HIPAA Health Information Privacy Complaint

Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Xxxtavx Sxxxxa, et al X3XX New Utrecht Ave. Apt. XX Brooklyn New York 11219

Against

Professional Claims Bureau, Inc., Debt Collectors since 1964, 274 Duffy Avenue, Hicksville, New York 11801. License No. 0811196 New York City Department of Consumer Affairs

Unlawful use of Medical Records/ Information

Suffered harassment related to the collection of consumer debts and privacy provisions violations. The following is a brief overview of some of the HIPAA provisions Professional Claims Bureau, Inc., the third party, Debt Collectors, is violating: The privacy provisions establishing a national standard for the collection, use and disclosure of individually identifiable health information. Restrictions on the uses and disclosures of patient information; Professional Claims Bureau, Inc., the third party, Debt Collectors, contacts all insurance companies by telephone, such including: Allstate Insurance Co.,

Aetna Inc. Oxford Health Plans, Inc. United Healthcare, CIGNA Corporation, MEDICAID. Uses all Health Providers Federal Tax identification numbers, Medicare Health Providers

identification numbers, Oxford Health Plans, Inc. Health Providers identification numbers in its possession, upwards of 50 listings, claiming to be the Health Providers,

executing fraud. April 14, 2003 on going, Such Health Providers including:

Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY

St Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY, Amsterdam Avenue and West 114th Street

New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY

Long Island College Hospital, Brooklyn, NY

Professional Claims Bureau, Inc., the third party, Debt Collectors, designates employees, Melissa Roth, June and Cassandra, Susan Frank, Milton Williams as Insurance employees for the purpose of:

Wrongful Disclosure of Individually Identifiable Health Information - "A person who knowingly and in violation of this part (1) uses or causes to be used a unique health identifier;

(2) obtains individually identifiable health information relating to an individual; or (3) discloses individually identifiable health information to another person

shall be punished as provided...

to be fined not more than $50,000, imprisoned not more than one year, or both;
if the offense is committed under false pretenses, be fined not more than $100,000, imprisoned not more than five years, or both;
if the offense is committed with the intent to sell, transfer, or use individually identifiable health information for commercial advantage, personal gain, or malicious harm, be fined not more than $50,000, imprisoned not more than one year, or both."

Dated: New York, New York

September 17, 2003

cc: Region II, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services


E-Mail our Complaint	Send US Senator Charles E. Schumer Unlawful use of Medical Records/ Information complaint: please feel to send me an e-mail Send US Senator Hillary Clinton Unlawful use of Medical Records/ Information complaint: Please let me hear from you about your views on the issues that matter to your family and your community.	Take Action! With the new Advocacy Project

United States District Court,

E.D. New York.

James EDGE, Plaintiff,

PROFESSIONAL CLAIMS BUREAU, INC., And

'John Doe,' Defendants.

No. CV 98-5464.

Sept. 10, 1999.

BACKGROUND

I. Factual Background

The undisputed facts surrounding plaintiff's

complaint are stated simply. James Edge is

employed as a process server. On May 23, 1997,

Edge appeared at Professional's office for the purpose

of serving a summons in connection with a civil

lawsuit naming Professional as a defendant. On that

same date, Professional accessed a credit reporting

service, known as "Experian," and obtained Edge's

address. Edge contends that the credit search was

conducted in "retaliation" for Edge's attempt to serve

Professional and therefore was for a purpose deemed

improper by the FCRA.

Parties	District Court	Judge	Type of Lawsuit	Cause of Action
July 20, 2007
Campisi v. Professional Claims Bureau Inc. et al	NY Eastern	Wexler	Consumer Credit	Fair Debt Collection Act
Plaintiff: Daria Campisi; Defendant:Professional Claims Bureau Inc., Butler, Shanda, Michael Brett

June 25, 2007
Weber v. Professional Claims Bureau, Inc.	NY Eastern	Gershon	Consumer Credit	Fair Debt Collection Act
Plaintiff: Sarah Weber; Defendant: Professional Claims Bureau, Inc.

March 1, 2007
Jolifier v. Professional Claims Bureau, Inc.	NY Eastern	Vitaliano	Consumer Credit	Fair Debt Collection Act
Plaintiff: Noe Jolifier; Defendant: Professional Claims Bureau, Inc.

October 19, 2006
Soffer v. Professional Claims Bureau, Inc.	NY Eastern	Spatt	Consumer Credit	Fair Debt Collection Act

February 24, 2006
Spira v. Professional Claims Bureau, Inc.	NY Eastern	Gershon	Consumer Credit	Fair Debt Collection Act

July 28, 2005
Lannon v. Professional Claims Bureau, Inc.	NY Eastern	Seybert	Other Statutory Actions	Fair Debt Collection Act

March 15, 2005
Jackson et al v. Professional Claims Bureau, Inc.	NY Eastern	Dearie	Consumer Credit	Fair Debt Collection Act

September 9, 2004
Spira v. Professional Claims Bureau, Inc.	NY Eastern	Korman	Other Statutory Actions	Fair Debt Collection Act

Send US Senator Charles E. Schumer Unlawful use of records or information complaint: please feel to send me an e-mail

Send US Senator Hillary Clinton Unlawful use of records or information complaint: Please let me hear from you about your views on the issues that matter to your family and your community.

