MedVet Medical & Cancer Centers for Pets

Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]I disagree with Medvets’ response for several reasons They provided an estimate range, based on their account of what was needed for our dog—specifically, several days of hospitalization Both Medvets and our veterinarian admitted that our dog’s condition (pancreatitis and diabetes) was not uncommon (and actually, rather common) Therefore, considering that they planned on keeping our dog several days to provide a course of treatment already known and laid out, I do not understand how the top amount of the estimate doubled This practice is, in my opinion, is disingenuous and misleading, at a minimum I do not believe the range is given in good faith and I question whether there is any basis at all for the low end of the range During his stay, we questioned the bills and we were told to contact the Practice Manager We made several calls to that individual, which went unreturned The only times we received billing “updates” were in conjunction with conversations informing us that our dog’s health was deteriorating Throughout ***’s treatment, we questioned the medical necessity of his care Several times, we declined consent to interventions after questioning the medical care necessary and the care provider admitting that there was another route that could be taken Several times, we wanted to take [redacted] home and were told that we should not due to his health On the last day, after I was told to “say my goodbyes” to my dog, I insisted on taking him from their care Since that date, [redacted] has been happily home with his family Then, following our dog’s “discharge”, the bill we received was difficult to decipher For instance, it was not in chronological order and the dates and times did not align with our dog’s care/services When we questioned the bill, we were told that, despite being reviewed and audited, that a “glitch” caused the disorder of items, and our bill was the only bill the glitch affected In addition, we were informed that Medvets’ billing schedule is from 9:00PM-9:00AM [redacted] was in my care before 9:00AM Tuesday November 25; yet, there were over $in charges from that date When we questioned those charges, Medvets’ response was to “backdate” several of the charges to the prior day and to claim that one of the fees is an exception to the 9am-9am schedule I would expect more transparency and accountability for an entity that is in a healthcare field This practice holds itself out as an expert in this field and people rely on that representation and entrust this practice with the care and treatment of a family member Truly, I do not want another family to have this experience Regards, [redacted]

[redacted] bought [redacted] to Cincinnati MedVet Medical and Cancer Centers for Pets on 1/29/ [redacted] was taken to the ER immediately while the owner completed the rush back forms giving consent for immediate care including resuscitationAttempts to resuscitate [redacted] were initiated but not successfulFirst let me express my sincere sympathy and condolences for the loss of ***We clearly empathize with you and regret your loss of ***While we may differ with your perspective of some of the facts you outline in your letter, we can't help but understand where those feelings and views come fromPlease let me reassure you that while our staff did not exhibit empathetic, compassionate behaviors based on your feedback, we acknowledge that it is clearly unacceptable and not congruent with the best MedVet ExperienceHowever, I can assure you that [redacted] care was not compromisedWe appreciate the feedback and can guarantee you that we have addressed directly the staff's interface with you and their behaviorsWe take an aggressive, but practical approach to patient care in our Emergency Room that it tailored to an individual patient's needs [redacted] received this individualized care and resuscitation, but it was not adequate and can never be fully adequate to handle all acute events in our patientsThis is why we had you sign the rush back form upon arrival as [redacted] was already agonalWe regret his loss, but remain steadfast that our team did their best to deal with his presenting conditionSince our careful review of the circumstances did not find fault in our level of care, we find it difficult to rationalize your request to refund all your moneyThat said, we do not wish to profit from your loss and would be willing to provide a good will gesture and should not be construed as anything but thatWe will waive the Emergency visit charge of $and half of the charges for CPR package (cost @ $99.91)The charges for the cremation with ashes returned is $and you have stated you are in agreement to pay these chargesThe balance of the charges due of the $is therefore $319.82; $will be credited back to your Mastercard if you are in agreement We wish you the very best during the worst of circumstances and hope you will understand our position and accept our goodwill offer [redacted] Senior VP of Development MedVet Medical & Cancer Center for Pets

