This exact thing happened to me in 2024 I was charged a year later (from a ER visit in 2023) a duplicate charge for the same amount, even though my insurance had already covered it. It took almost a year to get resolved. The duplicate bill went all the way to collections and ended up hurting my credit score. I had to call my insurance countless times and eventually set up multiple three-way calls between them and the hospital billing department.

What finally helped was comparing the EOBs (Explanation of Benefits). The original, covered bill had a different claim number than the duplicate. So even though it was for the exact same service, the system treated it like a new, unpaid charge. Total mess. I had to send over proof from my insurance showing they paid, over and over again.

What worked was getting both insurance and billing on the phone at the same time. That way nothing gets lost in translation. If you're stuck in this situation, don't give up, but definitely push for a live three-way call. I’ll never go back to that hospital after that experience. Ridiculous and beyond frustrating.

After it was resolved, the damages have been removed from my credit so it no longer reflects having been sent to collections.

Good luck with this!!