National Patient Account Services or NPAS is a third-party collection agency that specializes in collecting delinquent debts for healthcare providers. National Patient Account Services has received consumer complaints alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), including attempting to collect debts not owed and threatening to take actions that cannot legally be taken.If you have been contacted by NPAS, understand your rights before taking action.
The harassing company pays our fees.
They’re legit. According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), National Patient Account Services, Inc. was founded and incorporated in 1980. The BBB established its profile page in 2005. NPAS is listed as a collection agency; insurance company and insurance services office; workers’ compensation insurance provider; and payment processing, medical billing, and financial services provider. NPAS uses several alternate business names, including Columbia Collection Services, Columbia Patient Accounts, EMBS Medical Billing, and Parallon Business Performance Group. Buzzfile estimates NPAS’ annual revenue at $2.0 million and the size of its headquarters staff at 17 employees.
The National Patient Account Services website consists of only one page and identifies them as “a leading provider of patient collection services for the healthcare industry.” NPAS cites customer service as its top priority and is “committed to treating patients and guarantors with dignity, sensitivity, and respect.”
The National Patient Account Services website does not provide any detailed information about its business practices or client base. Site visitors “interested in making a payment online” are instructed to “refer to the payment website indicated on the letter they received.” All other questions are directed to their toll-free customer service phone number.
The footer of the website includes links to a privacy policy; website use terms and conditions; a social media policy; an acceptable use policy; a nondiscrimination notice; and an accessibility policy. However, there is no information about NPAS’ regulatory compliance policies, and there are no links or references to consumer protection resources, laws, or enforcement agencies.
Who are we? We are Lemberg Law, a Consumer Law Firm
Lemberg Law is a consumer law firm helping victims of collection harassment and abuse. We are ranked A+ by the BBB. We’ve helped more than 15,000 consumers stop harassment and recover money from debt collectors. Harassed? Abused? Misled by a collector? Call our Helpline today! There is no charge unless we win.
As of December 2017, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) has closed 87 complaints against National Patient Account Services in the preceding 3 years, with 17 complaints closed in the past 12 months.Most of the complaints allege problems with billing and collections; several complaints also allege problems with customer service. As of May 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has received 17 complaints referencing NPAS, all of them attributed to Columbia Collection Service. Justia lists at least 2 causes of civil litigation involving National Patient Account Services.
National Patient Account Services, Inc.
2700 Blankenbaker Pkwy.
Louisville, KY 40299-2478
Telephone: (800) 223-9899
Website: http://www.npasweb.com/
It is illegal for a debt collector to make empty threats to sue you or garnish your wages. It is also unlikely NPAS would sue you for a debt you may not owe or they cannot validate. However, debt collection agencies are known to have summoned debtors to court and garnish wages after a default judgement. Contacting an attorney BEFORE this could possibly happen would be a smart move. We’ve helped thousands of consumers fight back against unscrupulous debt collection harassers. Find out if we can help you too today!
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Unlawful Debt Harassment? Learn the Law & Sue the Collector.
Absolutely. You can sue a debt collector. Here are some Sample Cases
Complaints against National Patient Account Services commonly cite problems resulting from billing documentation errors and poor customer service. In August 2017, a complainant indicated she had undergone medical treatment the previous April. She had a high-deductible insurance policy, paid for many of the expenses out-of-pocket, and had her insurance cover the remainder. She indicated she had records of all the medical bills, and that all of them show that her bills were paid in full. Regardless, several months after treatment, the complainant received “letters from NPAS…demanding money allegedly because her insurance…failed to verify her.” The complainant indicated that she had “called each and every provider, none of whom had ever heard of National Patient Account Services. She then called her insurance company and asked them to verify her information with NPAS.” The insurance company complied, and the complainant “then called NPAS, who could not verify to the complainant what the bill was for or who submitted it, but did admit that her insurance had in fact verified her information with them.” The complainant “requested a paper copy of the bill to be sent to her from the provider. The paper bill she received came directly from National Patient Account Services… and asked that payment in a new, bigger …amount… totally unrelated to any of her actual charges… be sent to a post office box” in a city in which she had never received medical care. The complainant alleged further that she lives in and was treated in Texas, but the bill sent by National Patient Account Services had the name of a hospital with a post office box address from a medical facility to which she had never been admitted. Although “the name of the hospital was similar to the surgical facility that conducted her procedure…they are separate entities and bill separately.” To confirm this information, the complainant “called the hospital that was allegedly billing” her, but they indicated they had “never heard of her—likely because she was never there.”
The complainant summarized by stating that National Patient Account Services was “sending…letters asking that she verify her insurance, which was done, to process charges she never incurred from a hospital she had never been to, and as proof of their claim they have mailed her a bill that came from their offices so she can send… money to a post office box over a thousand miles away from any of the providers who actually took care of her” while she was being treated for cancer. The complainant accused NPAS of being “vultures and frauds,” and indicated that if she received “one more harassing letter, or a single phone call, she would contact a lawyer…to sue them…for FCRA and FDCPA violations.” She requested that her “name and personal information be removed from their data banks immediately and… that the transparent attempts to extort her… stop.”
