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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not give my address to this American hospital and to be fuming over the phonecall I received

179 replies

whysogrumpy · 01/09/2012 20:46

Ok, I will try to be brief but I am actually shaking over the conversation I had on the phone earlier today.

Last year my dh and I went to New York. I was pregnant at the time and I had horrendous 'morning' sickness while there - in fact, after a whole day of being sick dh was advised by a dr on the phone to take me to hospital as I could have been dehyrated. He did so and I was put on a drip as I was dehydtrated and I also had a scan.

We had taken out travel insurance and, as happens in the states, a man in the hospital came and took the details of it before we saw anyone medical. I also had to give my name and address to the triage nurse and when I left my details were verified again.

When we got back we heard nothing further from our insurance company such as being charged an excess but I have never claimed anything on insurance before so don't really know how it works. Also, during the stay and for weeks after I kept bleeding and, as I also have 2 older dc, I haven't had time to ever consider whether I should have heard from the insurance company, and the incident took place last November.

Anyway, today I received a phonecall from the hospital. The woman said that she needed my address as there had been a fault with their computer and they had lost my insurance details and therefore had not been able to claim for the treatment I recieved. I said that I had given them those AND my address (and they had clearly not lost my phone number Hmm) and she repeated that there had been a fault with the computer. I said that my insurance was a travel policy and I didn't know whether I would be able to claim on it nearly a year after the event and she apologised and asked for my address again. I ummed and ahhed a bit and then she snapped, "If you don't give me the details, your name will be given to all American airports and you will never be able to enter the states again!" Shock.

I hung up at this point. There is no way I can pay a huge hospital bill at this point - we have 3 dc including a 3 month old and I am on mat leave. More to the point, why should I - I had adequate insurance and gave them all the details they asked for. I am upset by her threat but highly unlikely to ever afford to go there again anyway - if it does hold weight - does it Hmm?

AIBU?

OP posts:
WelshMaenad · 01/09/2012 20:49

I never give personal details over the phone. If they want info so bad they can write!

JumpingThroughMoreHoops · 01/09/2012 20:49

If they have your number , they have your insurance details.

Let them find you.

if they deem you to owe money -then yes, they can block your entry, same as we can. I would phone your ins co, because depending on the amount of money you are perceived to owe, the last thing you want is an extradition.

ImperialBlether · 01/09/2012 20:51

Phone your insurance company and tell them exactly what you've told us. They won't extradite you for this, don't worry!

bogeyface · 01/09/2012 20:51

I think YAB a bit U, the cover was in force at the time of the hospital visit, and as such should pay out.

I think you should call the company that insured you and ask them what you should do. Its not going to cost you anything so I dont think that the hospital should not be able to claim the charges back.

That said, the womans attitude on the phone was sucky and I would be checking out whether she is correct about her threat (perhaps via the foreign office travel info?)

WelshMaenad · 01/09/2012 20:51

Also, not being funny, but unless your name is Layla-Marie Slartibartfast, how the fuck are the airports meant to identify that you are the person with your name who didn't give an address to done hospital with slack admin?

discrete · 01/09/2012 20:53

Of course you should never give out details on the phone - what proof do you have that they are who they claim to be?

I don't think you are legally off the hook for any fees though. But if you have not received a bill, I also doubt your insurance would be able to claim that you are too late to make the claim, you would normally have a certain amount of time from when you receive the bill.

Did you inform your insurance company at the time of the incident?

JeezyOrangePips · 01/09/2012 20:54

Welshmaed - how are they going to write if they don't have her address??

I think I'd have given the details, but i can see why some people wouldn't.

spoonsspoonsspoons · 01/09/2012 20:54

Did you register the claim with your insurance company at the time?

JumpingThroughMoreHoops · 01/09/2012 20:55

They do ID you - I have an usual maiden surname, (working out the family dynamic, my mothers first cousins son? meh, same surname) I always used to get stopped when I had that same name on entry into the states and interrogated (not too strong a word) as to where I was related to or knew my 2nd/3rd? cousin. I denied all knowledge. That was 25-30 years ago. I got ID'd in Canada as well.

He was well known Grin

iklboo · 01/09/2012 20:55

Any chance it could be a scam? As in someone at the insurance company has sold your details (not unknown). Next question would probably have been to verify your bank details, date of birth, National Insurance number etc?

