Aurora Health Care, Inc.

Review: I got a call several weeks after my ER visit and 1 night of observation in the hospital informing me that the "caller" had just received approval from my insurance company and now I needed an MRI. My comment to the "caller" was "I didn't need an MRI until my insurance approved it?" She said that is not what she meant; I said... what did you mean then? She was unable to say what she meant and informed me that my only cost would $125 due at the time of service. Needless to say my insurance company never approved an MRI but did later give me my plan discount. I received a bill for my hospital visit and later my MRI ; I set up a payment plan on the hospital bill and would address the MRI bill when the hospital bill was paid off. The hospital bill was paid off on 12/27/2013 and I began calling to get some answers on the MRI bill and all I ever got is "we understand and I'll have someone get back with you" NOBODY HAS EVER CALLED BACK!! EVER!! I'm convinced that the only reason this test was performed was for financial gain. If I wouldn't have been mislead about my insurance approval I would of not had this procedure performed! But I think they know that and that is why I was mislead!Desired Settlement: Honor the verbal contract they entered into and have some morals and values when "selling your services" to your customers!!

Business

Response:

Revdex.com of Wisconsin

Review: Aurora Medical Group Inc,. has caused me great hardship and distress due to their billing and collection practices. I have never paid a bill late. I was made aware of an unpaid medical bill to Aurora Medical Group Inc., when I had my credit pulled for a mortgage application. Imagine my surprise and confusion as I had no recollection of having been contacted or ever receiving a bill from Aurora in the first place, for something about 5 year ago. It is difficult enough to navigate the process of purchasing a home. My credit score has never been more important or as closely scrutinized. For a supposed outstanding bill of $210, Aurora failed to contact me and passed the claim onto a state collection agency and resulted in an adverse mark on my credit! Even after paying the state collection agency, I was informed that this account would be on my credit report for years to come!

Aurora Medical Group Inc. also:

1. failed to provide an explanation of charges (their inadequate effort to reach me regarding an outstanding balance)

2. failed to itemize billing (their inadequate effort to reach me regarding an outstanding balance)Desired Settlement: -$500 in grievances (I have spent more than 10 hours of time trying to navigate the credit bureau system and to make every effort to resolve this outstanding medical expense claim).

-complete deletion of collection record and related files from all three (3) credit bureau agencies; Equifax, Experian, and Transunion. (this is the appropriate and ethical step to righting the wrong Aurora has committed/allowed in tarnishing my credit).

Business

Response:

Revdex.com of Wisconsin

August 6 2013

RE: Aurora Health Care complaint [redacted]

Revdex.com personnel,

[redacted] was contacted by phone to acknowledge her complaint but in large part due to the amount of time that has passed, we could not reach an agreement on resolving the complaint to her satisfaction.

The $210 balance she referenced originated from an ER visit in 2008. [redacted] was billed $210 for this visit but according to our records Aurora received the bills via return mail indicating an issue with the billing address. There are documented attempts to update the account for a correct address but as explained over the phone, those efforts were unsuccessful. [redacted] herself was also unable to remember her mailing address at that time.

Aurora's billing practice is to send statements for six months before placing an account with third party collections and after said placement, negative credit reporting can be avoided if payment or arrangements are made within the first 30 days. [redacted] was informed of this and it was also explained that many times, people are unaware of information on their credit report until it is viewed. With consideration of the fact that the charge in question stems from 2008 and no options to present to [redacted], we consider this matter to be resolved.

Consumer

Response:

Review: On 8/16/14 I went to the Aurora Clinic in Waterford for a sprained ankle. when giving my information to be checked in, I gave the person my drivers license to use to enter the information. When I was finally seen by the Doctor it was near closing time. I was told I had a sprained ankle, given verbal instructions on how to take care of it, and sent out the side door of the building. I was not given any paperwork, discharge papers, or care instructions. A few weeks later I received an Explanation of Benefits from my Insurance, and waited for a bill from Aurora. In May of 2015, I received a call from a collections agency about the bill. In that discussion I found out that Aurora had the wrong zip code for my address. I called the clinic and explained that I never had gotten a bill because they wrote down the wrong zip code. They told me that the remaining bill was going to collections in 2 days and I needed to pay it by then to avoid more going to collections. I asked them to stop it from going to collections and please send me the bill to the right address. I was told then that if I received An EOB from my insurance, that I should have paid it then. My response was that I wasn't paying anything without a bill, and that I didn't know to whom or where to send the payment. They then proceeded to send it to collections. Over the following weeks I spoke with numerous people asking them to pull it from collections and send me a bill. I was told I had to pay the collections company, that they couldn't pull it from collections, and even that Medical bills don't go on my credit report. I told the Customer Service Lead, [redacted], That I would pay the amount in full if she sent me a bill, and it was removed from collections. She stated that they already sent several bills and that if I didn't get them, the bills would have come back to Aurora. implying that despite the fact that they were sent to the wrong Zip code, I should have received them regardless. At that point I again told [redacted], that I would pay the amount in full if she sent me a bill, and it was removed from collections and my credit score. I am now receiving calls from another collection agency, and have yet to receive a bill from Aurora.Desired Settlement: To have Aurora send me a bill, Have it removed from collections and my credit score. Then and only then will I pay the amount in full.