This client came to our facility on Saturday, October 14, Due to the diagnosis, they made thedifficult decision to euthanasia their petThey elected to have him buried through [redacted] PetCemetery.In an effort to limit the amount of time that our clients pet would remain at our facility waiting for pickup by [redacted] ***, we recently added an additional Sunday pick up to our weekly schedule.The pet was picked up on Sunday October 15, for burial services through [redacted] ***Theclient contacted our office and [redacted] on Monday, October 16, and asked if it werepossible for her to bring in toys to be buried with him and was advised that it would not be a problem.Unfortunately when the client called us on Monday, we did not factor in the additional Sunday pick upand told her it was fine to bring the toys in that evening.When the owner arrived that evening with the toys, we advised her that her pet was picked up onSunday and apologized for the misinformation and confusion.We make every attempt to handle these difficult situations in a timely and respectful manner andunderstand the disappointment that she experiencedWe have contacted her and offered to reduceher invoice which she agreed to.Please feel free to contact us with any further questions or concerns.Thank you,Nancy T [redacted] Hospital Director

RevDex.com: There wasn't an option stating I will accept if that is the best I'm going to get, I'm not satisfied but I don't want to relive losing My Beloved 1st and only Dog at that time or their coldness and their unwillingness to bend at all in customer relations. I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. Regards, [redacted] ***

I reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and find the resolution is satisfactory to me provided they also remove the report from my credit record.In response to the statement by Melissa SW [redacted] , DVM I will note the following facts that were omitted or overlooked:I did bring my dog to MedVet on 5/25/and received wonderful care under Warren M***, DVM DrM [redacted] did a comprehensive workup and did offer further care but we agreed [redacted] would be more comfortable being cared for at home [redacted] did required some additional fluids and workup and had a short stay from 5/to 5/29/ During that stay I called MedVet on 5/at 11:am, 5/at 12:44pm, 5/7:am, 5/1:pm, and 5/4:pm There were significant wait/hold times each time I called In my last call I stated I would come into see how [redacted] was doing and discuss his needs Arriving at MedVet there was over a minute wait before I could get any information Then I was asked to wait in the euthanasia room and after another minutes a vet tech came to hand me a bag of medication I disagree with Melissa SW [redacted] DVM in her comparison of Med Tech to "like nurses." I too am a medical professional and their is no comparison of level of training for a Vet Tech and nurse While I value the training of a Vet Tech - when dogs are having significant medical issues one would expect to have a discussion and full explanation by the Veterinarian - that did not happen Exhausted from waiting lengthy times in the MedVet waiting room and euthanasia room I left with no clear explanation of why my dog would have been placed on cyclosporine and a large bottle of steroids even though I wad advised Dr [redacted] that I was advised from my vet that he should NOT have steroids due to previous liver failure When dog owners are being pressured by the front desk to take out a loan to cover the cost of MedVet care, while still struggling with a sick animal, it is sad that the front desk was more willing to spend time discussing loan options than the Vet time spent in explanation of care received MedVet is a huge facility that can certainly afford to have more reasonable accommodations than escorting people into euthanasia rooms as a means of educationAs for the phone calls, there were numerous calls to MedVet to discuss the bill that were never returned (thank goodness for call tracking) I originally called 10/22/ When no return call was received I called again on 10/and spoke with Lisa expressing my concern that no one had called me On 10/29/I spoke with [redacted] and she stated she would look into the matter of obtaining credit for sealed medication that was never opened and has an expiration date of late I heard nothing and again called on 11/4/ While the finance staff again tried to convince me to take out a loan to cover the costs, there was NO discussion regarding medication with the finance staff (That would not be an appropriate discussion with a staff person who has nothing to do with the care of the animals) I called again on 11/6/and did not receive a call back from [redacted] I reached out to MedVet on 1/24/and could not be given an answer about the medication (months after it was accepted back and is in their possession) I do have an outstanding balance and will pay the $ I will also note that I have since had to accompany a friend to OSU Emergency Vet Hospital and we received a much higher level of care at that facility - with full explanations from the Vet I will also note that [redacted] is doing very well thanks to our regular Vet who advised me how to treat the "presumed Inflammatory Bowel disease." [redacted] never took the Prednisone, Amoxicillin or other drugs thrown at him in presumptive care I cannot say enough about the level of quality care received from DrM***, but I also know staff who have left MedVet in frustration over their practices I hope they take a look at staff response time, waiting room times and the inappropriate use of techs to counsel families on medication when animals are in crisis