WelshMaenad · 01/09/2012 20:55

That, frankly, is their problem! I still would not be giving out information over the phone to people whose credentials I am unable to verify.

Original poster
whysogrumpy · 01/09/2012 20:57

No I have never spoken to my insurance company about it because I didn't know I had to Blush. Never had anything to do with insurance before. I didn't pay anything at the hospital and, as I said, they took my insurance details so I assumed that they make the claim to the company, not me. I left 'officially' - didn't sneak out or anything and no one said I needed to do anything further.

OP posts:
Emmielu · 01/09/2012 20:57

I agree with Welsh. Never give out details over the phone. Especially the way she spoke. I'd have thought they'd like it in writing via letter so they dont "loose" your details again.

facejacker · 01/09/2012 20:57

It sounds a little incredulous that they would bother doing this (i.e. banning you from travelling to the US, extradition etc). I think it would be different if you were in hospital for weeks getting expensive treatment, but not for one day on a drip!

I would echo what the other posters have said though, and contact your insurance company. You had insurance at the time, and the hospital are claiming for the period that you were insured for, so theoretically it shouldn't cos you anything...

Hope it goes away soon...

facejacker · 01/09/2012 20:58

cost

Emmielu · 01/09/2012 20:59

If they had your number then surely they'd have some of your other details. They knew your name too. Did they say anything else I.e. Name of insurance company they know you use?

InkyBinky · 01/09/2012 20:59

How about posting thiis on moneysavingexpert . They have a section on insurance and you might get some good advice. (although lots of good advice here too Grin. )

CaliforniaLeaving · 01/09/2012 21:01

Take no notice it sounds scammy to me.
I'm dealing with some hospital bills from my Dh form april of 2011, wrongly billed. When they call me they have all my information already, and if there was a computer error they would have lost the phone number along with your name and adress. Ignore ignore. If they have a bill to send they will send it. The airports couldn't care less that there may be an outstanding bill.
If you want to make sure it was paid contact the insurance you had with all the information and ask for a written account of what they paid who.

Knowsabitabouteducation · 01/09/2012 21:01

You must have had a deductible with your insurance so should pay something to the hospital.

It would be worth trawling your memory banks for insurance details. Did you really throw them away knowing you had an outstanding claim?

Pandemoniaa · 01/09/2012 21:01

I'm surprised you didn't need to speak to the insurance company but then I'm equally surprised that you didn't get a bill at the time. Usually, you'd pay this (or speak directly to the insurance company who will agree to settle it) before you are discharged. It all sounds a bit unbelievable, to be honest, because if they have your name and phone number then clearly, they haven't lost your details, have they?

spoonsspoonsspoons · 01/09/2012 21:02

The time limit for reporting a claim on my travel insurance is 31 days.

I think normally in this situation, insurance details would be given to the hospital and you would notify the insurance company yourselves. Then if they came chasing the money later it would all be registered with the insurance company.

However sounds like this wasn't done and I'm not sure what the travel insurance company would say/do now, they tend to be fairly rigid with their rules.

clam · 01/09/2012 21:03

Bit late now, but you probably should have informed your insurance company at the time, in the same way that you should if you have a prang in the car, even if you don't intend claiming. Otherwise, if you put in a claim at a later date (say, for delayed effects like whiplash) they can wriggle out of paying.

WhoWhatWhereWhen · 01/09/2012 21:05

I'm Layla-Marie Slartibartfast, why pick on me?

Knowsabitabouteducation · 01/09/2012 21:06

The other thing to consider is whether the travel insurance covers anything to do with pregnancy.

Original poster
whysogrumpy · 01/09/2012 21:06

Yes, I threw it away because I didn't have an outstanding claim because I never paid anything out! Why is it unbelievable, Pandemoniaa - are you saying I'm making it up because I'm not. They took my details, and those of my insurance policy, and never asked me for any money so I paid none. I don't see why I should end up out of pocket, or even pay now an amount I should have paid nearly a year ago as a result of someone else's incompentence. If they'd billed us we'd have paid it and then claimed it and it would be done and dusted now. I don't have the time, money or energy to be dealing with it now.

OP posts: