ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Arlene Gashlin’s 94-year-old mother received a series of denial letters from United Healthcare last fall saying she owes $7,000 for overnight stays at a hospital.

“I said – well that sounds familiar,” Gashlin said. “I know about that. It happened to my mom.”

This comes after News10NBC investigated strange letters from United Healthcare claiming an 86-year-old Marine Corps veteran owed thousands of dollars in medical bills.

Gashlin says she called United and got passed to at least four people. She says no one could explain the charges or produce the original claims.

Berkeley Brean, News10NBC: “I’m looking at part of the letter right now. Was your mother in the hospital on April 1st, 2023?”

Arlene Gashlin: “No.”

Berkeley Brean: “How about May 1st, 2023?”

Gashlin: “Nope.”

Berkeley Brean: “July 1st, 2023, she had to be in the hospital then, right?”

Gashlin: “No. Never. Not any of those days.”

Berkeley Brean: “So Arlene, you got the good old fashion run around.”

Arlene Gashlin: “Oh, definitely.”

Every date on Arlene’s paperwork says the first day of the month. That’s the same on Mandy Hartman’s bills for her father, the 86-year-old Marine veteran.

Berkeley Brean: “No, he owed absolutely nothing to them.”

Mandy Hartman: “No, he owed absolutely nothing to them.”

“When you are responsible for someone else’s affairs and someone else’s finances it’s even more worrisome than when it’s your own,” Gashlin said.

Arlene says she called Rochester General Hospital and there are no outstanding bills. But she’s worried this will come back to haunt her.

United Healthcare won’t answer if these bills are legitimate. But there are red flags. The patients don’t owe any money. The phone number in the paperwork that went to Mandy’s father went to a wood making company in Washington, D.C. A person identifying herself as working for UHC emailed News10NBC to say the phone number was a mistake. We tested the 800 number in the paperwork to Arlene’s mother and it does go to United.

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