Business

Response:

Consumer has been sent a consent to release information form.

Review: I am continually getting billed for the amount of $112.16 for a medical appointment on 05/07/2015. I have been in contact with Aurora for the past two months to get this matter resolved....

United Health Care issued HRA payments on 05/21/2015 for the following amounts....

05/21/2015 Payment #PG46423057 sent from HRA account for $103.51

05/21/2015 Payment #PG46423057 sent from HRA account for $8.65

The two HRA payments above total the $112.16 that I am being billed for. After two months of email exchanges, Aurora claims that they don't see these payments as being credited to my account which is quite obvious at this point. They have still not answered the basic question of where those two missing payments above were credited. I will assume that they were credited to the wrong account.

This absolutely needs to be resolved before this ends up in collection!Desired Settlement: Aurora needs to locate these two payments in their system....

05/21/2015 Payment #PG46423057 sent from HRA account for $103.51

05/21/2015 Payment #PG46423057 sent from HRA account for $8.65

Aurora needs to credit these two payments to the correct account number 1557834 and get this issue resolved.

Business

Response:

Revdex.com of WisconsinSeptember 24 2015RE: Aurora Health Care complaint [redacted]Revdex.com personnel,Prior to [redacted] filing his complaint he contacted our office regarding his concerns with the payment he says was sent. We initiated an investigation but found no record of the payment anywhere in our system. Earlier today we contacted [redacted]'s HRA manager Diane and she verified the payment was not cashed so she will issue a stop payment on it and issue a new payment. Diane's expectation is for the payment to be sent within 10 business days but she also agreed to contact us if more time would be needed. Once we receive the payment we will promptly post it to [redacted]'s account.In the interm, we offer an apology to both the Revdex.com and [redacted] for the length of time needed to resolve this matter though some circumstances were beyond our control. There is no further action [redacted] needs to take on this matter other than allowing time for the new payment to be received and applied to his account. The current $112.16 balance has been temporarily removed from his responsibility while we wait for payment so there is no possibility of it going to third party collections.Please accept this notification as proof of our attempt to resolve this matter and accept our request to close this complaint.

Consumer

Response:

Thank you, your assistance in this matter ,it is greatly appreciated. I will wait for confirmation from United Health Care and upon receiving, I will sign off on the complaint.

Review: Visited Aurora Health care ( Lakeshore medical located at 4202 West Oak wook park court, suite 200, Franklin) in March for annual preventive checkups ( which is 100% covered under my Aetna insurance ). It's been 6 months, I have been trying to deal with the bills and corrections associated with the bills. I have spent more than 50 hours talking to customer care and getting things fixed. First it was a billing codes error which got fixed just to reappear again on my next bill. I have already made payments to the tune of $150 for other legitimate services during my visit but I am absolutely on the verge of giving up on trying to fix any more errors creeated by Aurora's billing system. Recently, I was told that my wife's visit was not a preventive one as we shared our medical history including current medications and past ailments with them. Right before our visit to Lakeshore Medical , we got multiple text messages from Aurora Healthcare asking us to bring all current medication for our preventive visit. This is plain frustating to deal with billing errors and non-stop dealing with customer care. Want this to end.Desired Settlement: Do a thorough and diligent review of all my outstanding bills ( I don't want you to take a cursory look at my bills, a serious look like you really mean to fix this issue). Put the outstanding amount together from all the bills. If you fix it all, it should almost be zero or a small amount. Make me an offer on the outstanding amount to settle all this in one shot and be done with it. After this settlement, I don't want any bills in the future stating that there was billing error in aurora healthcare and I have some outstanding dues. End this torture for me. Please

Business

Response:

Revdex.com of WisconsinSeptember 3 2015RE: Aurora Health Care complaint [redacted]Revdex.com,We have spoken with [redacted] regarding this complaint and have verified the disputed $548.55 balance is correct and as such, it will remain.As stated in his complaint, [redacted] and his wife both came to Aurora for preventative visits; a benefit he says is offered by his insurance at no cost to himself. We fully acknowledge that were errors made on the initial claims to [redacted]'s insurance but multiple reviews of both he and his wife's visit have since been completed, the necessary corrections were made and new claims were sent but the balance remains.[redacted] disagreed with our findings and also disputed some documented information regarding his wife's visit. He was given the option of getting a copy of both he and his wife's medical records to see exactly what information was documented but he declined saying he's spent enough time on this matter. He was also given the option of paying the balance off over time in interest-free installments but refused that option also.Having presented this reply to [redacted]'s complaint we now respectfully ask the Revdex.com to close this complaint. Yet another review of the visits was just completed earlier today and it also confirmed the previous findings that the visits were coded and billed correctly. [redacted] still has the opportunity to request the records for the visits and dispute the recorded information if he feels necessary but there is no other action that would take on this matter.

