NASHVILLE,TN (TN Tribune) – Consumer-rights law firm Hagens Berman has launched a national investigation into Envision Healthcare Corporation and its medical bill collection moniker, MyMedicalPayments.com, for what attorneys say is likely a massive billing scam.
“We’ve seen widespread reports from consumers across the country who are baffled and frankly very frightened by the wildly inflated hospital and ER bills they receive from Envision’s MyMedicalPayments.com,” said Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman. “After their visit, patients are often hounded by confusing mailers, text messages and phone calls, harassing them to pay exorbitant fees and overcharges.”
“We think it’s time this extortion stopped,” he added. “We believe that what Envision is doing violates consumers’ rights and consumer protection laws.”
If you receive care from an Envision physician, or a medical bill from MyMedicalPayments.com, you may have been severely overcharged for medical care and may be entitled to repayment. Contact Hagens Berman to find out more about this issue and your consumer rights against Envision.
While fleecing patients, Envision has made its private-equity investors rich. By 2005, Tennessee-based Envision was the largest ER outsourcer in the U.S. with roughly 300 client hospitals in 39 states and $550 million in sales, attorneys say.
Online forums and the Better Business Bureau’s online reports list dozens of complaints against Envision, with medical bills in the thousands of dollars.
Is MyMedicalPayments.com legitimate? How do I know if I’ve been scammed?
Attorneys are offering the following guidance to consumers who may have received care from an Envision physician or received a bill from MyMedicalPayments.com:
1. How would I know if my provider was from Envision? Envision has long been accused of hiding its practices to avoid detection. Many patients are never informed that Envision providers were operating out of their insurance network and would bill additional “out-of-network” rates for their services, leading to massive medical bills. Chances are, you would have only known you received care from an Envision physician after your visit, via a bill or contact from MyMedicalPayments.com.
2. How would I have been billed or contacted? Patients online have reported being contacted via mail, email, phone and text message for alleged medical bill debt collection. The text may state that you owe Envision money, or you may receive a bill stating, “Pay your bill online at MyMedicalPayments.com!” or other similar language. The bills may include vague references to care you received, but the charges, attorneys say, may be inflated and fraudulent.
3. Health care is expensive. How do I know I’ve been overcharged? According to patients, Envision Healthcare Corporation has hit uninsured and out-of-network patients with bills for thousands of dollars following emergency room visits, hospital visits and use of ambulance and have “habitually charged exorbitant fees” violating state and federal laws through deceptive and unlawful practices. If you aren’t sure, our legal team can assist you in reviewing your medical bill.
4. What do I do if I’m being harassed by Envision and MyMedicalPayments.com Attorneys say that patients who are currently being harassed by Envision to pay this fraudulent debt should contact our legal team.
5. What if I’ve already paid my bill? If you have already paid the bill Envision or MyMedicalPayments.com sent you, you may have overpaid and be entitled to reimbursement. Contact our legal team to learn more.
