MARSHFIELD, WI (OnFocus) – A recent Facebook post has alluded to the presence of mail scams appearing to be Marshfield Clinic asking its patients to pay a medical bill.
The post said the letters look very official as they are outfitted with the clinic’s logo and a QR code and an accurate date of service.
The most recent post about scams was made by a customer of Marshfield Clinic that said they had received phone calls pertaining to scams before but receiving mail asking to pay a bill is new. The complaint says scammers requested information pertaining to the patient’s insurance coverage.
According to the post, the clinic responded to the complainant saying they would never ask a patient for a date of birth. (Update: The Clinic will sometimes ask for date of birth to verify identity when seeking service. They will never ask for payment information unless you have agreed to make a payment.)
This is hardly the first scam attempt targeting Marshfield Clinic and its patients. On June 18th, the clinic made this statement on their Facebook Page:
“We’ve been made aware that some of our patients are receiving scam calls from a 888 number asking for personal information and payment for health care services,” the post said. “Please do not provide this information. Our representatives will not ask for credit, debit or checking information unless you have agreed to make a payment.
“If you believe you have been a victim of a scam, contact local law enforcement. More information on our billing process can be found here: https://www.marshfieldclinic.org/…/collection-policy.”
In a statement released by the company, Marshfield Clinic said scams are more prevalent than ever but there are some easy ways to tell it is a scam.
“Healthcare organizations across the country and their patients have increasingly become the subject to scam artists,” the statement said. “The scams have become more sophisticated. We have had patients tell us that they have received phone calls appearing on caller ID as Marshfield Clinic.
“The scam artist pretending to be a Health System employee told the patient they owe large sums of money, demanded payment, and that their assets have been placed in a hold by Marshfield Clinic and will not be released until they pay.
“Patient billing statements from Marshfield Clinic Health System show exactly what is owed. We also would never put any type of lien or hold on their assets and demand payment before they are released.”
If they are an active patient with the Health System, the clinic should have all of their information, such as date of birth, medical history number, account number, etc. on file.
Patients can review or verify their account by contacting Patient Financial Services at 1-888-258-9775 or on the MyMarshfieldClinic portal.
We welcome your stories! Contact us at [email protected]!
