Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Am I Expecting To Much?

I have been going round and round with a local doctors office my area over a situation that no one in the office seems to be able to settle. I am asking your opinion in this matter.

In October I made the fatal mistake it seems of paying this doctor with a money order or at least I think I did as I attached a copy of the money order receipt to the bill and noted it was to doctor so and so on this certain date and I filed it away. When I received the second bill, I did the same thing and felt the bill was paid off.

However, I received a third bill and upon further investigation, it shows the first money order has not been recorded or received. Now, the money order company states they have it and show it paid, but they want $15 for a copying fee.

Here is the situation. I am not going to say I couldn't have made a mistake and sent it to the wrong company or doctors office. It is possible I did. I called the office and told them I do not mind paying the $15 fee to obtain the copy of the money order and if it is my mistake I will immediately pay this bill and send an apology along with it.

However, it shows that they did indeed cash the check and the mistake was on the part of the doctors office, I feel they should reimburse me for the $15 extra I had to pay due to their negligence in the first place.

I have spoken with their billing person and their office manager and both of them tell me they do not have the authorization to make a decision like that. They sent me another bill, but still have not returned my telephone call as I am waiting for them to tell me if it is their mistake, they will pay the extra fee.

Today, I am sending them a certified letter so I have proof they received it and expect a reply.

I have several options I can put into play.
1- Pay the $15 and not ask for reimbursement if they are found to have made the error. This probably won't happen!
2- Pay the $15 and go directly to the hospital administrator with this information in the hopes they will authorize reimbursement since it is part of the hospital.
3- Pay the $15 and then go to the newspaper about this doctors office in the hopes they will be shamed into paying me.

I run a part time business and I know if I made an error, my customers would expect me to take care of my end of the bargain.

Am I expecting too much to be reimbursed for something that if found to be their error, I wouldn't have paid the $15 in the first place?

JUST WONDERING HOW YOU WOULD HANDLE THIS?

1 comment:

Jennylou's Projects said...

I would call and tell them "I paid by money order #XXX from financial institute XXX. I sent the payment on this date - I would advise you to check your deposit tickets around that date (probably going as far as 2-3 weeks depending upon how long they take things to post). It may just be that whomever accepted the money didn't log it proper - but, not to worry, they will have it in the deposit tickets if they deposited it.

If at that point they still say it wasn't them, I would pay the $15 and get the copy. If it was them, I'd call and ask them to pay the $15. If you get no response, I'd send them a certified mail, return receipt telling them that you expect to be reimbursed due to their clerical errors and if they do not you will be filing with anyone and everyone: newspaper, insurance company, BBB, etc.