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Illegal Billing of a Minor?please, I Need Some Advice!

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August 7th, 2007
scenario #1

ok, I have had this primary doctor for a very long time. He knows my parents pretty well and they go to him all the time. Well, my parents found out recently that when I was a minor, they were billing me instead of my parents. I am now 19 and just found out. To be honest I don't know how long my parents have known, but they have did the same thing to my brother and my sister. Im pretty sure that is illegal.My credit is already has messed up. how do I fix this and can I press charges?

Scenario #2

This situation, is different and im not sure if it is illegal or not, but my credit is also messed up because of this too. I went to a Gynocologist a few months ago when I thought I had a syst on my ovaries. I was an adult at the time, but I was still on my parents insurance.My parents gave them their insurance information for my doctor visit. My parents never told me that I had to pay it.So I figured that they would take care of it. They never did and now bill collectors are calling me and harrassing me. Teliing me that my credit is now messed up. My friend who wants to major in law told me that since I was still on my parents insurance, that they legally aren't supposed to send me the bill. Iam not sure if He is right. can anyone help me with these questions?
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kirutian
replied August 7th, 2007
Scenario 1: if you were under the age of 18 at the time and the bill was in your name without a guardian custodianship you do not have to pay.

Scenario 2: You are responsible.
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sillyakchick
replied August 7th, 2007
Extremely eHealthy
OK this is how the billing works:

When you go to a dr's office and you are underage, you have to list one or both of your parents as a guarantor. It does not matter whose health insurance you are using. You will be billed for any remaining balance unless your parent(s) are listed as the guarantor. For example, let's say i was on my spouse's insurance. If I see a doctor and there is a leftover charge, the bill comes to me, unless I list my husband as the guarantor of my account.

Your doctor's office should have done this for you in the first place as an underage patient. You might call them up, ask them to tell you who is listed as the guarantor of your account, and see who was listed. If your parents were listed, getting this credit problem alleviated should be fairly simple, in that all you would have to do is file an appeal with the credit reporting agency. As for the charge when you were 19, Can you call the gyno's office, explain what happened, and offer to set up a payment plan?

I hope this info helps.
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