I am, unfortunately, running out of money. So I wrote to my mortgage holder, Citibank, asking for a temporary suspension of my loan payments under their "Workable Solution" program (What a horrible name!).
I am, unfortunately, running out of money. So I wrote to my mortgage holder, Citibank, asking for a temporary suspension of my loan payments under their "Workable Solution" program (What a horrible name!).
Posted at 10:53 AM in $$$, Citibank, Letters, Life With Cancer | Permalink | Comments (0)
Technorati Tags: breast cancer, cancer, Citibank, CitiMortgage, finances, metastatic breast cancer, money, mortgage
Citimortgage has a program called "Workable Solutions" (WHERE do they get these names? That's right up there with TykerbCARES), and I'm filling out the forms for that today.
TO: Citimortgage
I would like to apply for a temporary suspension of my loan payments through Citimortgage’s “Workable Solution” program.
I have terminal cancer (stage IV metastatic breast cancer) and have been on Social Security disability for about two years. I am now approaching the end of my life and have run out of money to pay my mortgage.
I would like to stay in my house with a temporary suspension of my loan payments, and then my heirs would pay the balance of the mortgage when the house is sold on my death.
Enclosed please find my
financial statement and supporting documents.
Posted at 12:31 PM in $$$, Letters | Permalink | Comments (1)
Technorati Tags: avoid foreclosure, cancer, citibank, citimortgage, temporary suspension
DATE: December
28, 2008
TO: Credit
Bureau of Island County
FROM: Jeanne
Sather
RE: Your
collection letter of 11/28/08
CC: University
of Washington Physicians
This letter is to inform you that I believe your collections letter is a mistake. I have not received a bill from University Physicians for the amount you claim that I owe, $158.
Also, you do not provide a date of service, a doctor’s name, or even a facility name (U Physicians has several), so I am unable to check this against my medical records.
Do not call me regarding this matter. Any contact by your
office must be by mail.
Note to readers: Having problems with a medical bill? Please feel free to adapt any of my letters that are useful. And please let me know what happens.
@ Jeanne Sather 2008.
Posted at 01:52 PM in Letters | Permalink | Comments (0)
Technorati Tags: collections, Credit Bureau of Island County, letter, medical bills, University of Washington Physicians
I opened a bill from Swedish Medical Center today, to read the following:
DELIQUENCY NOTICE
After repeated attempts to encourage you to pay your long overdue account with Swedish, this is still an outstanding balance. This letter is sent as our last attempt to assist you in resolving the balance(s) due. While we suggest that you take steps to settle this outstanding balance in full, the account is scheduled for a referral to a debt collector, ARSTRAT, if we do not receive payment within 15 days of this statement date. If you are disputing any charges on your bill, you must contact us immediately. Swedish does offer financial assistance to those who qualify, however, it must be requested by you and we are not showing any completed or approved application at this time. Bills from other health care providers (physicians, laboratories, etc.) that are billed separately from the hospital bill are NOT covered by this statement or Swedish financial assistance policies. In order to prevent debt collection, you must contact us immediately and make satisfactory arrangements for payment at 1-866-365-7357. Your bill is due in full at this time.
Whew! Who wrote that mouthful?
Do they think it's scarier if it's all in one long paragraph like that?
Let me state, for the record, that as far as I can tell--and I've checked--I do not owe Swedish any money. I've written to Swedish telling them this, but they ignore my letters, which from now on will be posted to my blog at the time I write and mail them, to keep a paper trail.
But, just for fun, let's take this threat line by line:
1. "After repeated attempts to encourage you to pay your long overdue account with Swedish, this is still an outstanding balance."
Oh, that must be what those phone calls--which did NOT identify the caller--were all about.
See:
Here's a New One: The Blind Billing Call
We'll ignore the weird grammar in that first sentence: "...this is still an outstanding ..."
What about my letter of April 17, and previous letters? I never received a response.
2. "This letter is sent as our last attempt to assist you in resolving the balance(s) due."
Do you promise?
3. "While we suggest that you take steps to settle this outstanding balance in full, the account is scheduled for a referral to a debt collector, ARSTRAT, if we do not receive payment within 15 days of this statement date."
Well, the bill was dated June 4, and I haven't heard from ARSTRAT yet. Maybe they're still reading my letter from last year, which they never responded to.
4. "If you are disputing any charges on your bill, you must contact us immediately."
Been there, done that.
