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Report: #503389

Complaint Review: Lancaster General Hospital - Lancaster Pennsylvania

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  • Reported By: Joe — dover Delaware U.S.A.
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  • Lancaster General Hospital www.lancastergeneral.org Lancaster, Pennsylvania United States of America

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Going back a few months, I found out I have a several year old medical collection on my credit report. Not knowing about it, I called up the collection agency, once they told me it was yet another charge (I received several small bills from this hospital) from Lancaster General, I asked to simply verify this info and if it was correct send it to me and I would gladly pay.


Well 2 weeks later, I got the bill, and to my surprise, it also listed every little detail about the services I received, even things which had nothing to do with this bill. Basically, the collection agency had my entire medical record from this hospital.


I immediately called the hospital and eventually made my way up to the customer service supervisor, Walter Kramer, direct phone number: 717-544-5787. Well at first I only knew him as Walter. As soon as I told Walter what happened and asked him why my entire record was handed over to a collection agency. He said, well by disputed an account you are giving us consent to release your record to the collection agency.


I then asked, so they have my entire record? His answer, Yes! I then said isn't there HIPAA laws that say you can't do that? His reply, There is, but there is a grey area, which states "reasonably private" and we were, we didn't publish it; we simply handed over your record to the collection company. He then, in a gleeful way, said if there is any grey area in the law we know how to get around it, and trust me nothing we did is technically illegal.


I then asked why info like the exact milligrams of prescriptions was needed to collect a debt. Especially since this had nothing to do with the bill. This was on a separate bill I received. He then said, look any information about your bill need to be handled between you and the collection agent, they have everything they need to answer all your questions about the bill and services you received.


Immediately after that comment, I asked for his full name and was hung up on before I could finish the sentence. Luckily, before we started the conversation, I asked for his direct line (in case we get disconnected) and I got it. So right after getting hung up on I called back and got his full name, instead of only knowing him by Walter. His full name is Walter Kramer and is the customer service supervisor.


I called back several times, never getting him to answer and left several messages. The last message I left was about him hiding under his desk, if he is that confident, that he did nothing wrong - why hide? I also asked him to get some one else to call me, if you are too much of a coward. So far, no one will return my call, and as soon as I call different lines, and they find out who I am, I get hung on.


At this point, the collection agency is hiding, they do not want to get involved in all this and will not be taking my calls, is the last thing told to me. The hospital still is not taking my calls.


Bottom line, Lancaster General Hospital is selling medical records to Collection agencies, in order to help them collect. I was so amazed when the first collection agent was going over every single detail of what I went through. I could not believe it and still almost can't.


The last place I figured you would lose your privacy is between a health care provider and its patient. Please for your own privacy sake, stay away from Lancaster General Hospital. Your privacy will be lost and they laugh about getting around the law.


PS: I will keep you updated, and will be writing on associated content about this matter, as well as other places, perhaps a couple videos. I will not stop exposing Lancaster General Hospital. If for some reason, something changes, I will update things. I am willing to settle this, and I do not want to collect a red cent for it. I just need them to guarantee that my private medical record and medical information will never get out to anyone ever. I just want these dirty practices to end, and if nothing is worked out between Lancaster hospital and myself, then I will continue to shout it out... PATIENT BEWARE


To anyone who has doubt about this, I promise you, I have my entire medical information in hand, every procedure, every little detail from a somewhat major accident, and I got this info from the collection agency. This info was sent by the collection agency to me. By the way, that collection agency is: Credit Bureau of Lancaster County Inc, Phone # 717-397-0901


If at all possible, avoid this hospital. I would rather lay wounded on the street in front of this hospital then receive their service. Lastly, I filed a complaint so far with BBB and Attorney General Biden of Delaware, will keep you updated.

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 10/02/2009 02:55 PM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/lancaster-general-hospital/lancaster-pennsylvania-17604-3555/lancaster-general-hospital-lgh-patient-beware-lancaster-general-hopital-is-selling-medic-503389. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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REBUTTALS & REPLIES:
3Author
6Consumer
0Employee/Owner

#9 Author of original report

Update!

