Medstar Health

Went in because I had food poisoning, was vomiting so much that I knew I needed an IV. The nurse jabbed my arm like 5 times, and was very rude. The doctor was fine. They also ran a million other tests on me, which racked up my bills. Then after I had paid, there were like 7 other bills that came in month after month. I felt like I was getting extorted and called and asked how many more bills? I asked for an itemized receipt many times and was not provided one. I asked if this was the last bill a few more times, they said yes. I paid it off. Now a few months later, I have debt collectors coming for me because I think the person I spoke to just didn't do anything after our call. No way to complain about these individuals and their lack of accountability.

I went in for an MRI, ultrasound, and biopsy. Everybody was in network as was the location. Insurance paid a portion of the bill and I paid my copay. Now every few weeks medstar tries to tack on new charges and tries to coerce me to pay beyond my insurance coverage and copay. This is illegal in the state of Maryland. Every time I try to work it out with the medstar billing department they say there’s nothing they can do and hang up. I have many chronic illnesses that require a lot of different exams, tests, and physician specialties. Over the years I’ve had a lot of experience navigating the health system, and I know that these billing practices are not correct. I now completely refuse to go to any medstar physicians or locations when my doctors try to refer me to them.

I CHECKED IN ON THE 7 OF DECEMBER AT 330 PM, AFTER HAVING 2 BACK SURGERIES AND NOT HAVING A STOOL FOR 7 DAYS...THEY CHECKED ME IN AND PUT ME IN THE HALLWAY FOR 8 HOURS THEN COME TO ME AROUND 230 IN THE MORNING AND SAY LETS GET YOU OUT THE HALLWAY LETS PUT YOU IN THE BACK ROOM WHICH IS STILL CONSIDERED THE ER...THEY SAID I WILL BE OMITTED AND WILL HAVE ME A ROOM IN A COUPLE OF HOURS...I SAT THERE UNTIL MY NEEDED SURGERY ON THE 11TH OF DECEMBER...UNSAT I SAW PEOPLE COME AND GO...ONE NURSE TOLD SOMEONE SHE KNEW I WILL GET YOU IN A ROOM ASAP...SHE SAID THE PERSON DONT NEED TO BE BACK HERE...ONE PERSON WROTE AND COMPLAIN AND STILL THEY CAME TO PICK HIM UP PUT HIM IN A ROOM AND HE GOT THERE A DAY AFTER I ARRIVIED...GOOD DRS HERE BUT CUSTOMER SERVICE SUCKS...

When you really need them will they be there for you?

The answer is absolutely: THEY WILL NOT BE THERE FOR YOU BECAUSE THEY NEVER ANSWER THE F-ING PHONE. I use all 3 phone numbers I was given for the department and I do not ever get a person. A world class neurology department needs to answer their f-ing telephone.

I was stuck at Holy Cross which has atrocious neurology care (they dont even know how to spell Parkinsons). And I needed rescuing. Don't count on your doctors if they are
at Medstar Georgetown Hospital.

[redacted] Thank you for your work in resolving my complaint against MedStar Health (ID# [redacted] ) I truly appreciate that I accept their settlement offer since it meets my desired outcome of having the account balance reduced to zero Kindly send me an email acknowledgement that you received this [redacted] ***

Here is my *** Form attachedI would also like to add that when I called the billing department at MedStar and expressed my confusion to the rep she said there was nothing I could do, and then hung up on me

September 25, The balance of $has been adjustedWe have talked to the insurance and confirmed this balance needed adjustment due to an inclusive w/o request*Desired outcome for our customer has been settledSincerely, Christopher B Customer Service Manager

Revdex.com: Thank you so much for your assistance in resolving this matter Since it was difficult getting through to the right people and I'd already been trying for more than six months, I'm especially grateful that this was so quickly fixed with your help.I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me Regards, [redacted] **

From: H***, Laurie A Date: Thu, Apr 21, at 5:PM** ***:In response to your letter outlining a complaint concerning a medical billing and collection issue I have determined the following. ** ** did receive services from MedStar Medical Group Radiology at the MedStar
Washington Hospital Center I found multiple accounts for ** ** which had a multitude of registration and billing errors. Unfortunately, her original registration at the hospital contained the incorrect home address. After her statements were returned, we sent her to a collection agency who found her correct address through the skip tracing process. Even though there is record of her calling our billing office to correct her address, the hospital system continued to update our billing accounts with the incorrect address. This is clearly a system issue. All of this was compounded by the agency’s error posting her payment, which I found during the reconciliation this week. To make matters worse, once she reported her medical insurance information to us, her insurance company made an error processing her claim, which had inflated her co-pay. Needless to say, this is embarrassing for our practice, the company who provides us with billing services, and the collection agencyI can only imagine how frustrating this has been for *** **. We have recalled her account from the agency. In reconciling her accounts we have found that we owe her a small refund from her co-pay that she sent to the agency and it is in process with MedStar Health. Our Accounts Receivable Manager has spoken with *** ** on the telephone, and letters of apology have been sent. You are very welcome to give her my contact information and if she has any further problems, she may call me directly. Laurie Laurie *H***MedStar Medical Group Radiology, LLCBusiness Operations AdministratorPowder Mill Road Suite 210Calverton, MD 20705New Phone: ###-###-####