I've called (fairly useless), and written (also fairly useless), and not gotten a reply other than more computer-generated form letters and bills.
5. "Swedish does offer financial assistance to those who qualify, however, it must be requested by you and we are not showing any completed or approved application at this time."
Yes, and they call it "Charity Care" to embarrass us. Also, have you seen the forms and documentation that sick people are expected to provide in order to get Charity Care?
See also: more on charity care
6. "Bills from other health care providers (physicians, laboratories, etc.) that are billed separately from the hospital bill are NOT covered by this statement or Swedish financial assistance policies."
Yes, I know, thank you. But boy is it a surprise to new cancer patients when they get bills from doctors they haven't even met!
7. "In order to prevent debt collection, you must contact us immediately and make satisfactory arrangements for payment at 1-866-365-7357."
Please refer to my letter of April 17.
8. "Your bill is due in full at this time."
Well, no, it's not. The date of service on the bill was August 27, 2007. As I've told you before, I always meet my out-of-pocket max by the end of January every year, and after that time I cannot owe for any services provided by Swedish, which is a preferred provider on my insurance plan. We've had this conversation before.
Send me a written statement of what services I received on 8/27/07, and an explanation of why they weren't covered by my insurance company (WSHIP), and I will happily write you a check.
Note to readers: Having problems with a medical bill? Please feel free to adapt any of my letters that are useful. And please let me know what happens.
@ Jeanne Sather 2008.
DATE: July 20, 2007
TO: ARSTRAT
FROM: Jeanne Sather
RE: Collection Notice
This letter is to inform you that the bill for $41.40 that Swedish Medical Center sent to your office for collections is an error.
I called my health insurance provider, WSHIP, and was told that it had not received a bill from Swedish for this amount with the date of service that is on the bill, 11/28/2006. Please check with WSHIP if you have any questions. I have tried without success to resolve the matter directly with Swedish.
Do not call me regarding this matter. Any contact by your office must be by mail.
@ Jeanne Sather 2008.
Posted at 02:45 PM in Letters, Medical Billing/Insurance Woes | Permalink | Comments (0)
Technorati Tags: billing error, collections agency, letter, Swedish Medical Center
TO: Swedish Medical Center, Patient Accounting Customer Service
FROM: Jeanne Sather
RE: Bill with date of service 8/27/07 (see attached)
DATE: April 17, 2008
I believe that the attached bill is in error.
I called my insurance company, WSHIP, yesterday, and spoke to a woman named Jackie. She told me that WSHIP has not received a claim from you for that date of service in this amount.
She said there was a claim from Dr. Eulau, my radiation oncologist, with that date of service, for $191, and that claim was paid.
The bill also does not say which doctor's services the bill is supposedly for, and I would like an explanation of the term "ongoing outpatient care"--are you saying that I had a doctor's appointment on that date?
In any case, feel free to call WSHIP for confirmation.
As far as I can tell, I do not owe this amount, and I will be sending a copy of this letter to the Better Business Bureau.
CC: Better Business Bureau
@ Jeanne Sather 2008.
Posted at 02:43 PM in Letters, Medical Billing/Insurance Woes | Permalink | Comments (0)
Technorati Tags: billing error, letter, Swedish Medical Center
TO: WSHIP
FROM: Jeanne Sather
RE: Change to Basic Plan
DATE: June 25, 2008
Please change my coverage from the WSHIP Plan 3 (the Preferred Provider Plan) to the Basic Plan, effective July 1, 2008. I will have Medicare coverage (Part A and B) as of that date.
I am enclosing a copy of the front and back of my WSHIP health insurance card and also my new Medicare card. Please call me at 206-XXX-XXXX if you have any questions.
@ Jeanne Sather 2008.
Posted at 03:30 PM in Letters, Medicare, WSHIP | Permalink | Comments (0)
Technorati Tags: cancer, change of coverage, disability, health insurance, letter, Medicare, Washington state, WSHIP
Although I am only 53, I am eligible for Medicare on July 1.

The reason?
I am legally disabled because of my metastatic cancer, and I have been collecting Social Security Disability for two years.
Silly me: I thought I had it all figured out. I have my Medicare Card, which gives me Part A (hospital coverage) and Part B (medical). Part A is free, and the $96.40 monthly premium for Part B will be deducted from my monthly Disability check.
