CHRISTUS Minor Care Centers, Beaumont

Complaint: 10869193
I am rejecting this response because: the justification is incorrect and deceiving. The $307 bill was generated because it is claimed that my son saw a physican named [redacted] during our visit to Christus. This doctor works with Christus as family practioner. Even on the bill says this $307 is coming from Christus Minority Care. However, somehow you are claiming it is not from Christus! Isn't she working for Christus? How come this bill is not from my son's visit, but has the name of the physican, name of your decieving care place, and my son's name. Also, again, we didn't see this physican or any other physican during our visit, yet we are billed $307. I cannot imagine how much we will be billed if she had show up at all. I'm telling one more time. During our visit to Christus we were billed twice, $274 and $307. I will take this issue Texas Attorney General, Texas Medical Board and all other offices concerned. 
Sincerely,
[redacted]

Complaint: 10816115
I am rejecting this response because: Christus Convenient Care Center was neither a emergency service or an urgent care facility.  I am not really concerned with theterminology. I am concern with the cost and how little that was done.  Comparable cost to what they did should have been 200 to 300 dollars, not 2200.00. This is 10 times what the cost should have been for what they provided.  My insurance company has already paid them over $1000.00.  When I received the EOB, I called my insurance and told them that this was not correct, that there was no way that this could have cost this much.  Both the insurance company and I called and ask for Christus to correct and was told that they could not do anything.  I am still very upset and frustrated with the response from Christus.[redacted]

We give all our patients a statement and have them sign it. The statement reads as follows: “This is to notify you that some insurance companies do not differentiate between Emergency Department services and Urgent Care Center Charges. You may see the terminology “Emergency Services” on your insurance’s “Explanation of Benefits” which is the form that shows what was paid to CHRISTUS Hospital – St. Elizabeth and St. Mary from your insurance company: however, we do not bill our Minor Care charges as Emergency Services.” As mentioned above, this statement is signed by all our patients before any services are delivered. We have also had the charges on this visit audited and compared to the actual documented care and we have found the charges to be appropriate.
Thank you for the opportunity to respond.

The balance mentioned in the report is not a balance owed to CHRISTUS Hospital St. Elizabeth. The physician group at Minor Care do bill separately from the Minor Care facility. For questions regarding the physician bill, please call 1-[redacted] or email [redacted]
Thank you.

Dear Ms. [redacted],We have completed our investigation on the concern reported by [redacted].  We understand the concern is regarding the charges billed for a Minor Care visit and it was reported the patient was examined by a Nurse Practitioner and there was no physician at the facility. ...

We take every concern reported very seriously and this concern has been forwarded and addressed by the appropriate department leaders.  I did have the charges audited to make sure they were accurate.  We found the charges appropriate to the documented care.  There is no outstanding balance on this account.  The bill mentioned in the report for $307 is not from CHRISTUS Minor Care.  The exam provided by the Nurse Practitioner was well within her scope of practice and there was a physician present in the facility during the visit.  We always have a physician in the facility when care is being provided.   Thank you,[redacted]

Complaint: 11773278
I am rejecting this response because:  Indeed the very personable person, [redacted], from the hospital that I spoke to made the statment...

that is wasn't them who I owed. But that doesn't help much because I still owe the money according to the billing agency that represents some doctors group as I understand it.  I called them and had difficulty communicating, and was told I still owe.  Because I was unable to communicate with the represntative, I called my insurance company and turned it over to them to sort it out.  They had offered before to do it but since there was no contact information on the bill, I told them that I would do the leg work.  Anyway, the summary is that according to somone I still owe the $35 even though I paid it at the time of service.  My insurance company told me that I DO NOT owe anything since there is only one co-pay due for a medical visit not two.  Now that we have a contact phone, hopefully the insurance company, Blue Cross of Idaho, will get it sorted out, and I will inform you.  If Blue Cross changes their minds and says I owe it, I will pay without further argument.   If the billing agency had someone as nice as [redacted], the problem may have been resolved by now.  Or they would have responded months ago when I pleaded them to in letter.  Also, [redacted] sent me some sort of friendly welcome card in the snail mail from the hospital.  Kudo's to her. And thank you for following up and staying with it.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

I am sending a response letter out certified to the patient explaining the billing process.  We give all our patients a statement and have them sign it.  The statement reads as follows:  “This is to notify you that some insurance companies do not differentiate between Emergency...

Department services and Urgent Care Center Charges.  You may see the terminology “Emergency Services” on your insurance’s “Explanation of Benefits” which is the form that shows what was paid to CHRISTUS Hospital – St. Elizabeth and St. Mary from your insurance company: however, we do not bill our Minor Care charges as Emergency Services.”Thank you,[redacted]