Here is my [redacted] Form attached. I would also like to add that when I called the billing department at MedStar and expressed my confusion to the rep she said there was nothing I could do, and then hung up on me.

[redacted]
 
Thank you for your work in resolving my complaint against MedStar Health (ID# [redacted]).  I truly appreciate that.  I accept their settlement offer since it meets my desired outcome of having the account balance reduced to zero.
 
Kindly send me an email acknowledgement that you received this.
 
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
Thank you so much for your assistance in resolving this matter.  Since it was difficult getting through to the right people and I'd already been trying for more than six months, I'm especially grateful that this was so quickly fixed with your help.I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
Regards,
[redacted]

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
Regards,
[redacted]

September 25, 2014
The balance of $2123.00 has been adjusted. We have talked to the insurance and confirmed this balance needed adjustment due to an inclusive w/o request*Desired outcome for our customer has been settledSincerely,
Christopher B
Customer Service...

Manager

Review: My wife had knee surgery in November 26, 2013. It was done by Dr. David J[redacted], a MedStar surgeon. On the bill there were two charges for $2123 apiece. Our insurance company ([redacted]) paid one charge of $2123 and disallowed the other. So MedStar billed us for the $2123 balance. I called the insurance company on 12/31/13 and spoke to Tafarie. She told me the second charge was disallowed because the the procedure/billing code MedStar used for that charge indicated that procedure was part of the procedure [redacted] had paid for. In effect, from [redacted]'s perspective, they were being double-billed. I was advised that perhaps MedStar needed to use a different procedure/billing code for the claim [redacted] denied. I called MedStar on 12/31/13 and spoke to Rochelle and suggested they needed to check the procedure/billing code and resubmit the claim to [redacted]. She told me she would put the bill on hold and send the matter to the MedStar appeals department to work things out with [redacted]. In March, 2014, we recieved the same bill for $2123. On 4/7/14, I called MedStar billing again and spoke to Cynthia. She checked the file and saw the report from the conversation on 12/31/13 with Rochelle, said she would get right on it and would call me back soon with the results. I never heard from her. Last week we were billed again (the bill was dated 7/24/14) for $2123. My wife's account number with MedStar is [redacted]. This is a dispute between MedStar and [redacted] but apparently MedStar has not engaged [redacted] to reach a solution. They keep submitting the same information to [redacted] over-and-over and so [redacted] keeps rejecting the claim. Someone needs to get MedStar to work with [redacted] and clearly my two phone calls to MedStar didn't get that accomplished. This situation is all the more frustrating since MedStar is an [redacted] preferred provider.Desired Settlement: I want the continuing charge of $2123 removed from our bill so that the balance owed is zero.

Business

Response:

September 25, 2014The balance of $2123.00 has been adjusted. We have talked to the insurance and confirmed this balance needed adjustment due to an inclusive w/o request*Desired outcome for our customer has been settledSincerely,Christopher BCustomer Service Manager

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

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

Regards,

Consumer

Response:

[redacted]

Thank you for your work in resolving my complaint against MedStar Health (ID# [redacted]). I truly appreciate that. I accept their settlement offer since it meets my desired outcome of having the account balance reduced to zero.

Kindly send me an email acknowledgement that you received this.

Review: Medstar office at [redacted] is near impossible to contact. EVERY TIME I call I get the message 'we are experiencing high call volume'. Every time I call I get this message. But I hold on for several minutes until my phone is disconnected (Medstar emploee kills the connection on her end) and I can back and get the same 'we are experiencing high call volume'. I have been going to this location of Medstar for way too long, over a year and I have it with Medstar.

Customer service suck hind quarter.

After this complaint I will immediately look for a doctor that does NOT work for Medstar.

There are several issues with this Medstar location and I expect it would be the same at any Medstar location.

Just because I am 'only' a patient does not mean my time is not valuable. When I have an appointment at a particular time I expect to be seen at the time of my appointment, not an hour and half later.

