Conifer Electric

April 29, 2016Revdex.com 4428 N. 12th StreetPhoenix, AZ 85014RE: Complaint ID #[redacted] - RebuttalDear Dispute Resolution Specialist: We have taken Mr. [redacted] comments under advisement in regards to our website appointment scheduling. It will take time to determine the best solution and make changes if they are accepted. I assure you we will evaluate this part of our appointment scheduling process as well as options available for different testing types. I have already reached out to the laboratory to work on a solution to make this particular test type more available which should benefit not only Mr. [redacted], but other patients. My apologies for any rudeness or condescending manner that Mr. [redacted] felt he received and too, my apologies for any inconvenience in regards to his phone calls or the scheduling issue. We make every effort to provide our customers with the best service we can and I am sorry if we fell short in meeting his needs and expectations. Sincerely,Barbara D[redacted], Patient Services DirectorSonora Quest Laboratories

April 24, 2017Revdex.com 4428 N. 12th StreetPhoenix, AZ 85014RE: Complaint ID #[redacted] ( Behalf of [redacted])Dear Dispute Resolution Specialist: We thank you for the opportunity to review this matter and provide Mrs. [redacted] with an update on her...

insurance designated patient financial responsibility as described on her explanation of benefits. Sonora Quest Laboratories submitted Mrs. [redacted] claim to her insurance for processing on February 14, 2016. The insurance provider denied one charge listing patient responsibility as $389.85 on February 24, 2016.  Shortly thereafter, Mrs. [redacted] should have received a copy of the explanation of benefits for this claim directly from her insurance provider, outlining the reason for the denial and informing her of the amount owed as patient responsibility.   The testing was denied by Mrs. [redacted] insurance as they stated it was not a covered benefit. Patients are responsible for confirming with their insurance provider in advance, whether the testing their provider ordered is covered under their insurance policy.  To assist our patients with navigating the billing process our customer service team has prepared answers to many of the commonly asked questions regarding the billing process, our Sonora Quest invoice, or our patients’ EOB’s, on our website at www.SonoraQuest.com .In the hopes of resolving this matter, Sonora Quest Laboratories will agree to accept the patient’s previous payment which represents the “contractually discounted” rate that we negotiated with her insurance plan for covered services.  It is important that Mrs. [redacted] understands that this concession is being offered as a one-time courtesy as her testing was not a covered service and therefore, was not entitled to receive the contractually discounted pricing.  Furthermore, our customer service team we will remove the debt from collections and remove any impact to the responsible party’s credit. We highly recommend Mrs. [redacted] contact her insurance provider prior to any future visits if she has any questions or concerns regarding testing that may be excluded for coverage under her insurance policy.  Sincerely,Anthony G[redacted], Billing Customer Services SupervisorSonora Quest Laboratories

