Can you legally make payments to a hospital for a bill if your insurance company has already paid you the money in full?
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Can you legally make payments to a hospital for a bill if your insurance company has already paid you the money in full?
My health insurance company has sent me a few claim payment checks which I have spent thinking I would just the make the minimum payments come bill time from the hospital (which I’ve already started doing0. Now the hospital has found out about the payments and wants the money in full and is calling demanding them, etc. I’m not sure what to tell them or if it’s legal to just keep making payments. Have I committed a serious crime? If I refuse to pay in full and just make payments if they know I’ve cashed the checks? This was a few thousand dollars.
Asked on June 26, 2012 under Bankruptcy Law, California
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
Whether or not you did something wrong with respect to the checks you received for medical expenses from your insurance carrier depends upon to whom where the checks issued to? If they were to you, then you could do whatever you desire subject to the realization that you need to pay your health care provider for the services provided.
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