RevDex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. Regards, [redacted] I never received your first response email nor was I aware there was a credit to my account. If you read my second complaint you should see I mentioned it was in regards to not having go the response to 1stt complaint. It was NOT credited to my account. Thank you [redacted] ***

This letter is in response to your letter regarding a complaint filed on 11/6/by [redacted] regarding the care of her dog "***"We spoke on 11/25/as this letter initially went to our former address on Red Bank Rdand did not reach out facility at Red Bank Road until 11/25/I appreciate your understanding and providing us the appropriate time to respond to this concernI have reviewed your letter detailing the concerns expressed by [redacted] regarding the care her pet "***" received at MedVet Cincinnati between 2/20/and 7/18/ [redacted] initially presented "***" to MedVet Cincinnati on 7/2/with a week history of left rear lamenessI have reviewed all medical records in this case regarding [redacted] visits which support clinical findings of persistent lower lumbar pain with appropriate initial medical management and subsequent diagnostic testing to determine if surgical intervention was indicatedI have also reviewed all documented communications and financial estimates presented to [redacted] which indicate a clear understanding and authorization of the recommended diagnostic and treatment plan for "***'*" careIn your letter, it was suggested that "***'s" clinical sign of lameness was due to either anal gland disease or secondary to pin migration from earlier medial patellar luxation surgeryThis is not supported by physical exam findings in the visits to MedVet on 7/2/and 7/14/There were no findings of anal gland abnormalities or pain associated with either stifle on palpationOn both 7/2/and 7/14/the source of pain, on repeated physical exams, was in the area of the lower lumbar spine [redacted] was advised to attempt medical management following the 7/2/visit in the event that the signs would resolve and further diagnostics would not be necessary or indicatedOn 7/14/14, the intermittent lameness was only mildly improved and lower lumbar pain persistedThe recommendation for spinal imaging was made with surgical decompression to follow if determined necessaryThese procedures, spinal imaging and possible surgical decompression, were authorized by [redacted] Spinal imaging is necessary to diagnose a compression lesion and to determine whether surgery is indicatedSpinal imaging, and the associated necessary procedures, constitute a large portion of the financial estimateThis patient had both myelogram and CT procedures performed to best visualize the spineFor these diagnostic procedures, regardless if surgery is performed, the patient must be placed under general anesthesia (requiring several other procedures such as IV catheter placement, induction medication administration, intravenous fluids, and hospitalization)Additionally spinal fluid was obtained and submitted for analysis to be checked for any inflammatory or infection causes of pain, such as meningitis, were presentThese charges, in addition to those for the actual CT, are represented in the current balance due by [redacted] Had a surgical lesion been found, the only additional expenses would have been operating room time, surgical procedure fee, pain management, and one additional night of hospitalizationThese charges often comprise about a third of the estimateBecause surgery was not indicated, the charges associated with " [redacted] care did not total the high end of the estimate at $3,At this time, [redacted] is responsible for the $that was authorized in the financial care plan range of $3125.00-$This information was communicated to [redacted] by our practice manager, [redacted] ***, in a phone conversation on 8/1/At the conclusion of this conversation, [redacted] stated she had no further questions regarding her invoicePlease let me know if you have any further questions regarding this case Sincerely, [redacted] , Regional Medical Director MedVet Cincinnati and Dayton

Cincinnati Revdex.com; Complaint ID ***) *** *** May 7,
Dear *** ***, We have received notice from the Revdex.com that you have submitted a complaint in regardS not receiving a response from us regarding your original submission from February 4, Regrettably, the Revdex.com did not relay the response we submitted on February 19th We have attach that letter as an enclosure for your review, We look forward to your response and once again would like to extend oar deepest sympathies for your Respectfully, *** *** *** Practice Manager MedVetlViedical & Cancer Centers for Pets *** Office: ###-###-####