This response continues the condescending mindset that I have encountered with this company in the past and sidesteps the point of my complaint. Again Sonora Quest seems to be unable to apologize or address the issue, for which they are responsible.In her response to my complaint Mrs D[redacted] begins by reiterating why the proper type of appointment needs to be made. I don't contend that that is not true. I contend that their website and customer service is inadequate and as a result I have made this error multiple times while trying to schedule the correct type of appointment. As a result I drove 40 minutes (one way) twice only to be told I was at fault. This pervasive "blame the customer" mentality is a cop out.Mrs D[redacted] then proceeds to explain how to make the correct type of appointment. Again this is not helpful as it requires me to be able to communicate this information to myself in the past!? I cant. I also don't use their web site frequently so expecting me to remember which small drop down menu to make a selection from is useless. Doing this may seem simple to those who use it daily.Mrs D[redacted] then points out that I was able to make the correct type of appointment in the past (12/1/15 and 9/9/15).  I made those appointments (correctly) after being informed of  the same error after my second trip to the facility. At that point I had already complained once to the front desk staff about how I had been inconvenienced (with the two 40 minute drives) and how the phone numbers I'd called for help had failed. Only after the most recent experience was I able to voice my displeasure to someone other than the person sitting behind the front desk. [redacted] MT ([redacted]), Technical Supervisor was fairly polite but continued to reiterate that the error was mine. The customer (despite asking for help and reaching out in the past) is wrong in this mindset. She did however tell me that I was not the only customer who had made this error. So apparently the issue occurs to more people than just me, although Sonora Quest believes that is their fault and not part of the companies responsibility to its customers. I was also told on site that the reason they could not fit in my test
(into the appointment time that I had made) was because of some limited
number of tests allowed per day (x). It was implied that this was
limited by some governing body. that is why I suggest the x-1
appointments of this type as a solution to their scheduling problem.Also adding evidence to my argument, since the last correctly scheduled appointment I'd had, (9/9/2015) I apparently forgot the extra steps to making this type of appointment. Evidence that this issue has inconvenienced me not once, but twice and supports my claim that their web site appointment making process is inadequate. I'm not in the habit of complaining about services (this is the first time I've ever interacted with the Revdex.com regarding any company), nor am I interested in driving 40 minutes (one way) out of my way for the fun of it. The error is in their system but they continue to blame the customer. Lastly I would like to point out that having phone numbers (or email addresses) on your web site does not mean that the calls are answered in a timely manner. They were not when I needed help. That is the truth and speaks to inadequate customer service. I also continue to believe that it would be easy to make changes to the scheduling web site that would prevent this issue in the future. For example selecting what type of test is required on a separate page FIRST (rather than via  small drop down selection) before showing available appointment times would make sense and prevent the issue. -[redacted]

April 29, 2016Revdex.com 4428 N. 12th StreetPhoenix, AZ 85014RE: Complaint ID #[redacted] – [redacted]Dear Dispute Resolution Specialist: We have reviewed the complaint filed by Ms. [redacted] and begin by offering my apology for any concern and inconvenience caused to Ms....

[redacted] and her daughter. Our records indicate that Ms. [redacted] scheduled an appointment for 1:45 p.m.  She arrived and signed in at 1:06 p.m. but was not taken back until 1:55 p.m. Because of their early arrival they should have been taken as a walk in and slipped into the schedule earlier than the scheduled appointment. Our Supervisor has reviewed this expectation with staff as well as reviewed the phlebotomy procedure itself and the perception of rudeness that Ms. [redacted] noted. The phlebotomist did not recall anything specific about this draw and is competent drawing both adults and children. We’re very sorry that Ms. [redacted] daughter found the procedure agonizing and doesn’t want to return.  The requisition submitted for testing was from a competitor laboratory. While we accept requisitions from our competitors, there was some question about this order when it was received in the testing laboratory as to whether the two tests were ordered by a physician or ordered by the patient’s mother, in accordance with Arizona House Bill 2645.  Orders following the two processes are handled differently due to the requirements in the Bill especially in regards to how we bill for the testing. Patient ordered testing cannot be billed to insurance. The client listed on the requisition was called to clarify and the question was submitted to our Quality Department for review.  The internal review occurred on 4/11 and the return call did not happen until 4/13. Unfortunately, the specimens were past stability and could not be tested. Our Client Services Department has reviewed the recordings of the calls to the client and none of our employees stated that the order had been altered, only that the requisition was being reviewed. Our records then indicate that the mother was contacted immediately after the client returned the call, but this was 5 days after the order was received. We did not find in any of the recordings that Ms. [redacted] asked why we did not call her.  We also did not find in the recordings that anyone told Ms. [redacted] that we could not run the tests because it was on another laboratory’s requisition. We willingly accept competitor requisitions. PSC Supervisor reviewed her voice mails and did not find a voice mail that was left for her.  She offers her personal apology if she neglected to return a call. I recognize and understand that the service we provided to you did not meet the high level of satisfaction and quality that Sonora Quest strives for consistently.  We apologize to you and your daughter for any inconvenience and concerns related to this visit and we value your feedback.I appreciate that you took the time to contact us regarding this matter, affording our team the opportunity to correct and recognize areas of our process that need to be improved.  If you have any additional questions regarding this matter or if we can provide any additional assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. Sincerely,Barbara D[redacted], Patient Services DirectorSonora Quest Laboratories

