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0 pointssgerenser2y ago0 comments

Yeah I got a text from one of these a couple years ago. Something like. “You have an overdue doctor bill of $183.56, please kindly pay immediately at this link: http://my-doctorpay.net/defintelylegit123. Thx!” Didn’t even include the name of the doctor or office, but after calling the only doctors office I had used recently it was apparently legit. I let them know whatever company handles their billing is completely incompetent.

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jameshart2y ago

The US healthcare billing model’s total lack of authentication and disconnection from point of service means that it’s broadly plausible you do owe some random provider money at any time up to several years after your last doctor visit.

Send someone an official looking piece of paper telling them they received $394 worth of in office medical laboratory service from Tristate Medical Partners Inc in August last year, that insurance paid $374 and that they just owe you a $20 copay, and I think a lot of people will just go to the online bill pay site and hand over the money.

sneak2y ago

What incentive do they have to change it? People will still click and still pay, and if they don’t, they’ll refer it to collections and ruin their credit. As long as the billing office gets the money, in their view, the bar for “competence” is passed.

This is something that only people like us can see. The rest of the world doesn’t care about the problem, and even if they did, they have zero incentive to fix it.

avarun2y ago

> People will still click and still pay, and if they don’t, they’ll refer it to collections and ruin their credit.

Healthcare has one of the lowest payment collection rates of any consumer industry. And as of a couple years ago, medical debt under $500 can no longer go on your credit report even after going to collections. States have passed even more consumer-friendly versions of this law, like NY where no amount of medical debt can affect your credit score.

So actually medical billers are directly hurting themselves with their incompetence in this and many other departments.

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