To Whom It May Concern:This letter is in response to MedVet’s response to our initial complaint. I have read the response from MedVet and I agree with many of the points in the letter. I disagree with a couple key points in the letter.The range of the quote is large and we discussed the large range at length with two different people. This occurred a little after 6:AM on a Sunday morning and I did not write down their names. But after lengthy discussions we were told that if the surgery went without any issues or surprises then the cost should come in close to the total cost $3,200. This cost includes two components, one was the initial costs of ER services and the second was for the surgery. $1,plus $2,equals $3,200. MedVet stated that as long as there are no issues the bill should be close to the bottom of the range which would be $3,200. Why would we make this up?A statement was made that neither the ER doctor or the staff remember making any promises to Ms*** regarding the cost for a small dog being closer to the lower end of a very large cost range… Well, I never stated that they promised anything. But we did have two lengthy discussions about why they cost range was so large. We considered putting *** down because of the cost. We wanted to better understand because the very large cost estimate is not to an average person and it is something that I still am not comfortable with. So the employees probably do not want to get in trouble or something has caused them not to be honest with whoever wrote MedVet’s response. Am I surprised by this? No I am not.When they called after surgery they told me that everything went well and *** is doing fine. So my initial thought was the total cost will be close to $3,200. Then we arrive and find the cost is over $1,more than what we discussed at length with them before surgery. We had a few discussions as to why it was so high and no adequate explanation was given. There were no surgery issues and there were no reasonable explanations given. They do as they please with no accountability.A business that has an estimate range that large for a simple procedure is suspect immediately. That is why we had two lengthy discussions about cost before the surgery. But the way they do business is deceptive. And they had the nerve to infer that costs fell within a very large range so what is the problem? I would like to do a study of their estimates compared to their actual costs. I believe it would show deception. I was told by one of their higher people that sometimes the costs come in lower than estimated and sometimes higher. I do not believe that. I am confident that the very large range allows them not to be accountable for their actions and their customers have no choice but to pay outrageous costs to help their pets. Charging a person $4,for a dog’s broken leg is beyond reasonable. It is robbery. We have acted honestly and in good faith and MedVet has not. We have no reason not to be honest. Why do you think we were upset by the final cost? Because that was not what we were told by the people at MedVet. Plain and simple. That is why we filed a complaint with the Revdex.com. The deceptive practices at MetVet have to stop and they need to provide honest estimates that have a much smaller range. A range of $1,for a broken leg is beyond reasonable. Where is their professional accountability and integrity? I wonder if we should file a lawsuit? I am not a lawsuit type of person but this entire situation is beyond reasonable. There is no integrity or accountability only greed. Changes need to be made within this company

Please see attached

Dear Revdex.com,This client signed a Care Plan with an estimate, upon admission of her pet *** to the hospital, which authorized treatment up to $5600.00. She left a deposit. A financial update was given to Ms*** on 8/2/by one of our technicians, which let her know that
we had spent ~ $so far. Based on how *** was doing at that time, Ms*** was told that an additional deposit would likely not be needed. This gave the client the impression that her total bill would be ~ $3100.00, which was her deposit, not her estimate. This was unclear communication on the part of our technician. The technician failed to give Ms*** daily financial updates on 8/and 8/4/16, which is our usual hospital procedure. On 8/4/when *** was ready to be discharged from the hospital, the final bill for his care was $4786.20, which was within the original estimate. However, due to lack of daily financial updates, Ms*** was understandably surprised and unhappy by the total. A Clinical Manager (Amanda), spoke with her. Amanda told Ms*** that she would look into the matter and review the charges, and follow up on either the following day (8/5/16) or on Monday (8/8/16). Doing this type of review does take a few days because our employees do not work days a week, and Amanda needed to speak with the doctor and the technician involved in ***'s care, who had been communicating with Ms*** during his hospitalization. Amanda did follow up with this client as promised and in the time frame promised. She completed her review of the matter as quickly as possible, given that she had to wait for these employees to be back in the hospital on duty in order to speak with them. Upon review, the Clinical Manager Amanda did find that our technician, who should have given this client daily financial updates, had not done so. She also found some charging errors in the amount of $261.00, which she corrected. In light of the lack of daily financial updates to this client to help her manage her finances, Amanda adjusted the bill down to a total of $3100, as requested by Ms***. A refund has been given, as requested. In addition, feedback on how this affected Ms*** negatively and caused her frustration was shared with the employees involved, in order to prevent this from happening to future clients. We are sorry that we failed to meet or exceed the expectations of this client with regard to communication about her dog's daily care costs while he was hospitalized. We consider this matter amicably resolved, and wish all the best for *** and Ms***.