April 19, 2016Revdex.com 4428 N. 12th StreetPhoenix, AZ 85014RE: Complaint ID #[redacted]Dear Dispute Resolution Specialist: The test requested for Mr. [redacted] by his physician is a time sensitive test and because of this, the number that can be performed daily is...

limited in the laboratory. The test is offered by appointment only and can only be collected at the specified facility in the Phoenix metropolitan area.  The current lead time for this type of appointment is approximately 2 weeks. If a patient arrives for the test type without an appointment or having scheduled the incorrect appointment type, we will do what we can to accommodate the patient, however, on the date of Mr. [redacted]’ visit the maximum number of appointments was prescheduled and we were unable to add him. When making an appointment for this test type, or any test, the patient must select the appointment type needed from a drop-down box. For the appointment needed on 4/15/2016, Mr. [redacted] neglected to make this selection; however, on two previous occasions (9/9/2015 and 12/1/2015) he had scheduled the correct appointment type over the Internet. These two appointments were not scheduled by an SQL staff member. No changes have been made to our website or scheduling system in the time elapsed between the prior appointments and 4/15/2016. Mr. [redacted] suggested that we make changes to our website so that this type of error does not occur.  I have asked our web developer to place an additional comment on our appointment confirmations notifying patients that if they schedule a different appointment type than that actually needed, they may be rescheduled and asked to return for service on another day. Mr. [redacted] suggests that we always leave one of these appointments open for people who cannot or do not schedule correctly, but doing so would be impossible because we would be unable to predict what time that patient might present at the laboratory. Again, the test is time sensitive and must be tested within a certain time frame from collection. It is not possible to perform two of these at the same time.Finally, Mr. [redacted] notes that he was unable to reach someone for help via phone. Our website offers a published phone number for Website Help (###-###-####) as well as published phone number for the collection facility and our main laboratory facility.  We also offer multiple email contacts. I appreciate that you took the time to contact us regarding this matter, affording our team the opportunity to correct and recognize areas of our process that need to be improved.  We are reviewing the process to determine if any changes can be made going forward. If you have any additional questions regarding this matter or if we can provide any additional assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. Sincerely,Barbara D[redacted], Patient Services DirectorSonora Quest Laboratories

May 27, 2016Revdex.com of Southern Arizona5151 E. Broadway Blvd #100Tucson, AZ 85711Attn:  Valerie Ramos RE: Complaint ID #[redacted]- [redacted]Dear Dispute Resolution Consultant:Thank you for your correspondence and for providing us an opportunity to investigate and respond to Ms. [redacted].  We apologize our initial response did not satisfy Mrs. [redacted]’s concern.Mrs. [redacted] communicated in her response that her provider has no legal power to commit her to any financial agreement. Sonora Quest has received from her provider’s office the financial agreement that she signed on 06/17/2015 acknowledging that Mrs. [redacted] is financially responsible for services render by Banner Health or providers affiliated with Banner Health. Sonora Quest Laboratories has met the established guidelines and is a Banner Health affiliate. We have reached out to the physician’s office to discuss resolution in an attempt to help and address Mrs. [redacted]’s concern. As a one time courtesy and goodwill effort to assist Mrs. [redacted] with resolving her account balance, her ordering physician’s office has agreed to pay Mrs. [redacted]’s balance in full. Sonora Quest Laboratories now considers Mrs. [redacted]’s matter resolved.We hope this addresses Mrs. [redacted]’s concerns. Please contact me directly with any additional questions.Sincerely,Andrew D[redacted]Andrew D[redacted]Billing Customer Service Assistant SupervisorSonora Quest Laboratories

RE: Complain ID #[redacted]Dear Dispute resolution consultant:Upon review of Mr. [redacted] account, his insurance adjudicated the claim and left a balance as patient responsibility for his deductible. Sonora Quest Laboratories is an ancillary provider and bills with the information...

