Advice please - 'debt', contract, recovery etc

[Bonefish Blues]

Thanks all for the helpful feedback - I see the situation through a different lens now.

Moral - look at things with a more critical eye in future, I think.

Edited by Bonefish Blues on Friday 15th November 01:20

[Countdown]

Bonefish Blues said:

the doctor wanted her to come back after the expiry date, but not to worry because he would invoice such that it would be paid by the insurer. On that basis we went ahead as he recommended.

A couple of months later we got a demand for payment from him saying that the insurer had refused payment because the invoice had been presented for the actual date of the follow up.

It sounds like

1. You were aware that treatment AFTER the expiry date wouldn’t be covered by insurance.
2. The Consultant said “dont worry, I’ll invoice so that it looks like the treatment took place BEFORE the expiry date.
3. The invoice stated the CORRECT treatment date.
4. Therefore the insurers are refusing to pay.

If that’s a correct summary then I would pay.

ETA I’m not sure why you didn’t realise there was something “untoward” about it. It sounds very similar to getting loads of extra stuff fixed on your car whilst it’s in the Bodyshop after an accident and asking the Garage to bill the insurers.

Edited by Countdown on Thursday 14th November 22:33

[anonymous-user]

Countdown said:

It sounds like

1. You were aware that treatment AFTER the expiry date wouldn’t be covered by insurance.
2. The Consultant said “dont worry, I’ll invoice so that it looks like the treatment took place BEFORE the expiry date.
3. The invoice stated the CORRECT treatment date.
4. Therefore the insurers are refusing to pay.

If that’s a correct summary then I would pay.

ETA I’m not sure why you didn’t realise there was something “untoward” about it. It sounds very similar to getting loads of extra stuff fixed on your car whilst it’s in the Bodyshop after an accident and asking the Garage to bill the insurers.

Yep, I agree. It may not be a popular opinion, but this is one to suck up.

[Sarnie]

As a slight aside......as a Mortgage Broker, I often get clients coming to me with CCJ's or defaults.........they tell me about the injustice of a dispute they had with the mobile phone/broadband/gas/electric/water/etc provider and how they were adamant that it was unfair.

Once it's on your credit file for more than 30 days, it won't be removed. Even when settled.......6 years of struggling to buy a house, remortgage, get a car loan or a balance transfer credit card etc.

Personally, I'd pay it.

And then if you are serious, go about retrieving it the correct way.

[Bonefish Blues]

Countdown said:

Bonefish Blues said:

the doctor wanted her to come back after the expiry date, but not to worry because he would invoice such that it would be paid by the insurer. On that basis we went ahead as he recommended.

A couple of months later we got a demand for payment from him saying that the insurer had refused payment because the invoice had been presented for the actual date of the follow up.

It sounds like

1. You were aware that treatment AFTER the expiry date wouldn’t be covered by insurance.
2. The Consultant said “dont worry, I’ll invoice so that it looks like the treatment took place BEFORE the expiry date.
3. The invoice stated the CORRECT treatment date.
4. Therefore the insurers are refusing to pay.

If that’s a correct summary then I would pay.

ETA I’m not sure why you didn’t realise there was something “untoward” about it. It sounds very similar to getting loads of extra stuff fixed on your car whilst it’s in the Bodyshop after an accident and asking the Garage to bill the insurers.

Edited by Countdown on Thursday 14th November 22:33

Your account is essentially correct, albeit, no, we didn't think anything was untoward, nor did the Consultant say anything like that - clarity only came post his claim for payment some time later. His practice manager invoiced stating that the check-up had happened on a date a little while (matter of a few days) after the insurance had expired.

I don't think your analogy is anything like it, either. The follow up could easily have happened in the time I was insured (as I reminded my wife to ensure). It happened afterwards at his suggestion and on his professional advice, as opposed to my wife having lots of extra stuff fixed

[Bonefish Blues]

Sarnie said:

As a slight aside......as a Mortgage Broker, I often get clients coming to me with CCJ's or defaults.........they tell me about the injustice of a dispute they had with the mobile phone/broadband/gas/electric/water/etc provider and how they were adamant that it was unfair.

Once it's on your credit file for more than 30 days, it won't be removed. Even when settled.......6 years of struggling to buy a house, remortgage, get a car loan or a balance transfer credit card etc.

Personally, I'd pay it.

And then if you are serious, go about retrieving it the correct way.

I have a pretty strong sense of what's right & wrong - trouble is, they have you by the bks, don't they...so right and wrong don't even figure.

ETA
Helpful perspective, btw

[Sarnie]

Bonefish Blues said:

I have a pretty strong sense of what's right & wrong - trouble is, they have you by the bks, don't they...so right and wrong don't even figure.

ETA
Helpful perspective, btw

100%.......your credit file can't tell a story of who was right or wrong......


A few years ago I paid to £200 to see a specialist......was told that's all I needed to pay.........signed the form (double sided, small print, without reading it).......first thing the specialist did was tell me I had to go upstairs for an x-ray........did it, came back and he said "yeah, the x-ray confirmed what i thought, I can't help you".......felt a bit miffed and short changed but anyway........a month later I got an invoice for £120 for the x-ray.........erm, what? I wasn't told that.............disputed it for ages until they sent me the form that I'd signed that agreed to pay for any extra service the consultant needed me to have done........very sneaky in my opinion..........eventually I relented and paid it, it's not worth the aggravation when you know that the reality is they are legally in the right, if not morally......suck it up, learn from it and move on.......

[Tyre Tread]

So, in summary, you conspired with the medical provider to defraud the insurer. The medical provider didn't go ahead with the conspiracy (due to procedural failure) and you want some sort of redress against the medical provider.
Count yourself lucky you won't end up with a criminal conviction and cough up.

ETA: I see you work in HR. Very professional attitude.

Edited by Tyre Tread on Thursday 14th November 23:18

[Countdown]

Bonefish Blues said:

I have a pretty strong sense of what's right & wrong - trouble is, they have you by the bks, don't they...so right and wrong don't even figure.

ETA
Helpful perspective, btw

Why do you say “they have you by the balls”? AIUI if you don’t pay they MIGHT take you to Court. Once at Court both sides have the opportunity to lay out their side of the case, and then the judge decides Who is right and wrong. If you feel strongly that the payment isn’t justified then why not fight it?