AUTHOR: Goldrush - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Hi, Just to be fair and honest, I talked to John Lines, director of communications and public relations. He and I had a good conversation and worked out a deal where we both are now satisfied. He of course would not (probably couldn't in fear of me filing suit) admit to any wrong doing, but he was able to work this out between myself and the hospital. For obvious reasons I will not get into the details, but I wanted to give anyone who reads this the heads up, that an agreement was met. While I am still very unhappy this had to happen to me and possibly others, I am satisfied and willing to put this all behind me - hopefully for good. John Lines also gave me his word that he will look into the comments and actions from their out sourced collection agency and will see to it that this will not happen again. At this point I have no reason to not believe him, he was after all the only person willing to email me back and call me. No one else has, so he has earned my respect. As far as I am concerned this issue has been resolved, and I do not hold a grudge against this hospital. Seems like an un-informed employee gave a little to much info, and I suppose we all make mistakes including hospital medical billing departments... Thanks for the comments, support, and even the disputes that I was wrong. I don't mind hearing all points of views.

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#8 Consumer Comment

Goldrush

AUTHOR: Susan - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, October 05, 2009

You said " I have in my hands several pages of information detailing my entire time at the hospital. "


Who actually sent that to you?  I really doubt a hospital would risk all by sending patient medical records to a collection agency. 

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#7 Author of original report

Still Waiting

AUTHOR: Goldrush - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, October 05, 2009

I was contacted by LGH's PR department on Sunday, 10/04/09 after I sent them two emails ontop of the dozen or more phone calls. Every time I call, as soon as I give them my name and account number I am either hung up on or put on hold until I hang up (35-50 mins) or told to leave a message. I was told in an email by John P. Lines -Director, Public Relations & Corporate Communications, that I would be contacted monday. Well, it's monday night and no one called, no one emailed, nothing. Walter Cramer or Kramer, has yet to reply to the comments he made. More importantly no one has stepped up to resolve this matter. I am not trying to "ruin" them or seeking revenge, I just want this to be taken care of and have this hospital ensure this will not happen again to anyone. No one should have to listen to a collector telling them what they went through. No one should have to hear from a stranger, personal information, that I went through. No one should have to listen to some collection agent say, "are you still on Vicodin" NO ONE. I feel like I lost something - privacy. This was a tough accident and a tough time in my life and I hate everyday lately re-living it. I'm not asking for much to resolve this matter. The bill total is under 800.00, broken into a couple bills. All I want is the hospital to collect ALL of my information from the collections agency, and anyone else they gave it to, and delete it. I really do not want the hospital to have my records anymore, because I cannot trust them, but I do not know if that is possible.

Sadly, they still will not talk to me. It's already clear they must have done something wrong, because if nothing they did was wrong - why are they hiding? Why is both the hospital and collection agency telling me they are not able to discuss my account with me. If it's my account, why can't anyone talk to me about it?

Still waiting to be contacted, afraid they never will until they have to by me filing suit. Didn't want to go that route, didn't want to have to go through this awful time of my life all over again. I just do not think I have a choice.

 

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#6 General Comment

NOT CORRECT

AUTHOR: paula - (USA)

POSTED: Sunday, October 04, 2009

I also work for a large medical provider who routinly violates HIPPA standards in situations like this.  So the argument that organizations are schooled in these policies and therefore would not breach these standards and laws is laughable. 


Unfortunatly, individual employees run their own agendas and do what they want or simply don't know their jobs, etc.  Frequently a consumer/patient is so weary from wading through the multidude of statements, bills etc., that taking notice of these HIPPA violations is last on their list.  Sometimes they don't even know the HIPPA laws because the HIPPA forms that you're given upon admission are 3 pages of fine print.


Fighting/challenging a company's practices produces a diatribe of "redac policies", etc.  So Stacy, you may be smart and up to snuff on the laws, but you're misguided in your belief that HIPPA laws are implemented correctly.  You are right, however, that the consumer should sue the institution that wronged you...but who has the energy when your ill?  or worse yet...find out about it the way this guy did...way later!!!!

