How to convince medical debt collectors that I don't owe anything??

My fiancee had an ER visit about a year and a half ago, and ever since we've had medical debt collectors calling. I remember that we had some trouble with the payment at the beginning, since the hospital had double billed us and perhaps we missed the initial payment window, but whatever the case we followed up with the hospital, payed what they said we owed, and got it all sorted out.

Except that every few months we get a call from a new debt medical debt collection agency. It took my fiancee a couple months to get the last one to go away - she had to get an actual letter from the hospital verifying the balance was zero and send them a hardcopy of it - and now I just got a new call this morning. Why do they keep calling, and how do I get them to stop? I've checked and double-checked: our balance at the hospital is zero.

You will have to send the same info to the new collection agency.   And keep it on hand for the next one.  Sucks, but no one marks it as paid.  These are just shuffled off to another collection agency to try to collect.

In reply to AMiataCalledSteve :

They keep calling and harassing you in hopes you will pay them. That's the game.  If you owe them, they are required to prove it.  They won't bother.  They will harass you ad nauseam.  Block them and move on.  

It is not in the interest of these debt collection agencies to mark as paid. The way the industry works is that your debt is sold at a discount to collectors. 

Say someone owes $15K to the hospital, that unpaid debt gets sold for like $1k to a collection agency, they find out it is not collectible so if they do not mark it as paid they can still recoup some of that investment by selling it off to a lower tier collector for $500. And so on and so on until some bro douchebag working out of his home office with dreams of big money who bought that $15,000 debt for ten dollars starts harassing the people at the end of the time allowed by law.

It is a very messed up industry with little regulation and at the bottom levels operated by folks with very little ethics.

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/how-do-i-get-a-debt-collector-to-stop-contacting-me-en-1411/

How do I get a debt collector to stop calling or contacting me?

You have the right to tell a debt collector to stop contacting you. If you ask a debt collector to stop all contact – regardless of the communications channel – the collector must stop. Keep in mind, though, that you may still owe the debt.

If you don't want a debt collector to contact you again, write a letter to the debt collector saying so. We have sample letters that you can use to respond to a debt collector who is trying to collect a debt.

The CFPB’s Debt Collection Rule requires debt collectors to provide certain information when they first communicate with you, or shortly after, which will often be contained in a letter called a validation notice. This notice includes information about the debt and the debt collector, as well as a “tear off” form with checkboxes you can fill out to dispute or request more information about the debt. If the debt collector provides a way for you to submit the letter electronically, you can do that instead of sending a letter by mail.

Once a debt collector receives your letter requesting they stop contacting you, they’re not allowed to communicate with you again except to:

• Tell you there will be no further contact
• Advise you that they or the creditor may take other specific actions they’re legally allowed to take, such as filing a lawsuit against you

Keep in mind that it’s important that you respond to the debt collector in writing, even if they provide the validation information over the phone or through email. If you’re disputing the debt, it’s also important to do it immediately, even before you insist that they stop contacting you.

I've lived at this address and had this landline number for a little more than 20 years.  Twenty.  Years.  For the duration of that time, and as recently as a few days ago, I have been getting calls from debt collectors who ask for a specific gentleman by name.  I gently inform them that they have the wrong number.  It truly does make you wonder about the collection industry in general. 

I'd let them know that they have made a mistake and to verify it before contacting you again.

Thanks everyone, this is good advice

Do not call again, in writing only, please send paperwork affirming the debt, send back your copied documents, anything else will resort in a lawyer contacting you.

Dont forget to dispute any inaccuracies on your credit report at all 3 bureaus.

Years ago, took my oldest to the rural E36 M3show er for a broken wrist, which was not treated properly but I digress. Paid my $250 at the er for the hospital side. Many months later, I'm seeing a delinquent account on my credit report. I work my way through and find the original debtor and contact them. Come to find out they attempted to mail me a bill to an address that does not receive mail, only a P.O. Box. Postmistress rejects it as undeliverable, so I never receive original billing and is now in collections. Eventually the scum bag debt collector sends mail to a more correct address. I dispute the debt through the credit bureaus, even after the scumbags sell it to a subordinate company under their original company umbrella... it's still unenforceable debt because of the original debtor didn't do their due diligence meaning the hospital billing department to the contracted physician service company.

