Soldier’s therapy bills safely behind him

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Updated: November 24, 2011 3:34AM

Dear Fixer: I am a retired staff sergeant from the U.S. Army. While on active duty in Kuwait during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, I incurred an injury to both my knee and my back.

Surgery was performed on my knee and two surgeries were done to my back. After surgery, I was
required to undergo physical therapy at ATI Physical Therapy’s facility, where my U.S. Army medical benefits insurer, TRICARE, sent me.

The physical therapy went from approximately February 2005 through October 2006.

I recently received a letter from Transworld Systems, a collection agency. They were hired by ATI Physical Therapy to collect a debt of approximately $5,500, for services from Oct. 14, 2005 through Nov. 16, 2005.

My Army medical benefits paid all claims prior to these dates and after these dates, but for some reason these 13 visits never got paid.

We requested documentation from the collection agency and compared it to the printout of TRICARE’s explanation of benefits. The dates in question weren’t on the printout. ATI says they submitted claims to TRICARE in March and April 2006.

I was injured during active duty. I was rehabbed by the Army.

All the other medical benefits were paid as they were submitted.

Can you help me get through the red tape and resolve this so the collection agency doesn’t start garnishing my wages or taking money from my bank accounts?

I have served my country well. All I’m asking is that these bills from almost six years ago be settled soon with your help.

Thomas R. Curtis, Plainfield

Dear Thomas: It did seem pretty clear to The Fixer that these 13 visits of prescribed therapy — which occurred right in the middle of all the other paid claims — should also have been paid.

Luckily we found a helpful soul in the Army’s media relations operation who was able to see that, too. With Lt. Col. George Wright’s help, this got fixed in a hurry. Wright was great — he told us he didn’t want to see a veteran stuck with this and he promised to have his people get with TRICARE to straighten it out.

Your sister, Liz, phoned us with the good news last week: TRICARE told her they’ve paid the claims, and you can finally put those old bills safely behind you.

Free shredding event

Dear Fixer: You mentioned there was going to be a free mass shredding — in June, I believe. Could you tell us more about it?

Mitch Pierce

Dear Mitch: Gladly! You’re referring to the annual free shredding event at the United Center, which The Fixer plans to attend.

The event will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 25 in Parking Lot E at the United Center (that’s Wood Street between Madison and Warren).

Participants may bring up to 10 boxes of documents to be safely shredded into oblivion — and away from the hands of potential identity thieves.

The event is sponsored by the local Better Business Bureau, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Federal Trade Commission, Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Cook County and the Chicago Police.

For more info, check out chicagoshreds.com.

Foreclosure nightmares

The Fixer has waded into the mortgage modification/foreclosure mess on more than one occasion, so we know what a screwed-up system it is. Last year’s “robo-signing” scandal, in which some banks were rubber-stamping paperwork without looking at it, causing people to lose their homes, was one of the most sickening aspects.

Now, bank regulators are trying to contact homeowners who may have been wrongly foreclosed upon to try to review their cases.

The nonprofit website ProPublica.org (click on “Eye on Loan Modifications”) and the National Consumer Law Center (nclc.org) have lots more information.

If you’re a victimized home-owner, we recommend checking them out.