Consumer

Response:

Review: I am receiving harassing phone calls and bills are being sent to collections offices when I have already submitted payments. They have a collection person call (who are rude and threatening) and they call for every single bill you have. I kept saying I paid and the collection agency said no. What happens is, you have to pay online (must be online or you cannot select to pay each individual bill) if you pay off of your paper statement, they put your payment towards only one of your bills of their choice which then puts you in bad standing. I have called and talked with their billing department to no avail. Their own billing department does not even know when you are in collections. they say yes, you are in good standing when in reality you are not. Aurora is screwing up my good credit for no reason, I was not delinquent, just did not pay quick enough. Yet even when you have set up plans with them, if you do not pay exactly on the day due, you are sent to collection agency.Desired Settlement: I want them to accept what I have paid, and stop putting me in collections and take the bills out of collection that they have already sent. I pay monthly and they apply how they feel necessary, it is not fair. I feel this is a horrible way to be with your patients. You are not even told you are about to go to collections, your bill is just dropped off of the payment website and sent to collections. For all I know my insurance finally kicked in and paid the rest of the bill. This is a horrible way to treat patients and I hope that more people complain until these practices have stopped. They are ruining my credit for a couple of hundred dollars that I pay on monthly. I also have insurance that has paid the majority of bills so I don't understand the billing practices on people like me.

Business

Response:

Revdex.com of Wisconsin

Review: We came to this business office in Oshkosh, WI on the morning of 10/28/2013 to pay in full our outstanding account balance using our Flex Spending Account funds. After the transaction, we asked their representative to make sure we no longer have any outstanding balance left because we'd like to exhaust our Flex Spending Account or we will lose the money at the end of the year. The representative told us there is NO more balance on the account; therefore we were not able to use the leftover funds in our Flex account but tried using it for something else that is unnecessary. A month later, we received a bill from a collection company called State Collection Services Inc., whom Aurora Medical Center hired to collect $756.52. I believe we were misled by this business that they should have knowledge of this balance and told us about it on 10/28/2013 so that we were able to pay it using our Flex account.Desired Settlement: We'd like the balance of $756.52 be taken out of collection and have Aurora Medical Center adjust the bill as if we were able to exhaust our Flex Account balance that morning on 10/28/2013. Our estimate is we could have paid about $400 off of the $756.52 on 10/28/2013 had their receptionist informed us that there is a balance that was sent to collection.

Business

Response:

Revdex.com of Wisconsin

March 17 2014

RE: Aurora Health Care complaint [redacted]

Revdex.com,

Aurora has three different billing systems in use but we are migrating into one system that will be used in our entire network. The $756.52 balance that [redacted] referenced in the complaint is in one of the older billing systems and it was sent to third party collections 10/21/13, exactly one week before his wife [redacted] came to Aurora and inquired about their balances.

The $765.52 is an amount they are responsible for but since making contact to acknowledge his complaint we haven't been able to reach [redacted] again. Messages have been left and most recently the attached letter has been sent. Without hearing back from him, we respectfully consider this matter to be resolved now.

Consumer

Response:

I was making auto payments through their website and they sued me for unpaid bills. They were not applying my payments to the oldest bills. Some of the bills were under $10 and most of the bills my copay was not applied.I will never use aurora again

Review: I went to Aurora Health care Urgent care on 7/1/15 9200 W Loomis Rd, Franklin, WI 53132

###-###-####. It is advertised as an URGENT CARE. The sign on the building says urgent care. And the Bill Aurora sent to united health insurance says urgent care. They did not bill my insurance company as urgent care, but as hospital in patient. I called this urgent care and united health insurance prior to going. And they all agreed it was an urgent care. I needed to go to an urgent care as my deductible is 125.00. And it was in my network. I called Aurora several times about this, once I was threatened that Aurora would sue me for the bill. And I was responsible for the bill of $360.00. When I should only pay my co pay of 125.00. I was told that I had to pay it, And they didn't make a mistake. I called them today. and was told I was billed for a room and a Dr. charge. Isn't that what happens when you go to urgent care? You are put in a little room and a doctor comes in. I didn't see people being treated in the waiting room. I was not billed for urgent care, but a bigger charge of inpatient hospital. A greed scam by Aurora. I had United health insurance call them again today as well. They were told by a woman named Marita that they will look at the claim. And MAYBE it will be changed. Ive heard this before. Aurora seems to not want to change the billing code to urgent care. Instead of inpatient hospital. When in fact I wasn't at a hospital, I was at there urgent care. And should have been billed as such. It seems like hidden charges greed tactic by Aurora.Desired Settlement: I will pay ONLY my co-pay of 125.00.

