My question involves collection proceedings in the State of: Florida.

I received a bill on September 10, 2009 from a doctor visit that occurred March 8, 2007. I have had Tricare Prime insurance since July 1998. Under this type of insurance you are to pay a co-payment and the insurance company pays the rest. When I contacted my insurance about the bill, they said that I was taken off of prime and put on Tricare standard when I turned 21. Under Tricare standard you are to pay a deductible and the insurance company pays 80%. Unless I could prove that I was in school, I would remain on standard. When I went to renew my ID card, I gave proof that I was in school but my insurance says that they did not get the information in time. So I remained on standard. I was not notified that I was taken off of prime, so I did not get them the information in time because of that.

I contacted the doctor's office, and they have stated that they contacted me 3 times before about the bill. I have been at the same residence for 10 1/2 years, and never received any type of letter, bill, or phone call stating that I owed money to them until now. The doctor office is only 10 minutes away from my house. I joined the military in July 2007, and went off to basic training. I had my mother open my mail, as she was my power of attorney at the time to pay my bills while I was gone. She has never received anything from this office either. I have even questioned her about it, and she said that she would have paid it off if she did receive it. According to the bill and my insurance company, my insurance paid their part as if I was still on Tricare Prime. The doctor office obviously did not verify my insurance as they should have, because if they did they would have known that I owed them more than the 12 dollar co-payment at the time of the visit. I apologize for this letter being so long, but I am a single mother of a 9 month old boy. I am living with my parents and I am unemployed trying to look for a job. The only money I have to my name is what I use to help pay for my son. Which isn't much.

I am trying to find out if this doctor’s office is allowed to bill me after 2 years and after not saying anything at all to me after all this time? They never verified my insurance, and if they did verify it, they neglected to inform me the day of the doctor visit that my insurance had changed and I would be paying more than the co-payment. I have tried to speak with a manager, but was assured by the representative that she would say the same thing she was. I set up a payment plan or it goes to collections. I cannot set up a payment plan when I have no money coming in. It would be wrong for me to mislead them.

What should I do? Am I responsible??