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  1. #1

    Post What Do I Do with a Summons I Received

    My question involves collection proceedings in the State of: Arizona
    I received a summons for a hospital debt. I tried to call several times and got no where with their billing department. I did speak with the collection agency on two separate occasions regarding this matter. I am unsure if I need to hire a lawyer, which seems to be more than the bill, to fight this or how to represent myself. Any advice would be appreciated.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
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    35,894

    Default Re: What Do I Do with a Summons I Received

    What are your reasons for fighting this?

  3. #3

    Default Re: What Do I Do with a Summons I Received

    I went into the ER let them know I was not insured. The triage nurse saw I was having trouble breathing and was coughing constantly whenever I tried to answer his questions. He state my BP was extremely elevated. I was the only person in the waiting area and was taken back to a room with a short wait. The doctor came in said he needed an xray and off I went. When I was returned to the room a respiratory therapist came in told me I needed a breathing treatment so I could get some relief until the doctor returned with my results. She set it up and said it would take 10 minutes and she would return. After 20 minutes I was unsure what to do and motioned for someone to come in. After about 5 minutes another nurse came in and said they couldn't help me the therapist needed to. After another 5 minutes she returned and said she was sorry she "lost" track of time. The doctor came in I asked about the results and also the comment of the high Blood Pressure the triage nurse told me. The doctor stated I didn't come in for a Blood Pressure Check so he was NOT going to discuss that. Also I had fluid in my lungs and probably needed to stay but because I didn't have insurance he was sending me home to rest. WHAT? He ignored my BP and discriminated against my not having insurance. He could have recommended me to go somewhere else I left with a couple prescriptions and still no relief. I left crying and called the hospital a few days later trying to file a complaint. I asked for a reduced bill since I was forgotten about and dismissed. I got the runaround and stated I would not pay anything until I spoke with someone to explain what was going on. I never got a response or was left on hold for 20+ minutes then told I never called. I just am not sure what to do, but I want to do the right thing.

  4. #4

    Default Re: What Do I Do with a Summons I Received

    So you DID receive evaluation, diagnosis, and were prescribed a course of antibiotics. That's really right on track with what's to be expected. They may not have been warm, fuzzy, efficient, quick, or done a good job of communicating the status of your case with you, and unless you've got a gunshot wound, knife in the back, or are unconscious for some reason, waits in emergency rooms can be terrible, depending on the time of day, available staffing, and triage of cases (the sicker or more injured the person, the faster they get seen - so the people with relatively minor issues are the ones stuck in the waiting room or waiting for consults, tests, etc.). However, you did receive services, and the hospital is likely have a valid claim for payment for those services.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
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    Behind a Desk
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    98,846

    Default Re: What Do I Do with a Summons I Received

    When you are served with a summons and complaint, you will want to file a timely answer and affirmative defenses, then appear in court as necessary to present your defenses.

    When the doctor expressed that he would prefer to keep you overnight but that, as you were uninsured, he was going to send you home, you were free to say, "No, I have $5,000 burning a hole in my pocket - you can admit me." Seriously, it sounds like he was trying to save you from having an even larger bill you could not afford to pay.

  6. #6

    Default Re: What Do I Do with a Summons I Received

    Thank you I do appreciate the advice and plan on doing whatever the courts tell me is my responsibility. But I do work in the medical field myself and know there are standards of care that must be met. I am not thinking in anyway I don't owe for the time or testing that was done, but I do think if your BP was extremely high at the time of your visit it needs to be rechecked before being dismissed. Also as a health provider you are to discuss all TEST results your patient has done at the time of their visit, not just the ones you choose to acknowledge. I am not naive to think I will owe nothing as I walked in on my own free will. It seems if standard of care was not met how can I be responsible for those services. I am more upset that I tried to have my concerns heard to come to an agreement and instead of speaking with me, even if they chose to do nothing with the bill, it was ignored and now brought to court. I guess in my eyes fairness is not going to be accomplished by a court proceeding. Again I thank you for all your advice and I will get a paralegal to file the proper paperwork on time and see where this leads.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
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    Behind a Desk
    Posts
    98,846

    Default Re: What Do I Do with a Summons I Received

    Had you been concerned about your blood pressure, you could have said, "Can you re-check my blood pressure".

    The question of whether you have to pay for medical services you receive is separate and apart from the standard of care. Victims of malpractice still get billed for their care.

  8. #8

    Default Re: What Do I Do with a Summons I Received

    The problem is, even IF the standard of care wasn't met, lawsuits are about DAMAGES. What quantifiable DAMAGES did you suffer?

    I do think if your BP was extremely high at the time of your visit it needs to be rechecked before being dismissed
    Ok, but unless you can show that failure to do so somehow ACTUALLY resulted in damage to you, it won't result in a malpractice case nor likely mitigate any amount they're seeking from you for services rendered.

    Also as a health provider you are to discuss all TEST results your patient has done at the time of their visit, not just the ones you choose to acknowledge.
    Whomever set for that requirement, THAT is who you can report such failures to. If there's a governing or licensing body over the provider that REQUIRES this, then you can file a complaint with that governing or licensing body (ie board of medicine, state medical society, or even internal hospital administration.), problem remains however that even such a failure still won't impact that you have a bill for services that were rendered. If violation occurred, reporting such violation, whether it was the specific physician derelict of duties, or whether the hospital itself has policies or procedures that fail to meet some mandated performance requirements, those are all internal administrative functions, unless and until they result in DAMAGES, in which case you pay the bill and then bring your own suit for damages.

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