provided by the physician on the original order.  Mr. [redacted] physician’s office provided additional diagnosis information in March, however Mr. [redacted] insurance requires diagnosis to be listed on physician office letterhead with patient chart notes. Sonora Quest has attempted 3 times to obtain the required information and never received a response from the ordering provider’s office and Mr. [redacted] account continued through the billing cycle.   Based on the original adjudication of the claim, Mr. [redacted] is responsible for $69.51.  Mr. [redacted] account will be pulled from collections upon receipt of missing documents. We apologize the representative Mr. [redacted] was dealing with did not keep him informed while she was attempting to get the information needed to submit an appeal.   We hope this explanation provides insight on why this claim was not yet resubmitted to insurance. . Unfortunately as an ancillary provider, Sonora Quest must rely on the ordering physician’s office to provide all necessary information to resubmit the claim.  Sincerely, [redacted]Billing Customer Service Assistant Supervisor

Dear Dispute resolution consultant:We apologize Ms. [redacted] attempts to reach our Customer Service department were unsuccessful; however, several efforts were made to return Ms. [redacted] calls but unfortunately we were unable to successfully reach Ms. [redacted] at the phone number she provided....

After further review the payment made by Ms. [redacted] to RSI Enterprises on 07/02/2015 has settled the balance in full. We have stopped Ms. [redacted] account from being reported to the credit bureau so there is no derogatory reporting made on her credit report. We take every opportunity to notify our patients of outstanding balances and allow ample time for payment to be made. Sonora Quest laboratories has requested RSI send a letter stating that the debt has been satisfied with no negative impact on Ms. [redacted] credit report.  We hope this alleviates Ms. [redacted] concerns pertaining to her account being reported to the credit bureau.

Dear Dispute Resolution Consultant,
I have attempted to work with Sonora Quest in good faith and to simplify matters, and did, as Mr. G[redacted] stated, attempt to get my insurance to negotiate the cost of the test, as suggested by Sonora Quest. As all three attempts were denied, the only solution I have for Sonora Quest is to either lower the price of the test to a standard "allowed" insurance amount, which I will possibly consider paying to help them cover their costs, or remove the charges completely. As Mr. G[redacted] stated in his reply, Sonora Quest has a signed letter of attestation from my provider that informed consent would be obtained, not a letter or signed consent from me. I was never consented by my provider, was not notified of the test by my provider, nor was I consented or notified by Sonora Quest. If Sonora Quest has a letter from my provider, then they need to approach them to recover costs, not myself. My provider does not financially speak for me and has no legal power to commit me to any financial agreement. If Sonora Quest failed to notify me to assure that I was in agreement with all tests and associated costs before testing was completed, that is not my fault and indicates that a change is needed in their patient check-in procedure to ensure that this oversight is not repeated. Assuming that any written order is a consent to perform and charge for labs is an very questionable business practice given that incorrect orders (such as this) can easily be written, or that they can be written on the wrong patient. Holding the patient financially responsible for your agreement with the writing providers is highly unethical and not legally binding in any way. If your written agreement is with the provider, you need to hold them financially responsible for their mistakes, not the patient.
Sincerely,
[redacted]

February 8, 2016Revdex.com 4428 N. 12th StreetPhoenix, AZ 85014RE: Complaint ID #[redacted]- [redacted]Dear Dispute Resolution Specialist: We thank you for the opportunity to review this matter. We are currently working with patient’s insurance to resolve this complaint....

Regrettably, Mrs. [redacted] insurance provider provided patient and Sonora Quest conflicting information which we are working to resolve. Mrs. [redacted] account has been removed from collections as we continue our efforts to have her claim reprocessed. We apologize for the inconvenience this matter has caused and have reached out to Mrs. [redacted] to inform her of the status of her account. Should Mrs. [redacted] have any additional questions or concerns please feel free to contact me directly at [redacted]@sonoraquest.com. Sincerely,Anthony G[redacted], Billing Customer Services SupervisorSonora Quest Laboratories

