Broke My HCA Contract

I broke my HCA residency contract after working there for a little over a year. Two months later I received a letter from the Benefit Recovery Group saying I owed them money. I reached out to different lawyers and basically got answers from all of them. One said there's nothing I can do but I could try to negotiate. Another said that because I never received the 10,000 that HCA values their training at the money I owe them is " a training fee acts as a penalty and under Texas law, it's not enforceable". So I emailed them a response with what the second lawyer said and never heard back. Today I got the same letter again stating I owed money, so I sent them the same email. 

Does anyone have an experience with not paying them back? When I quit I knew I'd have to pay and I was okay with that, but I'd rather not if I don't have to. Will they eventually just drop it or will they send my debt to collections?

Specializes in Hospital.

Your 2 year contract starts after your residency which is around 3 months long. 

22 minutes ago, another_nurse said:

Your 2 year contract starts after your residency which is around 3 months long. 

Mine started as soon as I started my residency.

Specializes in Hospital.

That’s good to know actually because I’m going to break my contract soon ^_^ thanks!

Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
On 8/24/2021 at 12:53 PM, subee said:

We need a way to tell the country .  Our nursing organizations have lawyers on staff and I never hear a peep about them taking this issue on.

Because they're up against the largest,  wealthiest healthcare organization in the country (world?), which has its claws in just about every state in  the US.

Specializes in Dialysis.
1 hour ago, klone said:

Because they're up against the largest,  wealthiest healthcare organization in the country (world?), which has its claws in just about every state in  the US.

^^^This^^^people don't realize that HCA has the funds to draw out a lawsuit so long, that your great great grandchildren will still be waiting on an action for you

Specializes in school nurse.
On 8/30/2021 at 7:19 AM, klone said:

After everything you read in this thread, you really are asking this?

But it didn't sound as if that poster even read through the thread. (Either that or we were being subtly punked...)

Specializes in ER.

Hello. I've been reading this thread. I left an HCA facility in 2019 after the horrible conditions and bullying as a new grad in the STARN program. I was also falsely accused of stealing ? This was shortly after I went to HR to report bullying, and unsafe conditions. I constantly went to my union rep about how unsafe it was after realizing why mistake I made and then I had a target on my back. I even switched to nights to get away from management. I almost quit nursing altogether. 
 
I started receiving letters shortly after saying I owed them $3000.00. I've ignored it until now and they have not pursued it. Now they offered me 25% off saying I owe $2250.00. I know of at least 5 other nurses who quit before their contact was up as well and some were pursued and some were not. IDK if I should be worried now or not if they'll sue or send it to collections. Don't really want my credit ruined or have to pay a ton of money for legal fees if they decide to go after me. It's crazy how they only go after who they want. 

I was told by an inside source it is hospital based whether they pursue you for the repayment. Makes sense since the people they went after weren't necessarily liked. 

HCA is single-handedly the MOST EVIL, CORRUPT health system I have EVER seen. ?

Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
JenZorss said:

Hello. I've been reading this thread. I left an HCA facility in 2019 after the horrible conditions and bullying as a new grad in the STARN program. I was also falsely accused of stealing ? This was shortly after I went to HR to report bullying, and unsafe conditions. I constantly went to my union rep about how unsafe it was after realizing why mistake I made and then I had a target on my back. I even switched to nights to get away from management. I almost quit nursing altogether. 
 
I started receiving letters shortly after saying I owed them $3000.00. I've ignored it until now and they have not pursued it. Now they offered me 25% off saying I owe $2250.00. I know of at least 5 other nurses who quit before their contact was up as well and some were pursued and some were not. IDK if I should be worried now or not if they'll sue or send it to collections. Don't really want my credit ruined or have to pay a ton of money for legal fees if they decide to go after me. It's crazy how they only go after who they want. 

I was told by an inside source it is hospital based whether they pursue you for the repayment. Makes sense since the people they went after weren't necessarily liked. 

HCA is single-handedly the MOST EVIL, CORRUPT health system I have EVER seen. ?

You can be pretty sure they will send you to collections, and it would likely cost you more than the "discounted" penalty to retain a lawyer to try to fight it. I am so sorry you had such a bad experience, I hope you landed on your feet in a supportive place. ? 

Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).

Here's what I don't understand. HCA's program has been around for a while and anyone can easily research it on the internet. Even here on Allnurses there are pages of posts on this subject alone. So one can and should enter in with eyes wide open. 

I entered a similar contract 30 years ago when I started nursing. The hospital that hired me sent me to specialized training in L&D training and I agreed to work for them for 2 years as a sort of internship and to gain experience. If I decided to leave prior to the two years I would owe the hospital a pro-rated amount of no more than $5000.00 minus 1250 for each 6 months completed. It was all spelled out very clearly in the contract and I had a lawyer look it over before I signed. So I knew that if I left prior to the two years I would owe them money. Period no argument. 