In response, National Patient Account Services apologized “for any confusion or inconvenience” but indicated that, “unfortunately, they are unable to locate an account with the information provided.” NPAS requested that the complainant “please provide… additional identifying information for the…account… such as account numbers, the address statements are being sent to, and the facility name.”
Federal laws protect you. The Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA) regulates the behavior of collection agencies by prohibiting actions such as the use of abusive or threatening language; harassment; or the use of false or misleading information to collect a debt. The FCRA regulates how collection agencies and creditors report delinquent debts to credit reporting agencies. Additional consumer protection laws include the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA).
Yes. If you want to enforce your rights, or recover money for violations — you need to sue. Federal laws provide individuals like you with a means to seek monetary damages in court. For example, the FDCPA allows consumers who have been violated to recover damages of up to $1,000, plus attorney fees and court costs.
You may have a case, if…
“We realize that ours is just one small case among many – and many more serious – but are heartened by the fact that you accepted it and represented us with a professionalism that belied the small dollar amount.”
“If you are unsure about this company…DONT BE!!! They are for real when they say they are here to help you. It only takes a few short minutes of your time to talk to a rep. I was a skeptic, but you did everything you said you would! I can’t say thank you enough!”
”Lemberg Law has saved me from the endless calls, and harassing voicemails. They really do go to bat for you. I didn’t know that debt collection agencies can end up paying your legal bill. What a surprise, to receive free legal help. I’m very grateful for all the hard work they did to finally give me my life back.”
“I won’t be afraid to contact you or recommend your services to others for debt collection difficulties. Please keep up the outstanding work you do, and again, thank you for helping me through this challenging time. I am most grateful.”
We can absolutely help. Call us today.
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Sergei Lemberg is an attorney focusing on consumer law, class actions related to automotive issues, and personal injury litigation. With nearly two decades of experience, his areas of practice include Lemon Law (vehicle defects), Debt Collection Harassment, TCPA (illegal robocalls and texts), Fair Credit Reporting Act, Overtime claims, Personal Injury cases, and Class Actions. He has consistently been recognized as the nation's "most active consumer attorney." In 2020, Mr. Lemberg represented Noah Duguid before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Duguid v. Facebook. He is also the author of "Defanging Debt Collectors," a guide that empowers consumers to fight back against debt collectors and prevail, as well as "Lemon Law 101: The Laws That Lemon Dealers Don't Want You to Know."
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They won’t send me monthly statements so I could send with my payment each month. Now the Post Office sent payment back saying wrong address. I wrote down their name & address since they won’t send me statements. What can I do? Cause they should be calling me soon to start harassing me again.
[…] 4. How to stop National Patient Account Services NPAS … […]
They keep calling me. I called them back and they said my name didn’t match there records. I have repeatedly told them to stop calling and they are toy harassing me. I do have there calls blocked via my spam filter but its annoying.
My wife had blood work on 9/5/2018. On 10/9/2018, after the insurance paid their portion, I was left owing the hospital $16.88. I made this payment with my HSA acct. I began receiving bills and phone calls from NPAS that our account was delinquent. In January 2019, after receiving another bill, I called NPAS and provided them withe the check number used to pay my account in full. Then again on February 22, 2019, I received a call from NPAS demanding that I pay the amount in full. Again, I explained that I did and even confirmed with the Rep about my January conversation with NPAS. I was told they had to research the claim once again. This company, NPAS, continues to harass me and my wife even after I’ve provided them that our account has been paid in full. I am considering seeking legal advise on settling this harassment!!
I’ve gotten three calls already today from National Patient account services . Feb 7th 2019 at 8:58 am, 9:32 am and 10:59am. I usually get 2-3 calls a day, but today has been overwhelming amounts of calls to where is effect my desk job where phones calls are not approved. I’m starting to feel anxiety getting so many calls because it makes me feel as if something is seriously wrong when in fact its a debt collector that I had already had communication with. They never leave a voicemail so if it wasnt for caller ID you were never know you is calling.
I questioned a call I received after attempting to call back and got no voice messaging but instead a fuzzy almost ocean sound, the line did not ring. I googled the number and was brought to the pathetic website NPAS has haphazardly put together. I’ve been paying my monthly “bill” of about $170 for almost a year though my hospital bill was never even that high. I should have questioned this much sooner but each time I would contact the hospital I received service I would be directed to “NPAS”
I made arrangements with hospital to pay $42 a month on a $250 bill on 10/12/18 They said fine but on 10/17/18 have to call NPAS to make arrangements with them for same bill. Bill is not behind just received it on 10/11/18 why do I have to make arrangements with NPAS afraid to deal with NPAS because bill is not pass due yet
NPAS, INc. sent my recently deceased father a bill for $16,686 for services allegedly provided by St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor. No previous bill were ever sent before it was referred to NPAS. I called NPAS and it seems that someone in the Medicare or St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor bureaucracy changed my father’s Medicare from “primary” to “secondary.” Even though I am the representative of my father’s estate, NPAS claims that they cannot talk to me due to “confidentiality.” They sent my father a ridiculous form asking if he needs “translation” services. They seem to have no procedures set in place for (1) being informed that the “responsible party” they are billing is deceased and (2) correcting insurance misinformation.
The hospital said they were writing it off. They did not bill in a timely manner, when I could have gotten help from Medicaid or the VA. The day after they said they would write it off, I started getting calls from NPAS.