Legal Question in Credit and Debt Law in California
Can a hospital collect without a signed financial ageement?
Went in for outpatient surgery. Checked in and had to go directly to there accounting department to pay for my portion before services where renderd. She explained my 40% patient portion was $350.00. I pd half then and half a month after surgery, signed for financial responsibilty for the $350.00 which stated total bill and total amount due. One month later I start getting bills and nasty calls stating I owe them $1500.00. They state according to the Explation of Benefits. There is no other financial documents I signed other than the $350.00. Can they legally send it to collections and put it on my TRW? They stated all I owed was $350.00 and there hosptial accounting department signed the same paper I did that stated total bill and total amount due? Please help. Thank you for your time.
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Can a hospital collect without a signed financial ageement?
Know. The only way they could legally collect is if there were unanticipated complications requiring additional medical services. In that case, they could collect a reasonable value of those services.