Oak Ridge woman gets $540 medical bill for someone else
OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE
September 10, 2007

An Oak Ridge woman believed identity thieves might be after her money when
she got a medical bill for more than $500 for service she never received.

Could the number she was supposed to call be a hoax?

The letter sent to Madge Baker last week came from a medical billing service
in Cincinnati. "It's for an emergency room visit. It says $540. I haven't
been to Ohio. I can't even remember when I was in Ohio."

It's not Madge who's been in the hospital recently. It's her husband, Ken.
He's still recovering from serious surgery in May.

The medical services for Dr. Apollo Rivera were dated July 18.

Madge and Ken know exactly where they were that day. "We were at Mynatt's
Furniture in Knoxville looking for a chair for him (Ken) to sit in."

The medical center Madge supposedly visited is between Akron and Cleveland.
"It just makes you sick to think that somebody has used your name," Madge
says.

"It just puzzles me how they go about getting names to start picking on
people," Ken says.

Another thing that puzzled the Bakers is that the letter has Madge's full
name on it. She never uses her first name, Emma.

"I've spent my life trying to have good credit and taught my children to
take care of your credit. And when you get a bill you're not responsible
for, you don't know what to do," Madge says.

Since she was afraid to call the billing agency on her phone, reporters let
Madge use their phone and encouraged her to talk with the service in Ohio.

"I got this bill but it's not mine. I don't know who has used my name," she
told them.

As reporters listened, Madge explained there's been a mistake. She gave the
billing representative the doctor's name, the amount of the bill and the
information about her name.

Then the representative disclosed personal information about Madge. They
knew her date of birth. "How do you know that?" she asked.

Soon it became clear what had happened. There had been a mistake, the
representative said. She explained the agency does billing for Dr. Rivera
and thousands of other physicians across the country.

The billing company has Madge's personal information because she visited a
doctor at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge three years ago who uses the
service.

The bill Madge received from Ohio was a clerical error meant for someone
else.

Madge was told if she sent a letter disputing the charge, it would be
canceled, much to her relief. "I got to tell you, my heart..." "You're
alright, okay. You're just fine, honey," Ken says.

The unusual bill Madge received seemed suspicious but nothing was suspicious
by the manner in which the customer service representative handled the call.
That's the key. She identified herself and was professional and
understanding.

When the customer service rep discovered the error, she explained what
happened, why and what the next step would be. Sometimes, you have to call
customer service to find out what happened.

... Epitaph:  ELVIS HAS LEFT THE MAUSOLEUM