Tuesday, October 27, 2009

This is what I get for feeling happy about something

Last night I managed to walk three miles on the treadmill (w00t - stud!), which is the level of exercise I need to maintain in order to reverse the complications I suffer from diabetes. Today I feel good - no ill effects, no fatigue, no sharty doom, so I'm ready to do it again tonight.

I wanted to do a review of The Hurt Locker today (good movie - go see it - do not bring your young children, you morons - the R rating is there for a reason), but I'm too stressed because the medical community decided to kick things up a notch again. While looking over my monthly payments and wondering how I could have handled all the new bills I received last month without going massively over budget, I discovered that one doctors' group from the place I previously called the good hospital didn't send me a bill for September. The portion of August's bill that I didn't mail in with my monthly payment only listed a phone number, so I called and asked what up. They said in September they decided to hand my account over to a collections agency and they weren't handling my account anymore.

Seriously. For real. They sent me a bill in August with a note saying we agreed to monthly payments, I made the payment in August, and the next month they decided I was now in arrears. That makes two hospital bills in collections, one of which they never actually sent to me, plus another on the way despite the monthly payments I've made.

Then I decided to check on the progress of my request to withdraw all of my 401k funds, and I discovered - no progress. They haven't even acknowledged the request yet. On the plus side, since they're dragging their feet they made another deduction from my pay which means the total amount in my fund is over $3,000 now. On the downside, no it isn't because they've lost another $300 since last week. When my employer initially surprised us with a 401k deduction, I tracked down the owning company and created a diverse (and hopefully safe) portfolio. When they sold it to the current company, I decided not to bother and just let them do their default. They invested 100% of my funds into their own company which is apparently a real dog. In order to avoid legal woes I won't mention their name here except to say that it rhymes with Rape Me, um, Norgan.

So, my credit is now shot between two (soon to be three) accounts turned over to collection agencies and credit cards that are maxed out with medical debt. My new plan is to not pay any more medical bills and file for bankruptcy. It seems to be the only chance I have of ever getting them out of my life. If anyone has any useful advice to share (yeah, right), please do so at this time.

For your reward for reading all of this, I give you another picture of megane bunny Ami Tokito:

Bunny!

Although you probably just scrolled to the end of this post, masturbated, and are now going to leave without a comment.

19 comments:

Me said...

I'm sorry about the medical fiasco, but know your pain. I went through more than a year of treatment at $500 per month in medications, only to relapse while still on treatment that last month because my doc sent me to another doc who gave me a med that interacted with my other meds wrong. Money down the toilet. Nice. I'm still paying on some of the bills at our local hospital too. I don't have any recommendations really.

April said...

How did you know I just masturbated? Are you watching me? Dirty perv!

I'm sorry, I don't have any advice. It's crazy that they're doing what they are because in the 10 years I've worked in the medical field, I've always known our offices to just keeping sending people bills every month without sending them to collections. And a payment plan is a payment plan. Once you agree to that, they should not send you to collections. Which I know you know all ready.

If you have proof of agreeing to these payment plans, I'd mail them, with your recent proof of payment to the collection agency and tell them that you were wrongfully reported. Ask them to not put this against your credit and that you're actually making an effort to pay off your bills but people keep fucking you up the ass which is making you shart!

April said...

DAMMIT! I typed too damn much and Marsha beat me to the first comment!

MARSHA MARSHA MARSHA!! Always showing me up! (totally just kidding, Marsha) =)

Kerry said...

You poor thing. Those jerkasses. Its so sad when people try to do what's right and "they" leave you no choice but to do the bankruptcy. Jerkasses

Jay said...

That's pretty fucked up. They're so desperate for their money that they drive people into bankruptcy and then they don't get their money. Very strange business model they have there.

Captain Dumbass said...

So will the collection guys try to take back an organ or something?

Unknown said...

Useful advice: get filthy rich you won't have to worry about bills if you are a billionaire.

Unknown said...

If I say Sh**, you know what I mean? Nothing in the town makes any sense anymore.

Hit 40 said...

Just fucked up!!!!!!!!!!!

ABSOLUTELY FUCKED UP!!!!

Did I say this was fucked up????

I am very sorry for the frustration that the hospital billing departments is putting you through. I would suggest calling 1-800-bunnyme for help.

I will go back to amend my WTF post today to see if anyone has an idea for you.

Avitable said...

If you have proof that they took an August payment and any proof of the payment arrangement, you should send that to the collections agency and say that you have a prior arrangement. That might give you some breathing room.

Or you could move, change your phone number, and rent a new place under someone else's name and just dodge them for a while until they give up.

Tracy Lynn said...

Well, I was gonna do that. But now I have commented.

Grant said...

Marsha - we'll see what happens. This whole ordeal has reinforced my distrust of the medical community.

April - it could be due to a difference in state regulations. Based on my experience, it seems like Georgia and Tennessee have few laws protecting the patients. I have paperwork backing my side of the issue, so I'm going to try calling them again to see if they'll take it back. If it's a mistake, maybe they'll work with me to correct it. If it was deliberate, I'll have to do the bankruptcy route.

Kerry - I've heard that the credit card companies do the same thing to push people into bankruptcy. They must be teaming up.

Jay - you should watch Maxed Out if you want to see why businesses try to drive people into bankruptcy. Basically, if you're poor and only making minimal payments then you're worth more to them as a tax write off.

Captain Dumbass - I offered to return the medical torture they inflicted upon me, but they only want money. They're funny that way.

SJ - why didn't I think of that?

Whitemist - shoo? Shoe? Shar?

Hit 40 - the bunnyme exchange is probably a 1-900 number.

Avitable - I do have proof of all that and intend to see if the hospital will work with me (if it's a mistake), or if they're just trying to screw me for more money.

Tracy Lynn - hope you enjoyed the bunny.

Robin said...

I'm so sorry it's such a mess, I hope it's over soon.

GreenJello said...

Too bad you don't live here in Utah. At least the place I work for does payment plans. And lots of charity write-offs (we're non-profit).

Been there, done that with the bankruptcy thing. Screws up your life for 10 years on your credit, though. Bankruptcy will cover all the other crap that turned into bad credit, and it won't affect your score. Just the bankruptcy. But you have to really watch the credit agencies to make sure they include it in the bankruptcy action. (I had to write a couple letters.)

Unknown said...

I would try calling your state senator or representatives. Someone is looking to be re-elected and wants your vote. Hopefully, they would be able to help. If the locals can't/won't help, call the feds. Good luck!

Monogram Queen said...

Grant, I think we work for the same *gulp* company......... I usually just refer to it as "Run"

tiff said...

Dude. The suck!

Grant said...

Robin - it shows no signs of ever slowing.

GreenJello - they do payment plans here. They just decided that, after making the arrangement, they'd rather just turn it over to a collection agency.

AmyLK - at this point I'm thinking of defecting to another country. I assume Norway is full of single Japanese women who all speak English.

Monogram Queen - I've nicknamed my company Shart, so maybe it's not the same place. Different home office, just as crappy.

tiff - if we're going to do healthcare reform, I wish they would start with the billing offices.

R said...

That explains why my keys are sticky.