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.I spoke with the Doctors office and they told me that they supplied the information that was requested of them originally.  They did not receive any other requests for additional information.   I am relying on what the Doctor's office is telling me on this, but I am inclined to believe them because I myself was never made aware that there was still an issue.   I can guarantee that I did not receive another billing, nor did I receive a single telephone call from Sonora Quest informing that there was still an issue.   Sonora Quest told me that they would of called me at least 3 times, but they didn't.  If they would like to tell me when they did call,  I would be very happy to pull phone records to verify it.    The first I knew that there was a problem was when the collections agency contacted me.   This is still a big issue that lies on Sonora Quest's  Shoulder.   I do not like how they try to pass the blame when they are truly at fault.  This should never have gone to collections and Sonora Quest needs to dig into this deeper and come up with a better response.Once I was made aware I immediately worked on getting it resolved, however trying to deal with Sonora Quest was a night mare even getting them to return phone calls.  I have now had a call back from Sonora Quest informing me that they have received the additional information they needed from [redacted].   I am under the belief that this call back from Sonora Quest was in response to this complaint    I will be calling [redacted], the collection company on Monday August 24th to verify if Sonora Quest has contacted them to drop their collections as stated.   I will inform you of the results.
 Regards,
[redacted]

I do not accept this responses. I personally talked to an [redacted] claim rep with Melissa from the doctor's office on the phone. [redacted] said they would process the claim with the corrected code of T86.10. Melissa called Sonora Quest on 11/18 and spoke to someone that said they would resubmit the claim with the corrected code. When I called to inquire about the claim on 12/28, I was told by Sonora Quest that there was no documentation that the claim was resubmitted to [redacted] That is when I filed this complaint.A[redacted] has stated that there is no time limit for filing a corrected claim. Sonora Quest claim that the time limit ran out is incorrect. They are lying about reprocessing this claim.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait until for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:Please know that Anthony's direct report "[redacted]" was instrumental to achieving success and should be recognized for her efforts.  Her and Anthony worked together to resolve our issue when previous contacts with Sonora Quest fell through the cracks.  [redacted] was...

very customer oriented and displayed great customer service and communication skills.  People like [redacted] are what make companies Great.
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me. 
Regards,
[redacted]

August 10, 2016     Revdex.com 4428 N. 12th Street Phoenix, AZ 85014   RE: Complaint ID #[redacted]   Dear Dispute Resolution Specialist:   Review of patient [redacted]’s account for date of service July 8, 2016, it appears that Mr. [redacted]’s...

physician ordered testing that requires additional components. This has been reviewed by our Pathology department and the Pathologist on staff concurred with the original findings that the additional components were absolutely necessary and are standard protocol with specimen provided.   Our pathologist Dr. Alzona would be willing to discuss the testing in further detail and explain why this is standard procedure with Mr. [redacted]’s ordering physician. We apologize Mr. [redacted] was misquoted and if Mr. [redacted]’s physician would like to discuss this with our pathology department they may contact our Client Services team at 602-685-5888 and request Dr. Alzona in Pathology.   On August 4, 2016 Sonora Quest attempted to resolve this matter with Mr. [redacted] offering a 20% discount. Mr. [redacted] subsequently refused this offer however, in hope of resolving this matter we will offer 25% discount in addition to payment plan for 5 months to allow sufficient time for Mr. [redacted] to resolve the debt and prevent any further collection activity. If Mr.  [redacted] accepts this discount and payment plan option please contact one of my representatives at 6[redacted] M-F 7am-5pm.   Sincerely,     Anthony G[redacted], Billing Customer Services Supervisor Sonora Quest Laboratories

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me, however will the negative information that the collection agency has been reporting about me be removed from my...

credit report and repaired.  Thank you again for your assistance in this matter.  
Regards,
[redacted]

May 10, 2016Revdex.com 4428 N. 12th StreetPhoenix, AZ 85014RE: Complaint ID #[redacted]Dear Dispute Resolution Specialist: Upon review of patient [redacted] account for date of service January 14, 2014, it appears the name listed on original lab order was...

