Collection Agency Goes After Boy For Medical Bill

Posted on 01. Feb, 2011 by in Collection News, Press Releases

OMAHA, Neb. — A local father is concerned after bill collectors started going after his 8-year-old son for unpaid medical bills.

Addie Hardick said his son, Addison, started getting voice mails and letters in the mail saying that the child owes Alegent Health $247.15 for a past medical bill.

“This happened (to us) and who knows, it may happen to some other child, some other family in the city,” Hardick said.

A spokeswoman for Alegent Health said there was a legitimate medical bill and the child was their patient, but she said the bill was never sent to the boy. When it became past the due date, Alegent sent the bill to Merchant Credit Adjusters for collection, the spokeswoman said.

The child was later taken off the debt collector’s list, which his father said was a relief because he doesn’t want his son to worry about finances or bad credit until he’s older.

“His credit, for the rest of his life as far as him starting out when he gets to college or when he gets on his own, it could follow him throughout,” Hardick said.

Hardick said his family has every intention of paying the past due bill.

Copyright 2011 by KETV.com. All rights reserved.

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7 Responses to “Collection Agency Goes After Boy For Medical Bill”

  1. Greg Dalton

    02. Feb, 2011

    The fathers name is Addie? Short for Addison? Pay for your sons medical care. I’m sure you credit is pristene….

  2. C. Hennings

    03. Feb, 2011

    To hold the agency accountable for billing an 8 year old boy is unjust. In this case, it was Alegent Health’s responsibility to make it clear that the patient was a minor and the responsibility party was the parents. The agency sometimes has limited information and if a date of birth was not given, the agency has every right to assume that the name of the person that was turned over would be responsible. Let’s be honest here, do you really think that an agency would bill out a child and expect the child to pay the bill? The real question here is, did the bill get paid or was this an attempt to get out of paying the bill. I’m sure the 8 year old didn’t even see the letter. Who let’s an 8 year old open mail? Pay the bill problem solved! Check out our website its a great resource for these types of issues. http://fidelisam.com/collections

  3. David Otto

    28. Mar, 2011

    I think this collection agency should pay very high damages for what they have done to this boy. These nameless faceless entities are the bane of American Life. They need to be stopped. This poor child did nothing wrong except got sick. It used to be, that some states did not allow the ‘collection’ of medical bills and for good reason. This is one example.

  4. D Collector

    01. Apr, 2011

    Oh come on Otto!!! This was absolutely an attempt to weasel out of paying the medical bill. This is a Sr/Jr deal and it is absolutely the hospitals fault for not providing the agency with the proper information. This kid has suffered absolutely NOTHING!! Give me a break already. What this kid is suffering from is the fact that his parents don’t pay their bills. Imagine how he’s going to grow up and prioritize his own bills. Kids live what they learn. Mom and dad are deadbeats, kid grows up to be the same. Ignorance breeds ignorance!

  5. J MICHAELS

    20. Apr, 2011

    Addie/Addison come on. Dalton has it right. Medical probably billed Sr. – that is probably what the call was made on as they usually list accounts with the formal name.. Medical usually will bill parents until the child turns 18. The ol man likely gets this all the time. I for one am sick and tired of legitimate collection efforts being twisted into bad guy evil doing entities. Step up to the plate debtors and own up to life’s legitimate debts!

  6. CCI-BIF

    09. May, 2011

    I read it as “bonafide error”; the article stated “started” getting letters notices and calls. It appears that once the agency realized that there was an error in referring the account guarantor as the patient (who is under aged) it was corrected. And side question; why should it not be the responsibility of the parent to be sure of the correct billing? In our agency, when we are notified of that sort of error, we start (while ceasing collection efforts) the process to correct it immediately….but we need to be notified. This sort of error does happen, it has been my experience (30 years) that agencies don’t wish to attempt to collect from children.

  7. joshuaori

    29. Sep, 2011

    collection agencies work with the information they are given. The error was corrected as soon as the agency received the information.
    I agree it was a bonafide error. To think differently is, in my openion, insane.
    Collection agencies are in business to make money. No one in their right mind would expect to get payment from a child.
    Time is money. The agencies attempt to use their time by calling on potentially collectible accounts. .

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