Business

Response:

Revdex.com of WisconsinSeptember 16 2015RE: Aurora Health Care complaint [redacted]Revdex.com,Since receiving this complaint from [redacted] we have completed a review of his visit and reach out to him with our findings.Our review confirmed the visit was coded and billed to his insurance correctly and the $345 billed to him was also correct. That amount was assessed by [redacted]'s insurance as his deductible owed and he was informed of this. Unfortunately, [redacted] was not receptive to this information however and insisted the bill was still incorrect and he will never return to any Aurora facility again.Having explained the information above, as a one-time courtesy to [redacted] since he was unaware the facility he went to bills each visit as a hospital visit, an adjustment was made on his account and [redacted] will eventually receive a bill for the $125 amount he expected to pay. It must be repeated that there was no error in the initial billing and this courtesy will only be extended to [redacted] on this one occasion. It is our hope that he will accept this gesture as a show of goodwill so this matter can be brought to an end.Please accept this response as our respectful request to close this complaint.

Consumer

Response:

Review: I made an appointment with this group for a specific type of consultation back in Oct. 2013 and this was based on the way the practice was advertised (it did not involve anything like epilepsy). I verified this expertise over the phone before making the appointment. I had to travel from out of town because the combination of expertise was not available in St. Louis, and upon arriving at the office, had sent my insurance card and paid my copay, but was told that the expertise was not as was verified over the phone. Annoyed, I figured I would go through with the appointment since I was there and it was just a half hour consultation. The doctor said she could do a report that was needed for something, so I did meet with her, and they would send me the paperwork. I checked with the front desk upon leaving the office whether additional fees/etc. would be necessary, and I was assured that we were settled. Weeks later, after my paperwork had been stolen with a purse and a backpack, I started receiving bills. I also received the report quite a bit later because of problems sending it through fed-ex. The report contained a great deal of inaccurate information or unnecessary information (I had been trying to streamline all my personal information in an effort to address a privacy issue before the bags were stolen and so quite careful about what information I share with people) to the point that I am not sure if my information was confused with someone else's. I have also noticed that the more info shared with any health business, the higher the likelihood of the problem occurring. I am not aware of the specific mechanism or if another exposure would cause this sort of situation, but I have noticed this scenario on several occasions, and my sleep (one complaint) has been worse since this visit. I called, sent letters and consulted a lawyer, I was sent a letter stating they added changes to my record but did not remove false information and no copy of the changes, but bills continued w/no repl.Desired Settlement: I would like a return phone call or letter addressing my letters and phone calls with regard to the bills. I would like the additional charges removed as they cannot tell me what the charges are for, and my insurance company stated they were not even charged for the Oct. visit. I would them to stop sending bills for what they cannot even address or verify, and I would like verification (a copy of a report) that the false or information I did not provide has been removedfrom the report.

Business

Response:

Revdex.com of Wisconsin

Review: my total bill for physical therapy from 11/12 was 2873.00 my insurance provided a plan discount of 1537.00 leaving a balance of 261.57 my secondary insurance paid 1489.35 therefore leaving a .00 balance Aurora is charging me 309.22 I have contacted my secondary insurance multiple times they indicate aurora is billing the charges incorrectly I have been unable to have been unable to have the charges billed correctly I called and left a voice mail with no responseDesired Settlement: Have aurora bill correctly I should have a .00 balance per my insurance blue cross of MA

Business

Response:

Revdex.com of Wisconsin

November 13 2013

RE: Aurora Health Care complaint [redacted]

Revdex.com personnel,

After receiving [redacted]'s complaint, we contacted her Blue Cross Blue Shield secondary insurance and they acknowledged making an error in the processing of claims. They are have agreed to reprocess them but their preliminary review revealed that [redacted] will still have an out of pocket expense of approx. $280 for the therapy service in question.

[redacted] was contacted and given the information above. She agreed with the $280 approx. balance and agreed to allow time for claims to be reprocessed but remains skeptical of a prompt resolution. No collection activity will occur while claims are being reviewed and reprocessed by her insurance.

Review: I have two accounts with Aurora. One is Aurora Medical and one Aurora Health. Last July I went in to clinic and sat down with Financial person and set up an automatic payment plan for the 15th of every month $10 would be taken out for each account. This February I received a collection notice that the Aurora Medical was sent to collections. I had never been contacted via phone or mail that this was happening and remember I had set up AUTOMATIC payment to make sure they got the money due monthly! I contacted to customer service # and spoke with a person that couldn't tell me why. Asked to speak to supervisor then I started to speak with a [redacted](I believe) and he did some "research" and got back to me saying I needed to contact my bank. It was their fault. So I did contact US Bank and I went back and looked at my account and Aurora Medical took out payments from Aug-Oct and Nov they just stopped taking payments. The bank said there was no reason on their end that they wouldn't be able to withdraw payment on my account. So now I contacted the clinic to talk to a new person [redacted] and she couldn't figure it out either. At this time my other account was sent to collection even though I received an April bill for $10 and paid it all of a sudden its in collections. [redacted] referred my account to her supervisor [redacted] ###-###-####. She left me saying they couldn't figure it out on there end why the automatic payment stopped but they couldn't take my accounts out of collections she had asked. I'm beyond frustrated as I believe they wrongly sent my accounts to collections with no reason. I'm even more frustrated that they can NOT provide me with an explantion. I believe both my accounts should not be in collections as I did nothing wrong on the consumer end. They can not provide any documentation that I asked for them to stop automatic payments.Desired Settlement: I believe both my accounts should come out of collections and I should receive some credit for the months that I have been on the phone with various people trying to figure this out.

Business

Response:

Revdex.com of Wisconsin

Review: There are numerous billboards around our area advertising that if you have an injury or illness you can go to the Aurora Baycare Emergency Center and they will only charge you for the type of care you need. Example: Bad sushi or Bad fall is one sign. There's nothing else on the billboard indicating that it only covers the hours the Urgent Care facility operates. My husband went in after the Urgent Care hours for a nonemergency injury and we were billed over $700. I was told that the urgent care hours are posted but as I mentioned it's no where on the billboards all over the area. If we would have known that he would have waited until the next day. This is very poor on their part because they are making such a big deal about this service. It's really no different than any of the numerous walk-in clinics in the area which we would have gone to if we knew that after 8pm it's all emergency treatment services.Desired Settlement: I would like to be refunded the difference between what the urgent care fee would have been and the emergency fee I did pay.

Business

Response:

I am writing in follow-up to the letter regarding case ID 98599 10 dated January 21, 2014 that was sent to BayCare Clinic. Aurora BayCare Medical Center

Review: Chiropractor assured me that since x-rays were covered with my previous provider, they would be covered in my visits with him. In addition, no declaration of separate billing of x-ray services was ever made as a caveat to engaging in chiropractic care at Aurora.

Since that time, it has come to my attention that Aurora Advanced Healthcare files x-rays as a separate service, apart from chiropractic visits. My previous provider as well as my current insurance carrier—Blue Cross/Blue Shield--has confirmed that x-rays are a component that is indeed included within the spectrum of chiropractic services and is covered by my insurance co-payment.

In a letter - Aurora indicates that films must be read by a radiologist. Where my Chiropractor indicates no other Dr. or Radiologist reviews/reads/or provides input on my x-rays.

This is double billing.Desired Settlement: Chiropractic services within the facility of Aurora should clearly indicate how X-Rays and other services are different from non-Aurora. X-Ray billing should be included within my chiropractor visit and billed as such.

Business

Response:

Revdex.com of Wisconsin

Review: In March of 2012 I broke my arm and received all of the resulting treatment from Aurora Healthcare (emergency services, surgery, physical therapy, etc.). When the bills were issued I worked with an individual named [redacted] in their billing department to establish a payment plan of $139 per month, split between three separate accounts. All communications were carried out electronically, and the final details were agreed upon on August 3, 2012. This email strongly suggests that this payment plan will last until all of the accounts are paid off, which would clearly take more than one year. You can find the full and unaltered email correspondence copied below. No communication regarding the payment plan took place outside of this email conversation.

In early September of 2013 I received notice from Aurora that my payment plan had expired and that the full balance (~$2800) was due. I called the billing department at Aurora, and they informed me that the terms of the payment plan stated that it would only last for one year. You will note from the email discussion that a time limit was never discussed, nor was one established. I never received written or verbal notification from Aurora that the agreement was only good for a year. I don't think it is right (and it might even be fraudulent) of them to invoke a one year time limitation when I was never made aware of it. It doesn't constitute a valid agreement when one party (me) is not made aware of the details.

Herein is the email discussion by which the agreement was made, in its entirety:

----- Message -----

From: [redacted] S

Sent: 5/31/2012 4:30 PM CDT

To: Customer Service

Subject: Payment Options

Topic: Question on Account

Greetings,

I received a billing statement in the mail today, requesting that I pay the balance of $3,336.29 by June 20. This will be extremely difficult.

Do you offer any kind of assistance program for individuals with limited means? Or would it be possible to set up some kind of a payment plan that would allow me to spread it out? I am curious to know what my options are here.

Thank you,

[redacted] S [redacted]

Please reply to this message by electronic messaging.

