Billed for an Ambulance Despite Refusing Service
My question involves collection proceedings in the State of: Pennsylvania. I fell at work, tripped over something carrying some items. I was not hurt other than a scrapped knee, that I cleaned up myself. Someone must have felt I was more injured and called 911. An ambulance was sent out by the time they arrived and located me I was back at my work area preparing to leave for the day. Of course they wanted to ask me all questions. Was I dizzy, did I feel ok, was I hurt or bleeding? I was not and refused any treatment and transport to hospital. They didn't like this and had to contact a supervisor before they would leave with out taking me to hospital. A week later I received a bill for refusing ambulance services that day in the amount of $150.00 My health insurance also will not cover any of this fee either. I did not ask anyone to call 911 for me, didn't call myself and didn't want or need assistance so can they really bill me for this and am I in any way obligated to pay? I feel I should not be since I didn't ask for assistance in anyway, didn't call them and refused all services.
Re: Ambulance Refusal Bill
Thanks, I was thinking that but the Ambulance billing company is trying to say it's my responsibility to pay. I fail to see how it is. They should bill the caller in my opinion for calling for something so trivial
Re: Ambulance Refusal Bill
I agree. However how do I get them to stop sending me invoices and trying to collect? I would have no problem paying the fee had I ask someone to call them later changed my mind but that's not the case, I am being billed for them to respond to a call that should not have been made.
The issue as to why they will not even seem to entertain billing my employers WC insurance is probably the same reason why my insurance will not cover it, they only cover ambulance services if the patient is transported.
Re: Ambulance Refusal Bill
... and then they simply turn the bill over to collections.
Re: Ambulance Refusal Bill
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Rock Knocker
Tell them that they are harrassing you and that you have spoken to a lawyer and if they do not stop this harrassment you will seek legal redress.
See if that shuts them up
The ambulance service will know that sending periodic bills for the service is not illegal and does not amount to harassment. Making empty threats and, worse, lying about consulting a lawyer and claiming that the lawyer said it was harassment (and they’ll know that no lawyer would have told the OP that), is a great way to undercut the OP’s credibility and make him/her look like any other deadbeat in their eyes. That may make it heard to resolve this with the company quickly. Rather, I would suggest the OP simply tell them that he/she refuses to pay as the OP did not call the ambulance, did not want the service, and refused the service when the ambulance personnel arrived and thus the OP has no contractual or other liability to pay for the service. That may get the service to either back off or to tell the OP on what theory it thinks the OP is liable to pay for this.
Re: Billed for an Ambulance Despite Refusing Service
Taxing matters, you do have a point about the idle threats of a lawyer, they will know that sending bills is not harassment, neither is calling to ask for payment. It has not come to them calling yet, I do not know how they have my address or if they might have a phone number as I did not provide the respondents with it.
I think I am going to call the billing company and tell them
I don't feel I am legally obligated to pay the bill since I didn't call, didn't ask anyone to can for me and refused services when they arrived. This situation would be like if your neighbors thought your grass was too long and called a lawn care company to come cut it for you with out asking you. Then when they show up unloading the mowers you send them away but they still bill you for coming over when you didn't ask for the service to start with.
I really want to hear what crazy grounds they have for thinking it's ok to bill for a service that someone didn't ask for or need.
Re: Ambulance Refusal Bill
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mparks21
Thanks, I was thinking that but the Ambulance billing company is trying to say it's my responsibility to pay.
The ambulance company can't open a worker's compensation case -- that would be something your employer would have needed to do after your injury report. Have you spoken with your employer about submitting the claim to workers' comp?