Complaint Review: Grant and Weber

I am a LUNG CANCER patient who qualified for financial assistance from my treating hospital.   When I called Grant and Weber to explain that they'd written off the debt,  "MRS. SMITH" aka ANNA SMITH the representative said in an extremely rude tone:  "Uhm, sir we don't talk to them and it's not our responsibility to talk to them and by the way this is an attempt to collect a debt and uh...how are you planning to pay for this?"   I said I'm looking at a letter here which says....She then cut me off and said.  

"YOU NEED TO PROVE THAT YOU DON'T OWE....etc. etc.    I hung up on her.   This may seem par for the course.  What was not, was her retaliation.   I monitor my credit and got an email from Experian the next morning saying that Grant and Weber had placed a hard inquiry on my credit -- thereby slightly lowering it.    I'm not sure, but I believe that kind of retaliatitory behavior is illegal.   I'm definitely going to ask a lawyer.   Harrassing lung cancer patients for money.  Nice way to earn a living Grant and Weber.