----- Message -----

From: Customer Service

Sent: 6/1/2012 9:14 AM CDT

To: [redacted] S [redacted]

Subject: RE: Payment Options

Good Morning Mr. [redacted],

Thank you for contacting Aurora Healthcare. I was able to locate your account ([redacted]) and, since insurance did make payments on the account, we wouldn't be able to reduce the balance down. We can, though, offer an interest free payment plan. I can offer a plan of $139/month. If this is acceptable, please let us know or if you have a different option you would like to pursue.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please call (800) 958-6202 Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm. Or you can reply by e-mail to: [email protected]. Again, thank you for contacting Aurora Healthcare.

[redacted] F. [redacted]

Research and Resolution Representative

Patient Financial Services

Aurora Health Care

----- Message -----

From: [redacted] S

Sent: 6/19/2012 9:07 AM CDT

To: Customer Service

Subject: RE: Payment Options

This plan is acceptable to me.

I will schedule my first payment for $139 immediately.

Thank you,

[redacted] S [redacted]

Please reply to this message by electronic messaging.

----- Message -----

From: Customer Service

Sent: 6/19/2012 9:24 AM CDT

To: [redacted] S [redacted]

Subject: RE: Payment Options

Good Morning Mr. [redacted],

I have set up the account on the $139/month payment plan. The next statement for the account will be sent out around 6/29/12.

If you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

[redacted] F. [redacted]

Research and Resolution Representative

Patient Financial Services

Aurora Health Care

----- Message -----

From: [redacted] S

Sent: 8/1/2012 2:38 PM CDT

To: Customer Service

Subject: RE: Payment Options

Greetings,

As per your email of June 19, I have been making payments of $139 per month. I have just received multiple bills in today's mail informing me that my account is past due. Why is this the case? I was informed in no uncertain terms that the amount expected per month would be $139 (see email below).

Additionally, could you explain to me why I am getting multiple bills with different amounts stated on them, both from Aurora?

A little clarification would be very welcome.

Regards,

[redacted] S [redacted]

Please reply to this message by electronic messaging.

----- Message -----

From: Customer Service

Sent: 8/2/2012 8:19 AM CDT

To: [redacted] S [redacted]

Subject: RE: Payment Options

Good Morning Mr. [redacted],

The reason why you have two billing statements is that one account ([redacted]) is from West Allis Memorial hospital. They, at present, are still operating under our old billing system. Your other account ([redacted]) is also set up on payment plan of $139. On the first account, there hasn't been a payment received since the account was set up on the payment plan back in June, thus the account is behind two months in payments. The second account is current with the payments. There is also a third account number [redacted] from St. Luke's that has a balance of $641.52. Unfortunately, we can't combine these accounts into one accounts as there are two billing systems involved. Eventually, the accounts will be on one billing system but that isn't scheduled to happen for several months.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please call [redacted] Monday through Friday 8:30am to 5:00pm. Or you can reply by e-mail to: MyAHChart.com. Again, thank you for contacting Aurora Healthcare.

Aurora Health Care

Research and Resolution Department

Patient Financial Services

----- Message -----

From: [redacted] S

Sent: 8/2/2012 9:44 AM CDT

To: Customer Service

Subject: RE: Payment Options

Thanks for the quick feedback. The situation is more clear to me now.

Would it be possible to work out a payment plan that takes into account the fact that I have three accounts to cover? Could we split the $139 between the three accounts, somehow? I am trying to determine how to make this manageable on a month to month basis. Does your department deal with all three of these, or am I required to negotiate with three separate billing departments?

Regards,

[redacted] S [redacted]

Please reply to this message by electronic messaging.

----- Message -----

FROM: Customer Service

DATE: 08/03/2012 07:50 AM

SUBJECT: RE: Payment Options

MESSAGE:

Good Morning Mr. [redacted],

I have set up the accounts on the following payment plans:

[redacted], current balance $3,336.29. $46.34/month.

475360870, current balance $641.52. $46.33/month.

[redacted], current balance $561.33. $46.33/month.

This will still be $139/month but it is now spread across the three accounts. There is the option to pay more, if you're able to. And you can adjust the monthly amounts as the accounts get paid off.

If you have any additional questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Aurora Health Care

Research and Resolution Department

Patient Financial ServicesDesired Settlement: I spoke with a representative from Aurora by telephone on September 10. They informed me that they can reinstate the $139/month payment plan for another six months, ending in February of 2014. This is unacceptable to me.

I would like a written communication from Aurora informing me of their decision to honor our original agreement (documented by email) that I will pay $139/month until the balance of the account is paid off. I would also like them to cease these ethically questionable practices, and provide all recipients of payment plans with a full list of terms and conditions, stating time limitations clearly. I would also appreciate an apology.