Of course I get 'sorry' but my time is no less important that the doctor working for Medstar.

Patients are second class citizens if they are patients of Medstar.

Of course I fully understand the problem, and it's endemic to all corporations.

The only thing that matters is the bottom line, customer service takes a back seat to profits.

What a mistake it's been to keep putting up with this joke of an operation. But like I said it's the corporate wayDesired Settlement: Change corporate policy to hire additional employees. Improve customer service both at the front office and back office. Be aware of patients appointments and be on time.

Cue the laugh track about now, right?

Business

Response:

May 23, 2014Dear [redacted]:Thank you for your letter describing the problems that you have been experiencing with MedStar Health at [redacted]. I appreciate your truthfulness.We are not taking your dissatisfaction lightly. Since the time your letter was dated, although I did not receive it until 5/22/14, we had already begun to improve our processes. I hope you have seen some improvement to date with more improvement to follow.We have previously experienced technical problems with our phone lines. After several work tickets and service calls the problems with the disconnecting and dropping of calls have been corrected. We have added 2 additional associates to assist with answering the telephones as well as a part time associate to assist when others are off.We have additionally transitioned our management team to include an Administrative Supervisor as well as a Clinical Supervisor to supervisor and manage daily operations of the facility with their teams. This has allowed for a focus on workflow changes to improve efficiency. As most of our new associates are now completing their training we will next be focusing on and implementing a customer service program for our facility to ensure we are providing the best care to our patients each time.With the addition of associates and supervisors, our phone wait time as well as the wait time to be seen in our office should be decreasing as your time is valuable. Should you call and be placed in the que with the high call volumerecording it is best to leave a message as we return messages within 24 hours. Each time you recall the office, you start at the beginning again in the order of being answered.I am pleased to see that at this time you have continued care with our facility and provider. Please accept my sincere apologies.Sincerely,

Review: In early June 2013, I received a collection letter from a collection agency, [redacted], dated June 5, 2013, saying that they are collecting an unpaid debt in behalf of Washington Hospital Center(Medstar) for services rendered on October 3, 2012 in the amount of $200.34. I am not really sure if I have an unpaid debt to this hospital, but I sent a [redacted] check # [redacted] in the amount of $200.34, as I was in and out of the hospital on that time period as I had a heart procedure done in mid September 2012. A couple of weeks later, I received another letter, dated June 18, 2013, from the same collection agency, saying that the first collection letter was sent to me in error and that I do not owe the hospital any amount of money. I checked my bank account on June 25 and saw that my check was cashed/deposited on June 24. I got in touch with the collection agency after several attempts and their representative said that it is out of their hands as they have forwarded the check to the hospital. I made my first hospital inquiry on July 16 thru their online mail system. On July 29, I received an email from [redacted] saying that I am not showing any credit. On July 31, I responded to that email attaching the two letters I received from the collection agency. I wanted this person to verify if I even was in the hospital on October 3, 2012. The last email the hospital sent to me was on July 31, 2013 from [redacted], Team Leader of Customer service saying that [redacted] is having my situation researched. I was only asking this person if I was in the hospital on October 3, and if not, they should send me a refund of $200.34.Desired Settlement: If I was not in the hospital on October 3, 2012, they should refund me my $200.34.

Review: I visited this location several times to see my primary care physician and to get blood drawn. The first time I visited I lived at one address. The subsequent 4-5 times, I had a new address. Each time I visited after I moved I asked if my address was updated and each time they would assure me that it was updated. Each time I go I would also check out at the receptionist before leaving and was never told that I had any co-pay or owed any charge. About 8 months later, however, I start receiving harassing calls from a collections agency. They finally call at a time when I'm available and I pick up the phone to find out that my doctor had sent my bill to collections without ever having notified me of a bill. The collections agency had my correct address so I can only assume that my doctor's office did too. But I never got a call or any bill from my doctor. The amount was paltry, a $25 co-pay. When the collections agency called, I paid it immediately over the phone but had to pay an additional surcharge, making the total $31.95 that I paid. More than anything, I'm incredibly angry that my doctor's office would submit this to a collections agency, jeopardizing my credit, when I never got a bill, never got a call, AND never had anything said to me each time that I checked out at the office (I must have gone back at least 3 times after the charge was due, why did no one ever ask me to pay?). I think it's unacceptable business practice to submit something to a collections agency without having at least called me once.Desired Settlement: I would like an apology and I would like a refund of the extra money I had to pay because the office inappropriately submitted it to a collections agency. I paid $31.95 to the collections agency. I believe that is $6.95 in surcharge, so I would like that $6.95 refunded to me in the form of a check.