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Christus St. Joseph Hospital

Houston

Zoe of Brandenton FL (9/15/04):
I was out of my home state when I unexpectedly was admitted to the hosptial via their emergency room and ended up having my gall bladder removed. Two days later they rushed to discharge me when they knew I was uninsured.

Within less than two weeks of discharge I began receiving collection calls from the hospital, before I even received a bill. When I did receive a bill they demanded full payment of $14,000 for a 2-day stay. I am unemployed and currently attending long term rehab so I don't even have a home to live in. They did not counsel me about charity care and to date have not offered any discount such as they provide to big insurance companies.

They have called me every single day and it still hasn't been two weeks since I was discharged. I feel harrassed and I know this is just the beginning and this will further damage my credit. I have given my mother a power of attorney and asked the hospital to call her to try to setttle this but can use help. I know that there has been a lot of publicity lately about the uninsured and aggressive hospital collection pracitces. Plus I think they violated federally mandated patient anti dumping regulations.

More damage to my credit if not a judgement, and harrassment expected. I am trying to slow them down. It's not that I don't want to pay them but I am eligible for charity care so why didn't they counsel me while I was there. I am a 23-year-old single female and again was out of my home state and scared out of my mind, with no one to help me. I had to make decisions under extreme duress.

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