616-532-8000

called about bill owed to mountain medical (out of utah???)  I live in Northern Michigan....

STOP STOP

Is this a legitimate bill?I haven't received a bill in the mail and why a company out of the state and not the hospital in Louisiana I went to?

If you haven't received a bill in the mail, it likely ISN'T legitimate. To be on the safe side, though, contact the hospital you went to and ask them if you still owe anything. If they say no, this is defintely a scam and safe to ignore.

As always, the best course of action is to make the debt collector follow the letter of the law and to prove the following:

It is incumbent upon them under the law to prove that the debt exists and that you owe it, and (this is the important part) that they have the legal right to collect it.  You are not obligated under the law to prove that you don’t owe or that it is paid.  

Federal law (FDCPA) requires them to send you a letter (US MAIL ONLY) postmarked within 5 days of their first contact that contains their name, physical address, the creditor’s name, and the amount of the alleged debt.  It also must contains “mini-Miranda” telling you that it is an attempt to collect a debt and that all information will be used for those purposes.  The one other important thing that this letter must also have in it is that you have a right to dispute the debt within 30 days of receipt of the letter and if you do so, all collection activity must be stopped until the debt is verified.

I doubt that they will send that letter, but if they do:

You need to send them a certified, return receipt debt validation (by law they have to go back to the original creditor to prove you owe the debt), cease and desist calling, or "not me" letter (think of it as the best $6.59 you ever invested).  Also send it first class mail in case no one will sign for it.  Make a notation of that fact at the bottom of the letter.

First, you should make a complaint at this Federal Agency, and while there you should also read up on how debt collection is supposed to work as well as what your rights in this matter are:  http://www.consumerfinance.gov/

Also file a complaint with your State Attorney General's office.
List of State AG’s offices:   https://800notes.com/faq/attorney-general

Thanks!