Cross Keys Urgent Care

Review: Please help me. I'm being bullied by a doctor and I don't know who to call. On July 18, 2013, I visited cross keys urgent care. I am from Florida. My deductible was met so any covered facility would be paid out at 100% so I asked before services if they took my insurance. She looked at the computer, and said, "yes, we take your insurance." She made a copy of my card and ID. I then received letter from my insurance company because they were out of network and I was to pay them $278. I called the dr office on, August 7, 2013, and asked them why. She said, "we have no idea what insurance we take. They are all different." It would have been a simple phone call for me to have verified with my insurance! She told me that I would have to call their billing department. I called the billing department and spoke with [redacted] on August 20, 2013. He said he has no idea why they would say they take Humana because their office does not have a contract with Humana. But it was up to the dr to decide. After repeated phone calls to billing and having no resolution, On October 23, 2013 I called dr Nichols. He said they do accept Humana, and I do not understand my own policy. He offered to reduce the amount owed by $30. I told him no because my deductible is $0, they made the mistake, so they should write it off. he then told me that this was not a free clinic. I said had I not been lied to, I would have made a better choice. He said it was my own fault, and I should have checked with my insurance company before visiting them, and he was finished with the conversation. Then he hung up. I called their billing department and they still said they do not take Humana. The billing said the dr will accept $150, but they are still sending a bill for $278. I refuse to accept a reduced amount since I should owe nothing.Desired Settlement: I feel that the doctors officeoutright lied to me in the beginning just to get my business.Then, the doctor lied again right to my face over the phone by insisting that the facility does take Humana, then he insulted me by implying that I am looking for a handout. I believe that this is, at the least, bad practice, unethical business technique, and unbecoming of a doctors office. They were uninformed about their own policies, and instead of admitting they made a mistake, they are trying to make me be responsible. I do not feel that I should have to pay ANY of the bill, since, this office took away my choices, lied to me, and now expects me to be responsible. If the doctors office were in network, myinsurance would have paid at 100%. My deductible is $0. My copay is $0. I will not negotiate on anything more than that, as the mistake was not mine. I believe that the doctors office should write the bill off and use this as a teaching moment.

Business

Response:

This letter is in response to a letter we received from you. Patient [redacted], reference [redacted]. Patient presented to our urgent care for medical services. When she arrived she was registered. During that registration process, the patients are made aware of the possibility that their insurance plan may not cover all charges. This particular patient signed a paper stating that she was responsible for the bill if her insurance plan did not cover her visit.

The patient was seen by one of our physicians and treated. She has received a bill for services rendered. The patient is responsible for the services that were rendered to her. When the patient called our clinic, she was only reminded that all insurance companies and plans may be different, so the best thing for her to do was to discuss her plan with her particular carrier