Hospital bills FFS

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  • 15-09-2010 1:20pm
    #1
    peanuthead
    Registered Users Posts: 3,111 ✭✭✭


    This is really starting to piss me off.

    The old man was in hospital for a month back at the end of 09, start of 2010.

    When he got out he got a bill.

    He paid the bill.

    They are STILL harassing him to pay said bill, even though he has called them several times to tell them the situation.

    Has forwarded the debt collecting agency receipts, dated and stamped by james' hospital.

    He has subsequently gotten updated stamped letters confirming that he has paid the money.


    This morning, what comes in the door only a solicitors letter.

    I know this is AH and I know this is prob more for R&R but seriously - WTF??

    My dad is fine now - fully recovered and he doesn't even really seem to be that bothered by all this, but I hate to think about the poor people who are out there battling serious illnesses having to put up with this kind of crap on top of everything.

    Seriously, they need to get their fecking act together.


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    #2
    DonJose
    Registered Users Posts: 3,470 ✭✭✭DonJose


    Get onto a solicitor and see if he can sue them for defamation of character.


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    #3
    ILA
    Closed Accounts Posts: 542 ✭✭✭ILA


    peanuthead wrote: »
    This is really starting to piss me off.

    The old man was in hospital for a month back at the end of 09, start of 2010.

    When he got out he got a bill.

    He paid the bill.

    They are STILL harassing him to pay said bill, even though he has called them several times to tell them the situation.

    Has forwarded the debt collecting agency receipts, dated and stamped by james' hospital.

    He has subsequently gotten updated stamped letters confirming that he has paid the money.


    This morning, what comes in the door only a solicitors letter.

    I know this is AH and I know this is prob more for R&R but seriously - WTF??

    My dad is fine now - fully recovered and he doesn't even really seem to be that bothered by all this, but I hate to think about the poor people who are out there battling serious illnesses having to put up with this kind of crap on top of everything.

    Seriously, they need to get their fecking act together.

    The HSE is not directly responsible for the behaviour of the Debt Collection firm, most of which are unregulated, and obviously profit from extracting payment from the Debtor as soon as possible to benefit the client.

    It's no harm to contact the Debt Collection company, and the HSE to ensure that both update one another as to the current status of the case.

    While your father dealt with his bill, there are many who do not give priority to their bills, especially when it comes to dealing with the HSE.


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    #4
    Jesus Wept
    Registered Users Posts: 25,243 ✭✭✭✭Jesus Wept


    If you are American, your 'old man' typically means your boyfriend/husband etc.
    If you are Irish, it seems to mean your dad.

    Either way it's a shit term.


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    #5
    My name is URL
    Registered Users Posts: 25,069 ✭✭✭✭My name is URL


    If he payed already then just ignore them.. they can't do a thing. I wonder how much money they waste on chasing non existant debts


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    #6
    DonJose
    Registered Users Posts: 3,470 ✭✭✭DonJose


    The-Rigger wrote: »
    If you are American, your 'old man' typically means your boyfriend/husband etc.
    If you are Irish, it seems to mean your dad.

    Either way it's a shit term.

    WTF :confused: Welcome to Boards.IE


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    #7
    _feedback_
    Registered Users Posts: 4,269 ✭✭✭_feedback_


    My name is URL wrote: »
    If he payed already then just ignore them.. they can't do a thing. I wonder how much money they waste on chasing non existant debts

    I'd agree with that way of thinking. Don't let your Dad get stressed out over something that has been paid. Let the muppets looking for it worry about it.


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    #8
    peanuthead
    Registered Users Posts: 3,111 ✭✭✭peanuthead


    The-Rigger wrote: »
    If you are American, your 'old man' typically means your boyfriend/husband etc.
    If you are Irish, it seems to mean your dad.

    Either way it's a shit term.

    Don't see how

    (a) it makes any difference to you whether its my dad or my bf
    (b) it makes any difference who we're actually talking about.


    It was my dad anyway.


    And if we're playing that game then I hate your username. :p


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    #9
    biko
    Registered Users Posts: 81,220 ✭✭✭✭biko


    AH -> Consumer Issues
    You don't know it has happened to others.
    Get in touch with the solicitor and ask him to come over and view the receipts in person.
    Contact the news papers.