Mr *** brings up several points which I will respond to:1. "Initial estimate was for several days of hospitalization": This is not accurate as the original care plan signed by owner stated for 1/day of hospitalization. Estimates are provided initially and on a daily basis. Sometimes, the estimate range is under the low end, if it goes over due to need for additional interventions the owner is called for approval. The daily updates provided inform the owner of where the bill is daily within the estimate range.2. "Pancreatitis and diabetes are rather common": Common has to due with incidence in a given population whether animal or human but it does not define level of complexity or stage of disease process. Therefore, there is not a direct correlation between a disease and the type of intervention necessary to treat or return a patient to a stable state of wellness with the existent disease.3. "I do not understand how the top amount of the estimate doubled": The estimate is that an estimate for the initial management for the specified time period, consultation or transfer to a specialist and the hospitalization care to be provided during the time period. The specialist confers with the owner after the approved evaluation, testing, labs etcetera have been completed, reviewed or are in process. The owner then makes choices for ongoing management based on discussions with the Veterinarian for next steps related to further intervention, testing and management" We were told to contact the Practice Manager. We made several calls to that individual which went unreturned":The Practice Manager did receive a call from you. The practice manager returned your call and left a message. The practice manager then had the Medical Director, Dr*** call back. During that discussion, the practice manager was on the call as well. The practice m and we were told that we should not due tanager was also part of the on site meeting when both owners came & met with Dr*** ( Medical Director as of 1/1/15) to go over the entire medical record.5. "Several times we wanted to take *** home and were told that we should not due to his health":Options were provided to the owners regarding various approaches to case management as well as to whether *** should stay or be treated elsewhere. During the one phone discussion with the Medical Director, Dr *** *** & Practice Manager, the owner stated that he "did not trust our care". The Medical Director offered to provide transport of *** to his primary veterinarian. The owners chose to keep *** at MedVet. On a second occasion, the owner spoke with Dr*** who was the internist responsible for the care of ***. The request was again offered to the owner regarding transfer to the primary veterinarian. The owners also stated to Dr*** that they would keep *** at MedVet for the additional day.6. "Informed the billing cycle is from 9pm-9am": The billing day is for a hour period of time & has always been 9am-9am. I can not speak to whether someone stated this information incorrectly to the owners. 7. " Glitch caused a disorder of items and our bill was was the only bill the glitch affected":There was a system issue with ***, the HMS (hospital management system) which resulted in a malfunction affecting the chronological order of statement in the invoice. This was explained to both of the owners during their on-site meeting with the Medical Director and Practice manager. This meeting with both owners lasted for several hours as each line item was reviewed and explained, the medical record was gone through, all questions were answered.. This *** malfunction was disclosed by them, the invoice had been audited and correlated to every item noted in the medical record as well as on the cage sheet. The owners were also shown an email that MedVet had received regarding the *** system malfunction that affected all invoices during a period of time. This was not a glitch that only affected their invoice.I believe MedVet is being totally transparent regarding the concerns. The estimates are documented and part of the medical record. All calls are documented with the owners

[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 If you and the business have reached an agreement and compliance is set for a future date, we trust the business will comply Please contact us after that time if the matter is not resolved as agreed and we will review the complaint and proceed accordingly.]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards,
*** ***

This letter is in response to your letter regarding a complaint filed on 11/6/14 by [redacted] regarding the care of her dog "[redacted]". We spoke on 11/25/14 as this letter initially went to our former address on 4779 Red Bank Rd. and did...