Business

Response:

Revdex.com of Wisconsin

Review: My Doctor in Madison, WI had requested me to get a Liver Biopsy done.I had phoned Dr. [redacted]'s office at Aurora-Walworth in Walworth, WI to discuss this procedure. Aurora had told me that they could perform the procedure, but I needed to visit Dr. [redacted] first.When I saw Dr. [redacted] on May 24, 2013, he told me that he does not deal with this type of procedure very often, but he will set it up at Aurora Lakeland Hospital in Elkhorn, WI.When Aurora-Lakeland Hospital called me on the phone two weeks later, they told me that they could not perform the procedure at the Hospital, but still wanted to see me anyway? (I had a feeling that they did not know anything about the Liver Biopsy that I needed to get completed).I called my Doctor in Madison, WI and the procedure was completedat UW-Hospital on June 14, 2013.My insurance was billed and they paid the bill. I was sent a bill for the balance of $48.88 and I refuse to pay it.A DOCTOR'S VISIT, FOR A PROCEDURE, THAT THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD PREFORM, BUT COULD NOT?I Had called Aurora Health Care in Walworth, WI and left a message to discuss this and I also sent a letter describing the above information to them. But I had no response. I also sent a copy of the letter to the following Aurora Health Care Office with my bill.Aurora Health CareP.O. Box 091700Milwaukee, WI 53209-8700I had no response from Aurora.Today I received another bill from Aurora Health Care for $48.88Desired Settlement: I do not think it is fair that I should have to pay Aurora Health Care formy bill of $48.88. Please void this bill.Thanks[redacted]

Business

Response:

Revdex.com of Wisconsin

August 29 2013

RE: Aurora Health Care complaint [redacted]

Revdex.com,

We have thoroughly reviewed [redacted]'s complaint and received a copy of the letter he previously sent to Aurora.

The letter referenced above was received by [redacted]; Supervisor of the Aurora Walworth facility and [redacted] did share the letter and [redacted]'s concern with the doctor from his May 24 2013 appointment. [redacted] verified this appointment was a consultation and this doctor was not going to perform the biopsy, but was instead referring [redacted] to another physician. [redacted] eventually had the biopsy outside the Aurora network and thus was not charged for any other visit or service.

The only charge he has been billed for was for the one appointment with the Aurora physician he did in fact have. As such, the amount billed to him is a valid charge and will not be adjusted or written off. Please accept this response as a resolution to his concern.

Review: The Aurora clinic that I go to phoned me and said that I should come in for a "wellness exam". They informed me that this exam was TOTALLY covered by Medicare so I made an appointment for 4/3/14. During the exam the doctor asked me if I had any questions or concerns.I told her that I was having an issue concerning my ears. She proceeded to examine my ears and prescribed a cream for them. I was billed for $104.12 for that exam. I phoned them to inquire as to why I was charged and was informed that it was because I answered her question as to if I had any concerns. At no time was I ever informed that by answering her I was going to be charged. I am angry that this "scam" was perpetrated on me and wonder how many other Medicare recipiants they do this to. Please investigate this to see if what they are doing is right or wrong. thank you [redacted] C. [redacted]Desired Settlement: I would like for Aurora to remove this from my bill as soon as possible as to not effect my good credit. Also for them not to inform other patients that the exam will cost them nothing when in fact it does.

Business

Response:

Revdex.com of Wisconsin

October 21 2014

RE: Aurora Health Care complaint [redacted]

Revdex.com personnel,

[redacted] has been contacted regarding his complaint but after lengthy conversation with both he and his wife [redacted], it is unknown if this matter has been resolved or not.

At the heart of this dispute is [redacted] and [redacted]'s belief that since Aurora contacted [redacted] to come for a Medicare Wellness Visit that was free, there should be no charge to him. Attempts were made to explain that [redacted] was billed because his visit went outside the scope of a wellness exam; it is documented that during the visit there was discussion about [redacted]'s health concerns and in his complaint to your organization [redacted] himself made mention of a prescription the doctor gave for his ear. [redacted] and [redacted] both say that he should have notified that more in depth discussion would lead to a charge for the patient but Aurora's position is that a patient should be aware of what a scheduled visit entails. Patients have the right to decline a physician's suggestions and in addition, a review by our professional coding staff has confirmed the visit was coded and billed correctly.

Upon conclusion of the conversation, there was no agreement on a resolution. [redacted] indicated she would contact your organization again to inquire about other options available. She is aware that a response will be sent from Aurora but she will have an opportunity to see and respond to it should she desire.