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    #10
    peanuthead
    Registered Users Posts: 3,111 ✭✭✭peanuthead


    biko wrote: »
    AH -> Consumer Issues
    You don't know it has happened to others.
    Get in touch with the solicitor and ask him to come over and view the receipts in person.
    Contact the news papers.

    Well actually I do because I have heard people complaining of this thing before and it happened to the OH's mother and she is terminally ill. Last thing she needs is people telling her to pay bills she had already paid.

    It seems to be a huge problem. The people I've spoken to about this in work did not seem one bit surprised.

    Not to mention the fact that its annoying its a huge waste of their resources.


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    #11
    Paulw
    Registered Users Posts: 13,381 ✭✭✭✭Paulw


    If you have written proof that the debt has already been paid in full, then simply ignore/bin any new letters relating to that charge.

    Don't stress over nothing, because at the end of the day, there is nothing they can do. You've paid the bill, so everything after that is not your concern.


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    #12
    Jesus Wept
    Registered Users Posts: 25,243 ✭✭✭✭Jesus Wept


    peanuthead wrote: »
    Don't see how

    (a) it makes any difference to you whether its my dad or my bf
    (b) it makes any difference who we're actually talking about.


    It was my dad anyway.


    And if we're playing that game then I hate your username.

    It was an observation, not a game.
    I just wish I had thought of peanuthead instead. :p
    DonJose wrote: »
    WTF :confused: Welcome to Boards.IE

    There are no Americans here, tight border controls in the internet.
    WTF?


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    #13
    ILA
    Closed Accounts Posts: 542 ✭✭✭ILA


    Oh yeah, forgot to suggest this, it should be standard operating procedure by now:

    Call Joe Duffy on Liveline! 1850 715 815

    *Begin the uber Liveline theme tune


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    #14
    Cabaal
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 28,497 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cabaal


    Ignore them but keep everything, leave them take you to court (won't happen) and then look for compensation for all the crap.

    Alternatively, get on to the Information Commisionor as this would fall under a DPA issue as the hospital has failed to update personal information correctly and pass it to the debt collection agency to update their records..

    The hospital is at fault here as they are the one';s that passed on the debt, the data commisinor should be very interest in such a breach of DPA - http://www.dataprotection.ie

    If the hospital DID update the records and pass it to the debt collection agency then the fault lies with the agency and the case can be taken against them for failing to update their records in relation to your personal information


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    #15
    peanuthead
    Registered Users Posts: 3,111 ✭✭✭peanuthead


    ILA wrote: »
    Oh yeah, forgot to suggest this, it should be standard operating procedure by now:

    Call Joe Duffy on Liveline! 1850 715 815

    *Begin the uber Liveline theme tune


    LOL, if my dad gave a crap he would so call him, Joe's my dads hero!!

    Cabaal wrote: »
    Ignore them but keep everything, leave them take you to court (won't happen) and then look for compensation for all the crap.

    Alternatively, get on to the Information Commisionor as this would fall under a DPA issue as the hospital has failed to update personal information correctly and pass it to the debt collection agency to update their records..

    The hospital is at fault here as they are the one';s that passed on the debt, the data commisinor should be very interest in such a breach of DPA - http://www.dataprotection.ie

    If the hospital DID update the records and pass it to the debt collection agency then the fault lies with the agency and the case can be taken against them for failing to update their records in relation to your personal information

    yeah he doesn't care and is just ignoring them but its bloody annoying me.

    I don't know who is at fault to be honest. The guy in agency that my dad has been dealing with said he received nothing in post but couldn't even remember the case. Sure that crap should all be up on their screens the minute he gives them the ref number.


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    #16
    wmpdd3
    Registered Users Posts: 9,624 ✭✭✭wmpdd3


    If it was any of us we'd just keep all letters and let them take us to court and shove it to them, but I understand that older people do worry about these things. My parents would freak if they did owe money to the hospital, Its just the way they are.

    Once you have all your paperwork in order, you have nothing to worry about, just let them go on wasting money and complain to anyone you can


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    #17
    smelltheglove
    Registered Users Posts: 4,503 ✭✭✭smelltheglove


    If you have a solicitors letter a simple phone call to them should suffice, at the end of the day the solicitor does not want to waste his time so as soon as they hear the bill has been paid and you have proof then they will most likely drop the case and get their client to sort it. I have had 2 solicitor letters from eflow, both over mix ups, boht times I called the solicitor explained the situation and eflow were on to me within the day to let me know it had all been dropped and sorted.


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