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#5 Consumer Comment

Sorry I know my Job

AUTHOR: Stacey - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, October 03, 2009

If and big IF your information pertaining to your Medical Records were sent to a collection agency then the Hospital did screw up


Understand this - Every State has Retention Policies pertaining to Hospital Records - I have been at my job for 10 YEARS and I know Retention - Medical Records, Patient Billing, Bad Debt/Collections etc etc  has a different Retention period before they can be destroyed -


Once again - If the Hospital sent your Medical Records to collection then sue em - But Please do not tell me I do not know what I am talking about - I have reviewed over 100,000 records in my years - Good luck to you


As for Charles the STALKER - go back under your rock - you have no job, no money and no life

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#4 Consumer Comment

Stacy misunderstands everything

AUTHOR: Charles - (USA)

POSTED: Saturday, October 03, 2009

Stacy misunderstands everything.   All she does Is talk hateful towards people,   she Is a spoiled  rich brat.   She don't have to work hard,   & put up with crap the rest of the people do In the work place.

Her rich daddy gave her everything she wanted In life,   she disrespectful.   She lives In texas you know her idol,   george w bush lives now.   She has no manners or respect for people.

All stacy does along with,  laurie,  robert,  troll peoples reports.   Only to harass them more.

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#3 Author of original report

Stacey is mis-understanding

AUTHOR: Goldrush - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, October 03, 2009

I have in my hands several pages of information detailing my entire time at the hospital. You are correct, collections can get a bill, but what I have is more then that. Multiple pages of detailed information about me is not a bill. Thank you for your input, but before you tell me to educate myself - know the facts. I do know the diffence between a "bill" and detailed information about myself, diagnosis, and so on. Please understand I did not wake up yesterday, I also do not claim to know all laws, but for the collection agent to tell me such detailed information about myself and send this information to me, I was alarmed. I am working with a reporter with the local newspaper in/around Lancaster, he has mentioned this is not the first case like this brought to his attention... Lastly, the pages I received from the collections agent has the time/date and pages on each page, there were a few other pages sent by fax to the collections agency, that I did not receive, that could very well be pages sent that had nothing to do with me, but when I read page 1,2,3,7,8 - one has to wonder what's the in between pages... This is more then a bill. Also, I faxed all these pages over to an attorney, and from what she told me (almost immediately) this is absolutely a violation, on several fronts. I haven't went any further then that yet, I just wanted to see where I stand. I am not big into suing people, however, if no effort is made to fix this problem LGH can bet on me going after them to the fullest extent of the law. - joe  

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#2 Consumer Comment

Wrong!

AUTHOR: Stacey - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, October 02, 2009

Only the billing information is turned over to collections NOT Medical Records - Medical Records are kept separate from Billing and how do I know this?? I work for a company that owns hospitals in the Records Management department! And YES the bill will reflect the charges of every DEPARTMENT that was charged - That is called a breakdown of departmental charges.


There is no HIPAA violation - the collection agency does NOT have your Medical Records JUST your billing records PERIOD!


No HIPAA violation here - I suggest your educate yourself on HIPPA - Employees of the company are mandated to received training EVERY year or face termination - I highly doubt that you got your Medical Records from a collection agency - Those records belong to the hospital period! Once again I do work in Records Management!

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#1 Consumer Comment

d**n......

AUTHOR: Resty - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, October 02, 2009

you need to take this way further than Customer Service at the hospital / facility.  You need to contact HIPAA compliance..Contract Compliance and the ETHICS HOTLINE. NOW.while the information is hot and correct in your mind.

The info that was released to the collection agency was in direct violation of allllll the HIPAA guidelines.  They did not need that information to do their job.  Your personal info (aka what you had done at the facility etc)  was not needed by the collection agency...not to collect the money owed. All they needed was the BARE freakin minimum info needed to do their job which was to collect the money owed. They did not need to know WHY you were seen at the hospital....or what you had done. They did not need to know of any of your diagnosis or treatment.

You NEED to be screaming this from the roof tops.

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