Central Florida Regional Hospital is facing a potential class-action lawsuit over claims that it harassed patients with a large number of phone calls to collect debts.
Charles Ivey said he received more than 200 phone calls for a $150 debt that he doesn't believe he owes.
"Even if he did owe the money, it's illegal for debt collectors to call people's cellphones without their advance permission,” said Ivy’s attorney, Harlan Miller.
Ivy walked out of Central Florida Regional Hospital after a six-hour stay with a $12,000 bill.
Even though the insurance company paid it, Miller said the hospital contacted Ivy and told him he still owes another $150.
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It’s money that Ivy doesn’t think he owes.
Ivy claims that he never provided his cellphones number to the hospital because he was incapacitated, and never gave consent to the hospital or the collection agency, TransWorld Systems, to call him.
“The hospital and its collection agent decided to engage in a campaign of telephone terrorism,” said Miller.
He referred to more than 220 calls from automated phone dialing systems over the last year and a half.
Miller filed a lawsuit claiming that it's a violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
It was filed as a class action because he doesn’t think Ivy is the only person who was bombarded with calls.
“People shouldn’t put up with it. They should insist on their rights,” Miller said.
He expects the lawsuit to involve at least 500 people, but believes that the number could be in the thousands.
The collection agency doesn’t comment on pending litigation.
The hospital has not commented.
Cox Media Group
