Inova Hospital one of the leading hospitals in the Northern Virginia area, has this down to a science, before you sign any papers entering this hospital read any and all fine print. This is worse than you would expect from a rip off auto dealer. It is all perfectly, legal as I was to find out the hard way. This past week after being in a Fairfax county Virginia (pro business, anti consumer or citizen General District court) to dispute charges to me.
As a patient of a leading HMO I had no idea this would happen
So I am giving all of you a heads up for the future
The charges should have been billed to my HMO who is one of the leading if not biggest client of the INOVA systems. What takes place is this.
The HMO agrees to the charges, and has a certain time frame for a claim to be filed.inOVA knows this and collects millions of dollars by doing this.
When they make a mistake your in for a treat of paying them by default and law suit. Naturally by cutting costs and not having enough employees to collect from there HMO or PPO your responsible.
I was referred to INOVA for Cardio Rehab, and was approved for this by my HMO/PPO, INOVA accepted this.inOVA's told me, my claim was denied to to exhausting my cardio rehab visits for the year, now let me explain.
How many people you know get annual by pass surgeries or follow up rehab annually? This is a total scam... And and a lie.
When their billing department fails to file in time they know full well that you will pay. The scam is they send you 3 to 5 bills saying you owe them the money. You then phone them to dispute the claims as it was authorized by your HMO or PPO. They have limited phone help and you must call no later than 4PM. After you cannot get anywhere you write a letter certify it and say I am not responsible you made this error. They then say this was never received and then send you to collections.in Virginia collections is a huge business almost as big as tourism do to the friendly pro business anti consumer protection racket. I bet there are three collection lawyers for every citizen. I know there is one lawyer for every eight people so this is a sign of the money made.
When you call the collection company to dispute they say pay or we will send you to legal. If you enter the Fairfax county court Inova has attorney's full time with files of lawsuits aka warrant in debts piled sky high.
The attorney send you a summons you call explain they listen in one ear and out the other and your in court. No one cares no one listens and they know they will win. The justices are in full compliance with the scam.
They know this is the hospitals error and go along with it, its all part of the greater old boys & girls legal retirement club. Virginia also is known as a
Litigation lawyers dream, since they cannot
You get to court and there it is in living color, first you are dressed down for not coming with an attorney at a cost of a few thousand more dollars.
The judge explains how the system works, and tells you this is civil court and knows you do not have a clue that this is all about civil procedure and rules not about who is right or wrong. At this point you haven't a clue you have already lost.
The judge asks the lawyer how long this case will take and they answer ten minutes. After you state that the hospital has a certain time frame to file and collect on a claim, the judge tells you the patient your in breach of contract, its is your obligation and proceeds to belittle you to now end.
You then explain how is it the hospital collected over $75,000 and did not collect the $ 2000 in time, and the judge again tells you this is not the time to debate this. She or he says now get this " when you signed in to the hospital you already knew you were responsible". Oh really, you mean that polite nurse or assistant who did not say "if this ain't paid we will come after you like gangsters" who smiled so politely was holding back this criticalinformation?
The deck is stack against you at INOVA they accepted the HMO / PPO clients, they do not bill in time and then they proceeded to sue you
Please before entering any facility by INOVA check the fine print your in for a big surprise that can cost you a home or car..
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