Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas

Ms. [redacted],Thanks for your response to my complaint against Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas. Per your request for clarification, my response is as follows:1. Attached as "Document 3" is a receipt reflecting a zero balance, which was acknowledged with a signature of [redacted] in the business...

office.2. The only thing I have as for as a discount being given on the initial amount of $5,608.00, are "Document 1" which shows a $4,374.24 credit, and "Document 3" reflecting $618.88 which settled the account. I was given a 50% discount on the $1,233.76.3. I wish for a threefold outcome: a) Remove lien. There was a hospital lien filed with the County Clerk's Office on 4/8/2014, for the  3/18/2014 date of service. At which time, the lien was justly filed given that I was treated within 72 hours of the accident (Per Texas Property Code, Sec. 55.002). However, the account has since been paid in full, obviously.  The hospital's attorneys refuse to discharge the lien; b) Remove "Dummy Release" or "Bogus Release." The attorneys for the hospital have filed a release which is not specific as to which lien it releases (See attached as "Questionable - Lien Release). In addition to the lien in question being on file, there are two prior liens for past dates of service. It is very suspect that the attorneys would file the release without clarity. This is in direct violation of Texas Penal Code, 32.49. I am concerned that maybe the hospital has written the accounts off for charity or has received some other benefit or tax credit and their attorneys are attempting to double dip. And have filed the "dummy release" so as to confuse anyone reviewing the recorded documents; andc) Remove lien. I received a Notice of Lien dated 11/14/2014, from the hospital's attorneys (See attached as 'Letter from law firm regarding 4/1/2014 date of service"). The lien has no legal basis in that the visit stemmed from injuries sustained in the 3/18/2014, which said visit did not take place within 72 hours of the accident (Texas Property Code, Sec. 55.002). In an effort to get around the law, the attorneys indicate in the lien that the accident happened on or about 4/1/2014. I submit that they were well aware of the actual date of the accident. All in all, their actions amount to an illegal systematic attempt to get money out of unsuspecting consumers.I have attached a range of receipts and/or invoices depicting some of the activity of the account. Notably, the discrepancies in the post-final-payment, balance. Since paying off the account, I have been verbally given a number of versions as to what the dollar amount of the balance was. This would come from the attorneys, a collection agency, and Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas.I hope this information will suffice. Please let me know if more information is require.Thanks,[redacted]

[redacted] presented to the Baptist Beaumont Hospital on
March 18, 2014
 
The usual and customary charges for the medical care and
treatment, nursing care, supplies and equipment provided to Mr. [redacted] by Baptist
Beaumont Hospital on March 18, 2014 totaled $5,608.00. 
Hospital personnel spoke with Mr. [redacted] regarding payment for
the treatment rendered to him.  Mr. [redacted]
indicated that he was uninsured and had no third party, accident or group
health insurance to pay for the services rendered to him by BHSET on March 18,
2014.
 
On
April 8, 2014, BHSET filed a Notice of Hospital Lien in Jefferson County
securing the hospital’s interest in being paid for the treatment provided to
Mr. [redacted] out of the proceeds of any settlement or judgment paid by the
individual who caused the accident in which he was injured on March 18, 2014. 
 
BHSET
relied on Mr. [redacted]’ representations and granted him a substantial discount offered
to uninsured patients who do not have the financial means to pay for the medical
services rendered to them.  Chief among
the representations relied upon by BHSET was Mr. [redacted]’ assertion that he did
not have either health insurance or a third party claim against the individual
who caused the accident in which he was injured on March 18, 2014.  On November 11, 2014, Mr. [redacted] paid $618.88
to BHSET for the treatment rendered to him at Baptist Beaumont Hospital on
March 18, 2014.
 
Two
days later, on November 13, 2014, BHSET received credible information indicating
that Mr. [redacted] had misrepresented material facts and withheld information regarding
the existence of a third party claim against the individual who caused the
accident in which he was injured on March 18, 2014.  Specifically, BHSET learned that Mr. [redacted]
had a pending claim with [redacted] Insurance related to the March 18, 2014
motor vehicle accident. Since Mr. [redacted] has a third party claim arising from
his car accident on March 18, 2014, he does not qualify for BHSET’s uninsured
discount program.  Today, the outstanding
balance for accident-related hospital services, medical care and treatment,
nursing care, supplies and equipment provided to [redacted] on March
18, 2014 is $4,989.12.
 
On
April 1, 2014, [redacted] presented to the Baptist Beaumont Hospital
emergency room seeking continued treatment of the injuries he sustained in the
car accident on March 18, 2014.  As
before, Mr. [redacted] was admitted to the hospital’s emergency department for the
further diagnosis and treatment of his accident-related injuries.  The usual and customary charges for the
accident-related hospital services, medical care and treatment, nursing care,
supplies and equipment provided to Mr. [redacted] by Baptist Beaumont Hospital on March
18, 2014 totaled $989.00. 
 
The
Texas Hospital Lien statute provides that, in order for the lien to attach, the
patient “must be admitted to a hospital not later than 72 hours after the
accident.”  The statute also provides
that “the lien extends to both the admitting hospital and a hospital to which
the individual is transferred for treatment of the same injury.”  It is our understanding that the only Texas
court who has considered these provisions ruled that charges for subsequent
admissions for treatment of accident-related injuries are also protected by the
hospital lien so long as there was an initial admission within 72 hours of the
accident.  Since Mr. [redacted] was admitted
to Baptist Beaumont Hospital on March 18, 2014, within 72 hours of the car
accident, the lien filed in Jefferson County on April 8, 2014 extends to
include the charges for treatment provided to Mr. [redacted] on April 1, 2014.  The lien filed in Jefferson County on
November 19, 2014 stating that the accident was on April 1, 2014 was filed by
mistake and will be released.
 
The
Release of Hospital Lien referenced in Mr. [redacted]’ complaint relates to a lien
filed in Jefferson County for an emergency room admission on October 30, 2013
following a motor vehicle accident on that date.  The Release was filed after the hospital
wrote off the debt.
 
It
is my understanding that Texas Penal Code § 32.49 and Texas Government Code § 51.903(a)
pertain to fraudulent liens.  The
hospital lien filed in Jefferson County by BHSET on April 8, 2014 is decidedly not
a fraudulent lien.  The lien filed in
Jefferson County on November 19, 2014 stating that the accident was on April 1,
2014 is also not a fraudulent lien; rather, it was filed by mistake.
 
Mr.
[redacted], by virtue of his third party claim against [redacted] insured, has
adequate financial resources to fulfill his financial obligations to BHSET for the
accident-related hospital services, medical care and treatment, nursing care,
supplies and equipment provided to Mr. [redacted] by Baptist Beaumont Hospital on March
18, 2014 and again on April 1, 2014.  It
appears to BHSET that Mr. [redacted] is attempting to realize a financial windfall
at the hospital’s expense by not providing factual information regarding his third
party claim against [redacted] insured. 
Mr. [redacted]’ Revdex.com complaint seems calculated to force BHSET to file a
Release of Hospital Lien pertaining to the March 18, 2014 accident so that
[redacted] will pay settlement funds to him alone, without fairly compensating
the hospital for the emergency healthcare services provided to him.  BHSET only seeks reasonable reimbursement for
medically necessary services rendered to Mr. [redacted].