Review: On May 22, 2015 I arrived at the Aurora Health Clinic where my normal Dr is located. I was not feeling well with a cough and fatigue. I asked the front desk if the Dr [redacted] was buusy. She said your Dr is not available but a substitute can help you and stated " you came at a perfect time because she has time to see you now." I did not see my normal Dr but saw Dr [redacted]. She was a pleasant Dr. and told me that I had Bronchitis and sent me with 2 prescriptions to be filled. 10 minute or less visit. She said if I was not better in a few days to call and she would prescribe an antibiotic. I called her on May 26th at 8 a.m. and said I was not better. She said she would phone a RX in to Walgreen's in Neenah on 1191 Westowne Drive. I went to the pharmacy at noon and the pharmacy had no record of an RX for me. I went home and went back again about 5:00 and still no Rx phoned in. Three days later the pharmacy called me to say my Rx was ready. VERY poor follow up. The real reason I am writing the complaint is when I received the bill I was billed for an outpatient visit - $314. If I had called from home that morning and went in I would have been able to be seen at the same time with the same Dr and it would not have been billed as outpatient but for a normal Dr office visit. I disagree with the amount billed and am expecting a bill for a normal office visit. I am not looking at getting my office visit for nothing but purely disagree with the coded amount billed due to circumstances stated. I previously had gone to the Dr in the same fashion and received a bill in the amount of a normal office visit - I then had the flu.Desired Settlement: A revised bill for a normal office visit that in the past was about $125. Someone to discuss best practices follow up procedures to what a patient is told will happen and what the outcome actually is. Punctuality in follow up is the key to satisfied future patients.

Business

Response:

Revdex.com of Wisconsin

July 15 2015

RE: Aurora Health Care complaint [redacted]

Revdex.com personnel,

[redacted] has been contacted and though we provided an exp[redacted]tion for the billing of her visit she didn't agree with the information provided. Her primary complaint is the unscheduled visit resulted in a larger charge than she expected and she thought if she had a scheduled appointment it would have a lesser cost.

It was explained to [redacted] that she was only billed for an office visit as expected and that would've been the same even if her appointment was scheduled. All office visits fall into a range of level one through five; level one visits generally require minimal decision making from the provider and are very brief and general whereas level five visits generally require more complex decision making, are longer in length and more in-depth. [redacted] was billed at a level four and a review by our professional coding staff confirmed that was the correct level of service for her visit. The entire $305.91 billed balance was assessed to her deductible by her insurance though a small discount was also applied. With regards to the prescription she waited for, our records indicate it was called into Walgreen's shortly after 9AM on May 28 so it is unknown why it wouldn't have been available later that same day.

[redacted] was offered a payment plan where she can split the balance into monthly payments and pay over time but declined that offer. Despite sharing the results of our reviews she remained unsatisfied with the balance her insurance says she is responsible for. She is aware that if the balance remains unpaid she will risk placement with a third party collection agency but says she will allow that course of action.

Consumer

Response:

Review: I received care at Aurora Baycare on West Mason in Green Bay. I called twice inquiring where the bill was after my insurance had issued payment. They could not find the bill. they never asked for my address when I was there. They apparently sent 6 bills to a wrong address and then put it to a COLLECTION AGENCY. I have never paid a bill late, I CALLED to pay it and they could not locate the bill. I find this practice unacceptable since I was willing to pay all along! (And tried to pay)Desired Settlement: I would like this taken off of my record as a collection since I did everything I should have INLUDING calling to try to pay the bill. I have also paid the bill through the Collections site as of today when the financial counselor at Aurora never returned my calls. Her voicemail stated 48 hours, I gave her 72 hours. Her name is [redacted].

Business

Response:

Revdex.com of Wisconsin

Review: Aurora Medical Group sent us a bill in January of 2014 for $110.01. This amount was for a date of service of February 20, 2013 (11 months earlier). I called Aurora in February of 2014 (when I got the bill) to ask why I was receiving a bill for the first time, almost a year after the service date. Aurora admitted the error but could not explain the 11-month invoicing delay. Aurora said that their policy is to bill within 2 years of service. This policy is unreasonable and outside industry standard. I asked to speak to a supervisor to discuss this problem and I was told someone would need to call me back. Nobody called me back. I called again today, April 24, 2014 to discuss the 11 month billing delay and I was told someone would need to call me back. Yet, in the mean time, I found in the mail a collection letter from an organization called State Collection Service acting on behalf of Aurora Medical Group to collect the balance of $110.01. Aurora took 11 months to send me an invoice, they won't return my calls, yet they sent me to a collection agency within 3 months of their invoice date. An 11-month billing delay is excessive and unreasonable. In addition, Aurora's unwillingness to return my calls will now be affecting my credit report (due to the collection action).Desired Settlement: I would like Aurora Medical Group to absorb this invoice for $110.01 and cancel the collection action. Their billing/invoicing practices are unreasonable and not within industry standard.

Business

Response:

Revdex.com of Wisconsin

May 21 2014

RE: Aurora Health Care complaint [redacted]

Revdex.com personnel,

Since this complaint was filed we have identified the cause of the billing delay [redacted] made reference to. We have also taken steps to remove the account from collections and write the $110.01 balance off since it wasn't initially billed in a timely manner. [redacted] has been contacted and given this information and was very receptive to learn her and her husband [redacted] will not be held responsible for the balance.

Please accept this notification that [redacted]'s concern has been addressed and we have effectively resolved this complaint.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.