Help with a Bill Collector
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Anonymous
| So we were in Mexico over the summer and my son had severe ear pain and a very high fever. The hotel doctor thought it was confirmed it was ear infection but wanted my son to see a specialist to make the call on whether he can fly home as our flight was schedule for the very next day. The hotel doctor provided a van to transport my wife and son to the hospital to see a specialist. My wife signed a paper saying that we'd pay for the ride. They went to the hospital and the specialist cleared my son to fly. The cab ride back to the hotel was $20 US. A few weeks later, we get the bill and they charged us $1,066 for the van ride that they called a medical transport. It was not an ambulance. It was a van. We argued and they were very uncaring and said...too bad. You signed. You should have better insurance. She said a real ambulance would have cost us $2800. Anyway...we charged the van ride cost to our AMEX over the phone. We then disputed the charge on the basis that the charge was more than expected. The medical company never responded to American Express so American Express closed the dispute and refunded us the money. Now the medical transport company is calling and emailing saying we need to call AMEX and reverse this or they are going to hit us with late fees and other fees on top of the full amount. AMEX is saying that this is just harassment and they have no grounds and that we should contact them and tell them to stop contacting us. Anyone ever dealt with a similar situation? I even offered to pay them $200 and we walk away and they said No. I mean the first doctor was $150 and the Specialist an few hundred that we paid, but $1000 for a 10 minute van ride? Crazy. This Medical company that we are dealing with is out of NJ. I appreciate any insights. |
Anonymous
| This was in Mexico but the ambulance company is in NJ? Riiight. I’d look them up and learn all about them. If they seem legit I’d send a check for $200 again, along with a cease and desist letter using words like far out of the realm of usual and customary fees, extortion etc. consider this matter closed. One more call or letter from them, call ICE. |
Anonymous
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Why did you even talk to them and offer them money, OP? This encourages them to believe that you will eventually cave. Stupid. Thank God for Amex, and block that dishonest company. |
Anonymous
So we get a bill in the mail with my son's name on it and all the details. Charge $1,066. I'm not sure why the billing company is in NJ but it is. I guess they operate in Cancun. We call them and tell them that the amount is ridiculous and to argue about the bill. This is seemed like a normal response. That's when we offered them $200 and to call it even and they said No. We then told them that we weren't going to pay anything and we got off the phone. My wife talking to them again and we agreed to just pay with AMEX over the phone. We then disputed as I said. So everything seems legit except the ridiculous cost of the van ride. |
Anonymous
| Nothing about that sounds legit, OP. |
Anonymous
| What doesn't sound legit? The name of the company is MedEx Global. So let's say it's legit? Do I ignore them based on what Amex is saying? |
Anonymous
No one here is going to be able to give you an answer. You signed an agreement down in Cancun that is possibly (probably) governed by Cancun law. Whether they will bother to sue you down there is one question, whether the contract as written is enforceable down there is another question and the most important question is whether they will be able (and willing) to obtain and enforce a judgment against you here in the states. That would be a ton of work to go through for a $1K bill. |
Anonymous
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"Medical company that we are dealing with is out of NJ."
You sure they didn't sell the debt to someone in NJ? |
Anonymous
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According to the internet, Medex global is out of Towson MD and is not accredited by the BBB. They are a travel insurance company, which is probably what your son used. So you are dealing with an insurance company here. What paperwork do you have from the event?
https://www.bbb.org/us/md/towson/profile/health-insurance/medex-global-group-inc-0011-23016651 |
Anonymous
| Sorry it's Med X not Med Ex and it is based out of NJ. Sorry about that. I think it will just be easier to pay the bill and avoid the nonsense. |
Anonymous
Screw that. Avoid paying $1,000 to scam artists, but you can never go back to Mexico: #WINNING |
Anonymous
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A typical ambulance will charge you $1000+ per person in the US and the Insurance companies will not pay. We had a situation several years ago where my wife and I were in an accident and were transported to the hospital. Same ambulance. They charged us $1000 EACH.
My FIL had to pay $1000 to be transported from an urgent care facility to ER (Reston area - 10 minute ride). What did we do? In the first case, we tried arguing with the insurance company for months and eventually got them to pay one of the $1000 bills. We ended up paying the other. In the second case, we asked them to take a hike since the bill was in my FIL's name and he was visiting from another country. In your case, if the bill is in your son's name, ask them to take a hike. They will keep calling you for a while, maybe go to court and get a judgment on your son but that will eventually fall away after 7 years. |
Anonymous
Thanks for your post. What pisses me off even more is that this wasn't even an ambulance. It was a van that they call "medical transport". |
Anonymous
That hasn't been my experience. Both my kids have had ambulance rides, and insurance paid. Your insurance sucks. Get better insurance. |
Anonymous
This was the "medical transport": 
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