I called WSHIP (Washington State Health Insurance Pool) to switch from the full coverage I have now to the WSHIP Basic Plan. That will be my supplementary policy, to cover what Medicare doesn't.
I talked to a very sane person named Teresa who said I didn't need to fill out the 12-page application form, just fax a letter requesting the change with a copy of my WSHIP card and my new Medicare card. So i will do that tomorrow.
But this is the question that no one has been able to answer, even Medicare:
Does Medicare Part B (the medical part) cover my Tykerb (lapatinib), which is an oral chemotherapy drug?
If it doesn't, I will be worse off on Medicare than I am now with WSHIP.
(Side note: I thought I might keep my present WSHIP coverage as a backup to Medicare, but the first person I spoke to at WSHIP today told me that I cannot use that WSHIP plan if I am eligible for Medicare, so no dice.)
So far today, I have spoken with Erin at Medicare, who read me the entire list of oral chemo drugs that Medicare Part B covers for the treatment of breast cancer, and Tykerb was not on the list, under either of its names. All she could say is, "It MAY be covered."
Obviously, MAY is not good enough when we are talking about a drug that costs more than $3,000 for a month's supply.
I also talked to Teresa, at WSHIP, as I mentioned, and Lisa, Vicky, and Crystal at the Medco specialty pharmacy, which supplies my Tykerb.
I figured if anyone would know whether Medicare Part B pays for this drug, the pharmacy would. But get this, the final answer--after very confused conversations with Lisa and Vicky (who said my "other insurance" would have to be billed before Medicare, which makes no sense--Medicare will be my primary coverage, as I told her)--was that THEY CANNOT ADVISE ME ON COVERAGE UNTIL AFTER JULY 1, WHEN MY INSURANCE GOES INTO EFFECT.
Do you hear the sound of me screaming? How am I supposed to choose my insurance coverage if I don't know what will be covered?
So, after spending an entire day working on this problem, I still don't have an answer.
Part D
I also spoke with Marla at SilverScript Plus, a Part D prescription drug plan. She told me the plan did cover Tykerb, but because it is a specialty drug, I would have to pay 33 percent of the $3,288 monthly cost. Then she quoted me a figure of $1,600 and change as being equal to 33 percent, which of course it is not, but by that point I didn't care. Either her math is wrong, or the percentage I would have to pay is wrong ...
I'll take this problem up again tomorrow.
In the meantime, I've e-mailed the head of WSHIP to see if she knows the answer, or can find out. Here's my e-mail:
Dear Karen--
I'm hoping that you can answer a question that, so far, no one has been able to answer.
I have been insured with WSHIP for several years, as I think you will recall, but as of July 1 I am eligible for Medicare because I will have been on Social Security Disability for two years on that date (I have metastatic cancer).
So I am faxing in the forms to switch my WSHIP coverage to the Basic plan, and of course I also need a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. But this is the question:
Does Medicare Part B cover Tykerb (lapatinib), which is an oral chemotherapy drug?
I called Medicare and the person I spoke to read me the list of oral chemo drugs that are covered, and Tykerb was not on that list. All she could tell me is that it "may" be covered.
This is obviously not good enough, as this drug costs more than $3,000/month.
Can you help?
Jeanne Sather
The Assertive Cancer Patient
www.assertivepatient.com
See also: Letter to WSHIP
@ Jeanne Sather 2008.
Posted at 03:18 PM in Letters, Medicare, Tykerb | Permalink | Comments (12)
Technorati Tags: breast cancer, cancer, lapatinib, Medco, Medicare coverage, metastatic breast cancer, Part B, Part D, prescription drug coverage, Tykerb
Here is the text of my complaint to the FTC about Citibank's "suspending" (i.e., cancelling) my home equity line of credit:
I have a home equity line of credit with Citibank. I received a letter from Citibank dated May 12 that said it was suspending my home equity line of credit because of a change in my financial circumstances.
According to the FTC Web site, a bank cannot do this unless the borrower fails to make payments. I have always made my payments on time and usually paid more than the minimum required payment.
Also, my financial circumstances (and my credit report) are no worse than they were when Citibank increased my home equity LOC last October, and refinanced my home mortgage in early 2006. I am happy to document all of this.
Need to make a complaint to the FTC? Here's the form (it's easy):
I'll be calling Citibank soon. Here are the phone numbers I got off the Web for Citibank PR people, who are more sensitive to this kind of issue than the folks in the Business Service Center, which cancelled my home equity LOC.