not reach out facility at 3964 Red Bank Road until 11/25/14. I appreciate your understanding and providing us the appropriate time to respond to this concern. I have reviewed your letter detailing the concerns expressed by [redacted] regarding the care her pet "[redacted]" received at MedVet Cincinnati between 2/20/14 and 7/18/14. [redacted] initially presented "[redacted]" to MedVet Cincinnati on 7/2/14 with a 2 week history of left rear lameness. I have reviewed all medical records in this case regarding [redacted] visits which support clinical findings of persistent lower lumbar pain with appropriate initial medical management and subsequent diagnostic testing to determine if surgical intervention was indicated. I have also reviewed all documented communications and financial estimates presented to [redacted] which indicate a clear understanding and authorization of the recommended diagnostic and treatment plan for "[redacted]'*" care. In your letter, it was suggested that "[redacted]'s" clinical sign of lameness was due to either anal gland disease or secondary to pin migration from earlier medial patellar luxation surgery. This is not supported by physical exam findings in the visits to MedVet on 7/2/14 and 7/14/14. There were no findings of anal gland abnormalities or pain associated with either stifle on palpation. On both 7/2/14 and 7/14/14 the source of pain, on repeated physical exams, was in the area of the lower lumbar spine. [redacted] was advised to attempt medical management following the 7/2/14 visit in the event that the signs would resolve and further diagnostics would not be necessary or indicated. On 7/14/14, the intermittent lameness was only mildly improved and lower lumbar pain persisted. The recommendation for spinal imaging was made with surgical decompression to follow if determined necessary. These procedures, spinal imaging and possible surgical decompression, were authorized by [redacted]. Spinal imaging is necessary to diagnose a compression lesion and to determine whether surgery is indicated. Spinal imaging, and the associated necessary procedures, constitute a large portion of the financial estimate. This patient had both myelogram and CT procedures performed to best visualize the spine. For these diagnostic procedures, regardless if surgery is performed, the patient must be placed under general anesthesia (requiring several other procedures such as IV catheter placement, induction medication administration, intravenous fluids, and hospitalization). Additionally spinal fluid was obtained and submitted for analysis to be checked for any inflammatory or infection causes of pain, such as meningitis, were present. These charges, in addition to those for the actual CT, are represented in the current balance due by [redacted]. Had a surgical lesion been found, the only additional expenses would have been operating room time, surgical procedure fee, pain management, and one additional night of hospitalization. These charges often comprise about a third of the estimate. Because surgery was not indicated, the charges associated with "[redacted] care did not total the high end of the estimate at $3,875.00. At this time, [redacted] is responsible for the $2168.80 that was authorized in the financial care plan range of $3125.00-$3875.00.
This information was communicated to [redacted] by our practice manager, [redacted], in a phone conversation on 8/1/14. At the conclusion of this conversation, [redacted] stated she had no further questions regarding her invoice.
Please let me know if you have any further questions regarding this case.
Sincerely,
[redacted], Regional Medical Director MedVet Cincinnati and Dayton

This bird was ill with jaundice and anemia from suspected liver disease.  Lab tests were recommended to help diagnose the problem, and the bird’s owner agreed to this testing. In birds, it is standard to collect the small amount of blood necessary for the laboratory testing from a clipped...

toenail.  The clipped toenail is then cauterized to prevent ongoing bleeding.  When the owner took the bird home, the bird was not bleeding. Significant bleeding from a toenail clip after collection of a blood sample is extremely rare. We were not made aware the pet had any trouble with bleeding at home until after he had passed away, and the owner disputed the bill. At that juncture, the samples had already been sent to the laboratory for evaluation.   MedVet is genuinely sorry for the loss of her pet bird and for any delay in communication that occurred.   We understand what a sad time this is, and we would certainly have wanted a better outcome for this family and their pet.  We are willing to discount the fees for the laboratory testing ($300.02) as the bird’s owner has requested, and to make certain there is no adverse report generated to affect her credit score.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[To assist...

us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]I disagree with Medvets’ response for several reasons.  They provided an estimate range, based on their account of what was needed for our dog—specifically, several days of hospitalization.  Both Medvets and our veterinarian admitted that our dog’s condition (pancreatitis and diabetes) was not uncommon (and actually, rather common).  Therefore, considering that they planned on keeping our dog several days to provide a course of  treatment already known and laid out, I do not understand how the top amount of the estimate doubled.  This practice is, in my opinion, is disingenuous and misleading, at a minimum.  I do not believe the range is given in good faith and I question whether there is any basis at all for the low end of the range.  During his stay, we questioned the bills and we were told to contact the Practice Manager.  We made several calls to that individual, which went unreturned.  The only times we received billing “updates” were in conjunction with conversations informing us that our dog’s health was deteriorating.      
 
