Received demand to pay 'missed' medical bill altough it is already paid

Family, Education, Health and Pets
1
Hello everyone

I went to a doctor in Geneva a few months ago (I work & live in Geneva for a few years now) and, as per usual, I received the bill about a month later and payed it immediatelly . I even made a claim to my private insurance and got back some of the money I paid for the doctor's visit.

Here is the problem now: I got today a letter, stating that the bill is not payed and that I should pay it immediately (plus a surcharge of CHF 5.-) from the union of doctors (not sure if I should include the name of the company in my post) altough I have already paid it.

I send them and email (in english) and got no response.

I have available at any time the proof from my bank account that the bill was payed through e-banking and the proof that my insurance paid for that specific doctor's visit.

What should I do? Should I contact them, the doctor or my insurance company? I don't want to give them free money, nor get into any legal troubles.

Thank you in advance

2
Make a copy of your account statement showing the payment, send that with the invoice to them, stating that you paid then and ask them to confirm. Do send it as registered letter?

3
Mistakes happen, in Doctor's book-keepings too.

As you have their email, scan your prove and mail it to them. If you don't hear from them withn one day, do as roegner says, send it (the copies!!) by registered mail.

Most times these things can be settled easily.

4
Yes, this.

In your letter, ask them to please stop, immediately, sending you any more warnings and charging you any more fees. In German this is called a "Mahnstopp". Getting it can prevent the matter escalating.

For your privacy, black out all the other parts of your account statement.

Make sure you list all the reference numbers, etc. and set each next step down chronologically.

5
I once got a medical bill again after 3 years. I could prove that I had paid and also that the health insurance covered most of the bill.

so I wrote an angry, registered letter back that they should get their administration in order and don't bother me with this.

never heard about it again

6
Sorry if this sounds unsympathetic. It's not meant to, it's supposed to be suspicious.

Your first post on EF is to ask what to do in an instance where you are in the right, you can prove it easily and incontrovertibly, and you're not under any threat or in any danger... really?

What would you do if you received a speeding fine for a car you don't own? Or if the checkout operator at Migros scanned a tin of tomatoes twice, right under your nose? You'd speak to the individual, business or agency responsible, and politely show that you're not liable... wouldn't you?

Or did you just want to "start a discussion"?

7
There's nothing for you to prove here by replying with a registered mail, dont' waste your money. Don't even waste 85rp for B-Post letter either - they'll throw it away anyway. Just reply by email and wait what happens. If you have the proofs that you did pay, there's nothing for you to worry about! It'll cost them if they try to enforce the claim and turn out to be wrong

BS, it has no legal implications, they can escalate whenever they feel like it even without warning you, so don't waste the money on einschreiben and just patiently wait

8
You're correct actually. But foreigners are extremly impressed by "Betreibungen", so registered letters makes it easier for them to prove things.

9
The only proof you need is that that you paid the bill long ago already, fully and on time

10
Yes, Ivank, precisely. Anyone, at any time, can escalate anything whenever they feel like it, even if there is no claim at all. That escalation, if it progresses from Reminder to Warning to " Betreibung ", can cause a lot of trouble. Therefore, best to get it stopped.

Even if Nellaf doesn't owe a thing because she has already paid that bill properly, it'll probably still take that billing department a while to look up their records and compare them with the proof Nellaf sends them. It can be a relief to know they've at least set the "Mahnungsstopp" toggle, till they they get around to confirming that they've cancelled the repeat bill.

11
Find someone who speaks German and call them (as in the insurance)? Or alternatively, print out the account statement and send it with a note?

This isn't really that challenging to figure out, isn't it? In any country that is. Has happened to me on a couple of occasions - one friendly phone call and the problem is resolved. No one ever had to go to any lengths to figure it out at any company I encountered this problem with. I have not once even been put on hold for hours, days or weeks, let alone have I ever received another incorrect reminder for a bill I had indeed already paid after informing them accordingly.

Really, people, sometimes life can be shockingly easy...

I get that people are "scared" of the Betreibungen. But this isn't one, it's just a reminder.

12
Thank you all for your responses. I know this is a rather simple issue but I was not clear on the procedure due to the language barrier. I will contact the company as soon as possible with my proof of payment at hand.

Sorry if this post made you suspicious. I assure you it was not just to "start a discussion".

I was just looking for advice on this simple topic and this forum seemed very helpful. No need to get all suspicious just because someone is not as acquainted as you to the procedures of the country.

13
Whenever I get bills with an Einzahlungsschein (and here in Switzerland about 98% of bills do) I use the Einzahlungsschein mask in my e-banking rather than the free form IBAN mask. The advantage is that the Einzahlungsschein number is tracked and automatically matched (and I think there is even some form of immediate parity check in case you mistyped)

The IBAN mask / form is much more freeform and the risk is thus greater that a clerical error at the other end might lead to your payment falling between the cracks.

14
I mistyped once, and it still passed the parity check.

I also scanned one once, it read the scan wrong, and also passed the parity check.

In both cases, the payment went to the right company, but the wrong account.

Tom

15
I got a mishap like this from my physio.

A quick call to the company that was doing their book keeping, gave them the transaction info, and it was solved without any trouble.

16

17
The insurance company likely has a hotline in both German and French

But feel free to replace 'German' with 'French' in my previous comment

18
That the insurance reimbursed you does not show or proof anything. You can claim without paying the doctors bill. The only thing matters is that you paid the bill. This is, the correct amount, to the correct account, using the correct reference.

You have to check your bank statement if the payment was really done, if receiving bank account number is correct, and if reference number matches.

Although, reference and account number have a check sum digit, you may still mistype one and it still pass the check.

http://www.ocrb1.ch/tl_files/JG/doku....0001.File.pdf

https://projects.piratenpartei.ch/dmsf/files/2350/view

http://www.hosang.ch/modulo10.aspx

Additionaly, I was once made aware of a bill I did not pay. But I knew I paid it. Payment slip was stamped with date and signed by me as it is my habit. So I checked the bank extract. It was not there. Check for payments with the same amount. Did not exist.

I went to the online banking tool: Once I started ed to type the reference number auto completion showed the whole number. Conclusion, I certainly typed it in, but something went wrong and the payment was never made. Do not know what, do not care. Was an one off event, the amount small, and no problem at all.

Next, steps: Check your bank statements if the payment really went through.

Then check and double check if all numbers (amount, account, reference) are correct. If all passes or there is an issue, contact them and explain the situation and discuss how to proceed.

19

Happened to me as well once.

It turned out I had set the payment date one year in advance. No idea how that happened, but normally I check the month and the day but not the year so these things slip through. I must have clicked something stupid by mistake.

20
@nellaf, I liked it that you asked. You sound like one of those people who has decided to learn about how the system works here, so you can get on with being in charge of your life. I like that.

There are plenty more foolish people who just decide, emotionally: "Oh, I am 100% sure I paid, and I'm right, so I'll just throw this Reminder away and not do anything!" Those are the ones who, later in the story, end up with a much bigger problem to solve. You, however, are wisely following: "A stitch in time, saves nine". Good for you!