PS- never ever say yes it's ours over the phone. It resets the 7yr clock.... just say please mail me. Don't reaffirm an address or nothing. Don't say it's you. Nothing.

I also have been dealing with this - I got a new cell phone in 2012, since then I have gotten calls from every debt collection agency in the US I'll bet! Turns out the young lady who used to have this number must have had some substantial government backed loans - whether educational or small business I don't know, but these guys wanted to talk to here in the worst way!

Once I got one of them to give me her full name I also googled her and found............nothing. I don't know if she used a fake name or what the real details are, but no one can find her.

The calls have dropped off markedly in the last few years, but I still get one every once in a while - it's almost funny how sad and defeated they sound when they call now.

File a complaint with the CFPB. If you get another call, tell the collection agency that "This debt has been paid in full and is erroneously in collections. A CFPB complaint has been filed. Cease and desist all contact."

Then call the hospital/doctor/medical group, and state that "Any further collection attempts for this debt that has been paid in full will be reported to the CFPB and legal action may be taken".

You haven't truly experienced the glory of late stage capitalism until you've had some aggro "alpha male" type leave 20 voicemails in a week trying to collect on the 83 month old debt of a deceased person. 
 

Yeah buddy, I am sure you, as you say "spend a lot of time at the MMA gym" and I am quite positive you can indeed "kick my ass" also thank you for using every slur and expletive that you could remember on each of those 2 minute voicemails. 

In reply to Trent :

Is it even legal to threaten physical violence for this?  Seems for that specific call, I would contact the police.

alfadriver said:

In reply to Trent :

Is it even legal to threaten physical violence for this?  Seems for that specific call, I would contact the police.

It is illegal. There have been court cases about it.

Ranger50 said:

alfadriver said:

In reply to Trent :

Is it even legal to threaten physical violence for this?  Seems for that specific call, I would contact the police.

It is illegal. There have been court cases about it.

But, if you aren't the person being threatened do you have standing?  Kinda like if a tree falls in the forest...

alfadriver said:

In reply to Trent :

Is it even legal to threaten physical violence for this?  Seems for that specific call, I would contact the police.

Yep, if you've ever wanted your own debt collection agency, recording one of those calls can get you one for the cost of a few lawyers' fees.

I was the power of attorney for a relative that the hospital goofed the bill up and erroneously sent to collections.  Nothing could stop the collection agency until I sued them in federal court.  Then they listened lol and also wound up paying a pretty substantial sum for their arrogance....

I can't help with your situation, but it reminded me of something nasty I did a number of years ago.

I was the victim of a professional tenant couple that set me up very nicely to fail when I attempted to evict them. I was eventually successful, but ended up in a hearing, where they tried to extort money from me. With the info I got from the official hearing paperwork I called every collection agency I could find in the country and provided their names, new address, cell, and home phone numbers.

Gotcha

Peabody said:

I can't help with your situation, but it reminded me of something nasty I did a number of years ago.

I was the victim of a professional tenant couple that set me up very nicely to fail when I attempted to evict them. I was eventually successful, but ended up in a hearing, where they tried to extort money from me. With the info I got from the official hearing paperwork I called every collection agency I could find in the country and provided their names, new address, cell, and home phone numbers.

Gotcha

I love it. People hate collection agencies and I think that there needs to be some reform around them and what can be sent to collections and when, but the fact is that they serve an important role for society. 

I just watched a movie that covers this on Netflix last night. It's called Buffaloed. Good movie. I don't think it is based on any reality but I don't doubt there is a lot of truth in there regarding how scummy debt collectors are. 

I had one doing this to me.  I told them to email the proof to me.   The caller said  they aren't allowed to email.    Really?   I told them I don't give out my credit card number to scammers.  Bye.  And blocked their number.