Monday, July 20, 2009

Credit Card Investigation

Lester Mitchell, an 84-year-old retired farmer, has battled back pain -- "For a long, long while." His first back surgery in 1956 was the first of many.

Lester received a consultation with Dr. Brian Winslow, a West Des Moines chiropractor. Lester was told he could benefit from spinal decompression, a method of stretching the spine and decompressing the discs.

Lester: "They were gonna use a traction like treatment." But before beginning treatment, financing would have to be approved.

The call may have been to "Care Credit," a G.E. financing company. Care Credit is like a credit card for health care. Lester did qualify. Care Credit financed $3500 at a 13.9% interest rate over five years. A late payment would boost the interest rate up to 29.9%.

"I didn't realize I was opening up a new account," says Lester.

Neither did Lester's daughter, Denise, until she saw the bill. "I'm conservator of the account so I pay the bills. I came across a new credit card and the 35-hundred dollar charge."

As conservator, Denise has legal authority to make financial decisions for her father. On May 7, she faxed guardian and conservatorship papers to Care Credit and Dr. Winslow. She asked the account be closed and her father be refunded.

"He was told that that would not happen, by these corporate people and that the program was not $3500, but $9000 and my dad had been given a $500 discount and the rest was being paid by Medicare," says Denise.

The response from Care Credit, "We are not able to accommodate your request at this time."

Full Article and Source:
Back Pain Treatment Investigation

4 comments:

Lori View said...

Any contract made by a minor or a disabled adult under guardianship is completely voidable.

Anonymous said...

Profiting from taking advantage of the vulnerable....what a piece of work.

Anonymous said...

Yes, I agree LoriView, and this deserves a full investigation.

Anonymous said...

Slugs.