Emergency Consultants, UPMC, NCO Submits incorrectly to insurance never billed straight to collections Ripoff Pennsylvania

I was a patient at St. Clair Hospital in April 2004. In June I received a bill for my portion that was unpaid and promptly paid the amount.

Fast Forward to October 2004. I receive a call from NCO collections. Typical Collections strong arm tatics and the like, but was told that I was sent to collecions by St. Clair hospital for an unpaid bill.

I immediately called St. Clair Hospital. The very nice woman in billing told me that I did not owe the hospital and that my bill was paid in full. She told me that they were probably refering to the Emergency Room Physcians which were a different entity. She gave me the number to what I believe is called Emergency Consultants or Emergency Medical Associates @ (800) 666-2455.

Please note that I hold Emergency Consultants/Emeergency Medical Associates (here after refered to as EMA) responsible for this entire affair.

I spoke to a represenative at EMA who stated that I was sent to collections after not paying the emergency room bill. This of course was a bill that I never received. I also indicated that I was insured and the insurance should have covered most of the bill. The EMA represenative told me that my insurance had denied the claim. At the end of this conversation I was certain and the represenative verified: I had never been billed and I was sent to collections immediately after the insurance denied the claim.

Now to call the insurance, Aetna US healthcare. Very nice represenative there told me that EMA had NEVER SUBMITTED THE CHARGES FOR BILLING!!!. He took down my information and promised that he would call EMA to straighten out this matter.

Barely a few minutes had gone by and I was back on the phone to EMA. The represenative there, although not at all apoligetic, said that Aetna had called; and that the matter would be fixed. She admitted that they submitted the incorrect patient ID number. I asked her assurance that this would be removed from collections and was told that it would be.

Fast forward to yesterday, January 31, 2005. Who should call but NCO. Seems that I've been turned into collections by EMA for non payment. NEVER RECEIVED A BILL... NEVER RECEIVED ANYTHING.

EMA is bad news and a bad company. It seems that they are tied into emergency rooms in a lot of places and it's going to be hard to avoid them, but I would.

Gary
McMurray, Pennsylvania
U.S.A.