Collection Agency

Yesterday, I received a notice from a collection agency regarding an outstanding charge we owed to Northside Anesthesiology. I quickly called Northside to inquire about this charge. I remembered the first time I received the bill from the Anesthesiology company, I had called to dispute the charge and was told the charge would be removed.

When the billing representative answered the call yesterday afternoon, she asked for my account number. As I began to inquire as to what the outstanding charge was for, she quickly asked for my name. I stated it and she said, "please hold."

Okay....

A few minutes later she was back on the phone and said, I apologize for this oversight. The charge will be removed and we will contact the collection agency immediately.

As I hung up, excited that the call was fast, easy, and resulted in a zero balance, I wondered what exactly the representative saw in my file that made her act so swiftly. Maybe there were notes about the first conversation I had with a billing representative. If so, I wonder what they said. I vividly remember the conversation...it went something like this:

Representative: Northside Anesthesiology, may I help you?

Me: Yes, I just received a bill from your company. There was an amount listed, but no description of the services. Can you please tell me what I am being billed for as I don't remember using your company.

R: Services were on 2/7/10

Me: I see that, but can you tell me what the services were? Again, I don't remember using your company.

R: 2/7/10. Isn't that when you had a baby? You don't remember having a baby?

Me: No, I remember having my baby a little too well to have used any of your services!

R: Oh....