My husband has partial custody of his son with bio mom. Over the years, whenever she takes their son to the doctor or hospital, she puts my husband’s name down for guarantor of insurance (which he is) and also responsible party, which he is not. He also pays child support to her. She puts his name and SSN down for all financials but will put her address and contact info only and will not give a heads up to him prior to. He has gotten calls from collections many times over this, with no prior knowledge of any of these visits and why he was taken. They are both responsible to split any remaining balance once insurance pays their part, but she refuses to pay anything out of pocket herself. He recently reached out to her regarding an EOB we received from a hospital visit, which as of right now is totaling over 3k, and she did not respond. Upon calling the hospital where he went, they confirmed my husband’s name was put down on everything, and only her address and phone number was put for where billing should go, even though she isn’t actually going to pay for it. What are our options on how to get this settled and how to ensure bio mom pays her part as well? Is this considered identity theft? Do we take this to court?
Wow, that sounds really frustrating. He should definitely consult a lawyer about this situation. It might be identity theft if she’s using his information without permission.
I’d recommend documenting everything and keeping records of the EOBs and any communication. You can also reach out to the hospital’s billing department about this issue.
hazela said:
I’d recommend documenting everything and keeping records of the EOBs and any communication. You can also reach out to the hospital’s billing department about this issue.
Great idea. We’ve already started gathering documents to show the pattern.
If she’s not holding up her end of the agreement regarding medical bills, you might have a case for court. It’s best to get legal advice on how to proceed.
This is definitely a complicated situation. Have you thought about mediation? It might help resolve things without going to court.
Westin said:
This is definitely a complicated situation. Have you thought about mediation? It might help resolve things without going to court.
We haven’t considered mediation yet, but it sounds like a good option.
Definitely consult with a lawyer. They can help you navigate the legal aspects and determine if you can take her to court for not paying her share.