If after sending your group 1 letters, you receive a copy of the medical bill and/ or are being harassed by a collection agency — it is likely that they cannot provide proof that they have an agreement to collect on behalf of the health care provider, or a signed contract binding you to the debt. The other leverage you may have is if the medical bill shows your personal medical data, and this is a serious violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Privacy laws are on your side and prohibit the disclosing of personal health information without your consent. Any release of information regarding your condition would break this privacy law. If they indeed did release your health information you are in the drivers seat as this creates a problem for the collection agency and health care provider. The following letters are designed to help you remove those erroneous medical collections.