spelled incorrectly, and the patient address was not provided.  According to our records, the physician’s office did submit the missing information to our billing department in February 2014, which included both the correct spelling of the patient name as well as the missing address information.  Unfortunately this update did not get transferred to the claim, which caused a delay in billing and ultimately, a denial from the insurance company. On February 29, 2016 Mrs. [redacted] visited one of our patient service centers; on that date, Mrs. [redacted] discussed the details of this issue with PBI Supervisor, Vienna C[redacted].  As a result of the patient’s inquiry, our customer service team requested that this account be pulled from collections and the remaining balance on the account be adjusted in full.   This request was completed on April 27, 2016; the statement Mrs. [redacted] received crossed in the mail as this account is now zero and is no longer in collections. Our Customer Service team will mail a zero balance statement as confirmation that the debt is resolved.I appreciate that you took the time to contact us regarding this matter, affording our team the opportunity to correct and recognize areas of our process that need to be improved.  If you have any additional questions regarding this matter or if we can provide any additional assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. Sincerely,Anthony G[redacted], Billing Customer Services SupervisorSonora Quest Laboratories

January 5, 2016Revdex.com 4428 N. 12th StreetPhoenix, AZ 85014RE: Complaint ID [redacted]Dear: Dispute Resolution SpecialistTo assist with bringing resolution to Ms. [redacted] concerns, a member of our billing team contacted Ms. [redacted] insurance company by phone on 01/04/2016 to confirm that the claim which was denied on 12/23/15 had been properly adjudicated.   Per the representative that our billing team member spoke with, the diagnosis code provided was not a supportive code for the specific test ordered by Ms. [redacted] provider and as a result, the recent determination on 12/23/15 accurately reflects Ms. [redacted] patient responsibility.  In addition, a member of our staff contacted the ordering provider to confirm that Sonora Quest has the correct diagnosis codes on file; a representative from the physician’s office did confirm the diagnosis information we show on record is correct and as a result, their office will not provide us with any further updates or revisions to the diagnosis codes for this order.  It is always the intent of our billing department to thoroughly resolve concerns on behalf of our patients.  The insurance company’s claim determination does validate that Sonora Quest Laboratories billed Ms. [redacted] appropriately; however, I recognize that this outcome does not meet the expectations of our patient.  For that reason and as a gesture of goodwill, I have authorized the full adjustment of Ms. [redacted] account.  Going forward, it is imperative that if Ms. [redacted] has any questions regarding what tests will be covered by her health plan, that she reach out to her insurance company to discuss any potential patient responsibility in advance.  Thank you for your correspondence and for providing us with an opportunity to investigate this dispute.  I sincerely hope that the proposed resolution addresses Ms. [redacted] concerns.Sincerely,Nichole K[redacted]Billing ManagerSonora Quest Laboratories

December 31st, 2015Revdex.com 4428 N. 12th StreetPhoenix, AZ 85014RE: Complaint ID #[redacted]Dear: Dispute Resolution SpecialistUpon review of Ms. [redacted] account, Sonora Quest Laboratories originally billed the claim with the information that was provided to us by the...

ordering physician.  Ms. [redacted] insurance then processed the claim, denying the charges as non-covered.  Sonora Quest billed the full amount as patient responsibility in May 2015.  The patient’s physician notified Sonora Quest Laboratories on 12/2/15 that they wanted to add an additional diagnosis code; however, at the time this update was requested the claim was already past the insurance company’s timely filing guidelines.  As a courtesy, Sonora Quest did resubmit the claim on 12/8/15 and unfortunately, the claim was denied again on 12/23/15.  As a result of the insurance company’s most recent redetermination and in accordance with the patient’s EOB, the outstanding balance will remain the patient’s responsibility and will not be removed from collections. Thank you for your correspondence and for providing us with an opportunity to investigate and respond to Ms. [redacted] inquiry.Sincerely,Sue P[redacted]Sue P[redacted]Billing Customer Service SupervisorSonora Quest Laboratories

[redacted]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this...

resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait until for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
Regards,
[redacted]