The Company is owned and operated by Kenny Marcus who claims to have once lum sum net $250, 000 from Medicaid. Melissa claims to have contacts in Medicaid and can apply for Medicaid with out the patient and recent lum sum nets $85,000. The Company collects the SS# and other information of HOME LESS patients from Hospitals and Accurint, then files claims with out the patient. There has been talk of filing for undocumented/ illegal aliens. Talk of bringing in a former Medicaid male employee who knows the in and out of Medicaid. The idea is everyone has insurance, whether or not, there is Medicaid. Insurance companies are never told this is a collection agency, a very BIG code there. In some cases after years of a claim there is an effort to gain some kind of proof of timely filing that does not exists or other issue. Whatever fraud a collector can use against an insurance company. A representative will go to the hospital and attempt to find one through out the medical records. Some of the time they attack some patient with credit report checking, collection notices, and phone calls. The patient then may attempt to reopen the claim. They then claim to be the Hospital and argue proof of timely filing or other issues. Another scam is to blame patients for their proof of timely filing insurance troubles and demand immediate cash. At this point they may get the patient to have a 3-way conversation with the insurance company.

Patients who go to more than one Hospital can be tracked through their system, which has more medical records on a patient than one Hospital. They then will get an SS# from one file, attach it to another and bill Medicaid. It doesn’t matter who the patient really is or not, as long as Medicaid "their easily deceived" will pay it. They spend hours finding how many Hospital visits patients attended with in a 2-year period. There are cases of people with no SS# who may have similar ID’s to Medicaid holders who now have Medicaid. They print up their own Hospital letter heads to bill Medicaid and deposit the payments in a Not For Profit Organization Fund which they have access to, although not a Not For Profit Organization or Health Care Provider. The advantage is the elements of fraud. A Collection Agency that taps into the MEDICAID SYSTEM of New York and New Jersey every day.

Beneficiary of Charity/ a non profit organization, St. Luke's Health System relies on your support to provide a truly unique patient care environment. There are many ways you can support St. Luke's and become part of its unique family, including making a financial contribution to St. Luke's, donating blood, and volunteering at St. Luke's.

Several class action lawsuits have been filed against nonprofit hospitals in Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Tennessee. The suits were filed in regards to the charitable status of nonprofit hospitals nationwide, and claim that these hospitals are not honoring the promise of charity care as defined in their tax-exempt status. The suits claim that the hospitals are charging uninsured patients "sticker" price while insurance companies negotiate large discounts for the same services provided to those with medical coverage.

Professional Claims Bureau, Inc.

New York City Department of Consumer Affairs License No. 0811196

Street Address:	P.O. Box 9060
City:	Hicksville
State or Canadian Province:	New York
Country:	UNITED STATES
Zip Code or Postal Code:	11801

How Did the Company Initially Contact You?:	Mail

If you Received Demands Debt Notices and must forward full payment by check or money order from The Offices of Professional Claims Bureau, Inc. Debt Collector and have HAD Medical Coverage or Medical Insurance during a visit to a Not For Profit Hospital, How Much Did You Actually Pay the Company? you may be a victim of Mail Fraud, FALSE BILL OR NOTICE. This may include but not limited to the procurement of a copy of your credit report, real property ownership records as well as other available financial records. If contracted medical providers don’t receive payment from the HMO, it is illegal for them to collect that money from the patient or the HMO member. A contracted medical provider may be defined as one that is in the HMO network.

Professional Claims Bureau, Inc., charging patients "sticker" price or larger $$$ amounts, full payment by check or money order while your insurance companies negotiate large discounts for the same services provided to you with medical coverage, you may be a victim of Mail Fraud: If contracted medical providers don’t receive payment from the HMO, it is illegal for them to collect larger $$$ amounts, money from the patient or the HMO member. The character, amount, or legal status of any debt;

Notice states initated by the creditor as well as the agency previously retained to assist you in the resolution of your debt, you may be a victim of Mail Fraud:

THE FAIR DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES ACT

sec. 812. Furnishing certain deceptive forms [15 USC 1692j]

(a) It is unlawful to design, compile, and furnish any form knowing that such form would be used to create the false belief in a consumer that a person other than the creditor of such consumer is participating in the collection of or in an attempt to collect a debt such consumer allegedly owes such creditor, when in fact such person is not so participating.

File a
Mail Fraud Complaint

New York City Department of Consumer Affairs Licencia No. 0811196 De Professional Claims Bureau, Inc.

Dirección De la Calle:	P.O. Box 9060
Ciudad:	Hicksville
Estado o provincia canadiense:	New York
País:	UNITED STATES
Código postal o código postal:	11801

¿Cómo la compañía le entró en contacto con inicialmente?:	Mail

¿Si usted recibió avisos de la deuda de las demandas y debe remitir el pago completo por orden del cheque o de dinero de las oficinas de recaudador de Professional Claims Bureau, Inc. y HABER TENIDO cobertura médica o seguro médico durante una visita a a no para el hospital del beneficio, cuánto usted realmente pagó a compañía? usted puede ser una víctima del fraude del correo, de la CUENTA FALSA O del AVISO. Esto puede incluir pero no limitado a la consecución de una copia de su informe de crédito, expedientes de la propiedad de la característica verdadera tan bien como otros expedientes financieros disponibles. Si los abastecedores médicos contraídos no reciben el pago del HMO, es ilegal que él recoja ese dinero del paciente o del miembro de HMO. Un abastecedor médico contraído se puede definir como uno que esté en la red de HMO.

Archive una queja del fraude del correo

Department of Health & Human Services

Federal Trade Commission

Federal Communications Commission

Department of Justice