I have not seen a HCA contract but I am pretty sure the terms are clearly spelled out.  Signing a contract means that one fully understands and agrees to the terms. So if they decide the break the contract then they should be prepared to pay according to the terms and conditions of the contract they signed. 

I am sure that working for HCA is some sort of hellish indenturship but one has to get through it if they don't want to pay the penalty. 

Best to such it up formulate a payment plan and pay it off. Of take out a standard loan from a bank with reasonable interest and pay HCA off. Interest and penalties accrue the whole time one is fighting the contract so one can end up paying substantially more than the original amount and even after this payment it remains on a credit report for ten years which can lower a credit score and make it harder to get loans in the future. 

If you take another job with a sign on bonus use the bonus to pay off HCA. Do not negotiate with Benefit Recovery Group or any other collection agent as they collect an additional fee from the creditor. The last time I was in such a predatory situation I went directly to the head of the organization with the help of the attorney and managed to get the original amount reduced to 23 cents on the dollar and no mention on my credit report. 

The worst thing you can do is nothing. Do not sit and wait to hear from BRG (Benefit Recovery Group) as they, not you will benefit. Once you have established a relationship with the original creditor notify BRG in writing to "Cease and desist" in their efforts to collect on this debt. Examples of "Cease and desist" notices can be found on the internet. 

Good luck to you

On 11/6/2021 at 1:21 PM, hppygr8ful said:

I have not seen a HCA contract but I am pretty sure the terms are clearly spelled out. 

I bet you they are not. That is, they probably are in the way you mean (work here 2 years or pay)--but not in other ways that are just as important to the decision-making. The problem is that new grads talk with a "talent acquisition specialist" and whoever else meets with prospective employees and are told a bunch of stuff that has everything to do with what the prospective employee thinks they are getting themselves into, but which has no legal consequence whatsoever (you will have a specially-trained preceptor, you will have X number shifts of orientation on the unit, you will work X shift, etc., etc). I also bet that the company has everything arranged just perfectly so that between Health Trust (STARN provider) and HCA facilities and BRG none are responsible for what the others say or do. It may make financial/legal/business sense to have a separate arm for providing this extra-special training, but in reality there is no reason that HCA can't run an orientation program. There is a reason they do things the way they do.

Were things this convoluted 30 years ago? I wasn't there, but I doubt it was common practice to have separate arms of a healthcare corporation to train, employ and then chase down all the people the company planned to abuse.

I do agree that people should have the contract looked over by a lawyer, and that it is best to be prepared to stay or prepared to pay. I just don't happen to think young adults just trying to enter the profession are fundamentally negligent for not having foreknowledge of how shady things can be.

Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
JKL33 said:

I do agree that people should have the contract looked over by a lawyer, and that it is best to be prepared to stay or prepared to pay. I just don't happen to think young adults just trying to enter the profession are fundamentally negligent for not having foreknowledge of how shady things can be.

But they are smart or they wouldn't have finished nursing school and passed NCLEX. All one has to do is read HCA's web site and look at reviews by current and former employees to know what HCA is all about. It has a very big BUYER BEWARE sign hung on it.  If if one enters starry eyed they should remember that when something seems to good to be true it most likely is.

I don't know the average age of people who abandon their contracts but I would bet they were raised in the last 20 years or so and  had an expectation that an employer would be fair and kind and have their (new hire) best interest at heart. It's a big wake up call to enter a world and find out that face value is not the real story. I'm not saying it's right, it isn't. and definately should be changed but in the mean time it is what it is.  I don't see any legal way for these folks to avoid paying. If enough of them got together and brought a class action against HCA that might work but the contract probably has this line in it somewhere "If any portion of this contract is found to be illegal the remainder of the contract remains legally binding."

I have been there done that with contracts not related to nursing.

Hppy

Specializes in Dialysis.
6 hours ago, JKL33 said:

I do agree that people should have the contract looked over by a lawyer, and that it is best to be prepared to stay or prepared to pay. I just don't happen to think young adults just trying to enter the profession are fundamentally negligent for not having foreknowledge of how shady things can be.

I agree with this mostly, but a simple search of this site and many groups on FB, reddit, and a few others show what a crap heap the HCA organization is. Whether new grad or seasoned nurse, you should always investigate any prospective employer to find out as much as you can. I was told this in nursing school a gazillion years ago, and I know I see it advised when people ask for interview help. Yes, people get sucked in by crappy organizations, I have, and know it happens to many. At the end of the day, it was my own fault for not investigating the employer prior to employment 

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