Medical bill that was already paid causes patient year of stress

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Imagine getting calls almost daily demanding payment for medical debt you don’t owe.

That’s what some say happened after they received X-rays, MRIs and mammograms from Tampa Bay radiology associates.

The I-Team is looking into what’s behind dozens of complaints and what you can do if you receive a bill you don’t own.

“Starting at eight, I would get a phone call, and again about six o’clock at night, I would get another one saying I owed the bill,” said Lisa Mattox.

Mattox said she was hounded with calls over what was supposed to be a free mammogram from the Florida Department of Health.

“I called and explained the situation that it was free, and they told me no… that they didn’t cover the bill, and I owed it,” Mattox claimed.

The Pinellas County Health Department confirmed to Mattox that the provider was paid and told Mattox she didn’t owe anything

“It causes a lot of stress for people”

But Mattox said calls and texts demanding hundreds of dollars didn’t stop.

“I think it causes a lot of stress for people. Especially people on a limited income,” she said.

Mattox eventually filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.

BBB spokesperson Bryan Oglesby said Tampa Bay Radiology’s collection practices have sparked multiple complaints.

“They feel that the bill that they’re receiving is a bill that they either paid or their costs were covered by their insurance company,” Oglesby said.

Earlier this month, Tampa Bay Radiology had a “D” rating with the BBB.

“They’ve had 23 complaints filed with the BBB in the last three years,” Oglesby said.

Recently their rating was upgraded to a “B” after the company responded to a previously unanswered complaint.

If you get a bill you don’t owe and you’re hoping to go to Tampa Bay Radiology’s physical office to sort it out, you are out of luck.

A bill the I-Team received when we requested complaints from the Florida Attorney General’s Office shows the company lists addresses for the company in Oaks, Pennsylvania and Indianapolis, Indiana.

Florida Secretary of State records show the company’s mailing address is in Nashville, Tennessee.

But it turns out the people trying to collect money from Mattox worked for yet another company called Zotec Partners, located a thousand miles from her home in Carmel, Indiana.

“It was just a merry-go-round. Every month it was the same thing,” Mattox said.

We contacted Zotec and asked them about Mattox’s case as well as the other BBB complaints.

A spokesperson disputes Mattox’s account of what they describe as her “bill care journey” and said they are “focused on providing trust, care and excellence… in our patient interactions.”  

Zotec’s website said it collected $8 billion last year for medical bills issued by 21,000 providers.  

Third-party billing creates opportunities for mistakes

“Your third-party billing company, with advents in technology, they don’t have to be sitting on the first floor of the doctor’s office to process all the bills,” said attorney Richard Peck.

Peck, who doesn’t represent Mattox, has sued Tampa Bay Radiology on behalf of other clients, alleging the company violated the Florida Consumer Collections Act.

That law prohibits aggressive collection methods, including calling after certain hours, calling too many times and continuing to call a consumer after being notified they are represented by an attorney.

“The more hands you have in the pot, the more opportunity there is for something to go wrong,” Peck said.

“You’re worried. 'Is it gonna affect your credit? Are they going to put a lien on me?'” Mattox said.

Mattox said bill collectors tried to force her to agree to a monthly payment plan, but she refused.

“Never feel pressure to just pay because someone’s calling you to say you owe a bill,” Oglesby said.

Oglesby said if you agree to a payment plan, that could make it harder to dispute.

“You shouldn’t come up with a payment plan first if you feel that this debt is not yours,” Oglesby said.

The BBB helped resolve Mattox’s case, even though Mattox said Zotec didn’t take responsibility.

“They made it sound like my bill had just been paid that month when it had been paid for over a year,” she said.

Peck said you can also take bill collectors who don’t follow the law to court.

If you win, the company can be fined and will have to pay your legal bill.

State agencies, including the Florida Attorney General’s Office, can also help consumers with complaints.

Here is Zotec’s complete statement:

If you have a story you’d like the I-Team to investigate, email us at adam@abcactionnews.com