Business
Corporate: 212-793-0710
Global Consumer Group: 212-559-1299
(Credit Cards, Consumer Finance, Retail Banking, Women&Co.)
Corporate and Investment Banking: 212-816-6750
(Capital Markets and Banking, Global Transaction Services)
Global Wealth Management: 212-783-2781
(Citigroup Private Bank, Smith Barney)
Citigroup Alternative Investments: 212-793-5462
(Hedge Funds, Credit Structures, Private Equity, Real Estate)
I haven't decided yet which of the PR folks I'll call. Maybe all of them.
@ Jeanne Sather 2008.
Posted at 10:48 AM in $$$, Citibank, Letters, Medical Billing/Insurance Woes | Permalink | Comments (2)
Technorati Tags: cancer, Citibank, FTC, FTC complaint, home equity line of credit, metastatic cancer, suspended/cancelled HELOC
From the letter I received from Citibank informing me that the bank has suspended my home equity line of credit:
"If you have questions about our decision ... write to Citibank: Attn: Terry Johnson, 4050 Regent Blvd., Irving TX 75063."
Here's my letter to Terry (wonder if he, or she, is a real person? My guess is, NOT):
DATE: May 27, 2008
TO: Terry Johnson, Citibank
FROM: Jeanne Sather, loan number: XXXXXXX
RE: Suspension of home equity line of credit
Terry, I have received Citibank's letter of May 12 informing me that my home equity line of credit has been suspended as of that date.
Before taking legal action, I decided to write to you.
ISSUE 1: LEGALITY OF THIS SUSPENSION
The letter states: Please note that our suspension of loan advances is authorized by your account agreement, federal law and regulatory guidelines.
First, from the FTC's Web site:
Once your home equity plan is opened, if you pay as agreed, the lender, in most cases, may not terminate your plan, accelerate payment of your outstanding balance, or change the terms of your account. The lender may halt credit advances on your account during any period in which interest rates exceed the maximum rate cap in your agreement, if your contract permits this practice.
As you can see, the FTC says you may not suspend my home equity line of credit.
Second, I have read my loan agreement carefully, and I do not see any language that allows you to suspend the line of credit for this reason. If you disagree, please send me a copy of the relevant page from my loan agreement WITH MY SIGNATURE OR INITIALS to show that I signed this agreement.
ISSUE 2: THE REASON STATED
The letter states that Citibank suspended my line of credit because: Our review indicates that you have experienced a material adverse change in your financial circumstances.
Well, no, I have not experienced a change in my financial circumstances in the seven months since last October, when Citibank very cheerfully upped my home equity line of credit from $35,000 to $85,000, in a letter that suggested that I use the money to:
"Take that dream vacation"
"Buy a new car/boat or any other new purchases"
I have made my payments on this line of credit on time, and I typically pay more than the minimum monthly payment.
Your coded reasons in the letter indicate that I have a "serious delinquency, and derogatory public record or collection filed." We can argue about the meaning of the word "serious," but the only collections action against me was for a $40 medical bill that I did not owe. I had repeatedly written to the medical center concerned asking them to clear up the matter, but was sent to collections anyway.
The truth about my situation is that I am living with an incurable cancer, metastatic breast cancer. I was first diagnosed with cancer in 1998, and my cancer metastasized in 2001. Citibank gave me a home mortgage AFTER my cancer diagnosis, and also gave me the home equity line of credit and then INCREASED the line of credit last October, despite my medical situation and my somewhat spotty credit history, which is a result of my living with a life-threatening illness.
Of course, the real change has not been in my circumstances or in my ability to handle my finances--it's been in the broader economy. Banks--which made numerous subprime mortgages--are also to blame.
So now you are trying to clean up your act and tighten up the money supply by going after people like me who are making their loan payments on time and are using this line of credit responsibly--not buying new cars (which will DEPRECIATE, not appreciate) or other unneeded toys and luxuries.
I will be making a formal complaint to the FTC, the Bureau of Consumer Protection, and the appropriate House/Senate subcommittees and committees. I will also be publicizing my situation through the media.
See also:
Blindsided by Citibank: What the FTC Says
@ Jeanne Sather 2008.
Posted at 03:17 PM in $$$, Citibank, Letters, Medical Billing/Insurance Woes | Permalink | Comments (1)
Technorati Tags: cancer, Citibank, complaint, FTC, home equity line of credit, letter to Citibank, suspended