Throughout [redacted]’s treatment, we questioned the medical necessity of his care.  Several times, we declined consent to interventions after questioning the medical care necessary and the care provider admitting that there was another route that could be taken.  Several times, we wanted to take [redacted] home and were told that we should not due to his health.  On the last day, after I was told to “say my goodbyes” to my dog, I insisted on taking him from their care.  Since that date, [redacted] has been happily home with his family.         
 
Then, following our dog’s “discharge”, the bill we received was difficult to decipher.  For instance, it was not in chronological order and the dates and times did not align with our dog’s care/services.  When we questioned the bill, we were told that, despite being reviewed and audited, that a “glitch” caused the disorder of items, and our bill was the only bill the glitch affected.  In addition, we were informed that Medvets’ billing schedule is from 9:00PM-9:00AM.  [redacted] was in my care before 9:00AM Tuesday November 25; yet, there were over $500 in charges from that date.  When we questioned those charges, Medvets’ response was to “backdate” several of the charges to the prior day and to claim that one of the fees is an exception to the 9am-9am schedule.               
 
I would expect more transparency and accountability for an entity that is in a healthcare field.  This practice holds itself out as an expert in this field and people rely on that representation and entrust this practice with the care and treatment of a family member.  Truly, I do not want another family to have this experience.    
Regards,
[redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. 
Regards,
[redacted]
I never received your first response email nor was I aware there was a credit to my account. If you read my second complaint you should see I mentioned it was in regards to not having go the response to 1stt complaint. It was NOT credited to my account.
Thank you [redacted]

To Whom It May Concern:   This letter is in response to Ms. [redacted]’s complaint regarding our processes for giving clients estimates for medical and surgical services for their pets, and in particular for her pet [redacted] on 8/21/2016.    Upon evaluation by a MedVet veterinarian...

working in our Emergency Department on 8/21/16, the Dr. offered to either admit [redacted] to the hospital for care, or to splint [redacted]’s leg as an outpatient and have the client return her dog for admission to the Surgery Dept. the following day (8/22/16) for the surgery.  This second option would have saved the client money.  Ms. [redacted] elected to have her dog admitted for hospitalized care on 8/21 prior to the surgery on 8/22/16.  An ER staff member presented Ms. [redacted] with a Document called Client Authorization for Care (i.e. Care Plan) on 8/21, which included an estimate.  The estimate was broken into two sections; the initial costs for the ER services including emergency exam, splint, radiographs, pre-anesthetic lab work, IV pain medication and pre-operative hospitalization (range of $1000-$1100) and an estimate for what would be provided by the Surgery Dept. beginning on 8/22/16, including consultation by the surgeon, anesthesia, surgery and post-operative care (range of $2100-$3500).  Therefore, the total estimate for the care provided by both the ER Dept. and the Surgery Dept. was $3100 - $4600.  The Care Plan lists the required deposit for admission to the hospital, which was $2400. The Care Plan also specifies that payment of the balance is expected at the time of release of the pet from the hospital.  Ms. [redacted] signed the Care Plan, stating that she had reviewed and understood the information provided.  The final bill for [redacted]’s care upon release from the hospital on 8/23/16 was $4240.85, which is well within the estimate range on the Care Plan.        We do not “quote a price” for medical and surgical care.  We give an estimate, and we do provide a range for that estimate.  The reason for the range is because it is often difficult to predict exactly what each individual pet will need.  The estimate range is not only to account for possible complications, but to account for individual patient variables that are inherent in providing medical and surgical care.  For example, the length time under anesthesia for a fracture repair varies from patient to patient.  The price of surgical implants (such as a bone plate and screws) varies with the exact implants the surgeon decides to use for that specific fracture.  This decision is made by the surgeon during the actual surgery.   Neither the ER doctor nor the ER Staff member who admitted [redacted] to the hospital recall making any promises to Ms. [redacted] that a smaller dog would fall into the lower end of the estimate range, or that the exact price would be $3200.00.  A specific price of $3200.00 is not listed on the Care Plan which she signed.  The estimate is given as a range for valid reasons.  Estimating in this way is not a deceptive business practice, but is common within the veterinary profession.  Since the final bill was within that range, the estimate was accurate, and Ms. [redacted] was treated fairly.         We are surprised by the allegation that offering for Ms. [redacted] to drop her pet off for the day for a recheck and suture removal was misinterpreted.  We provide the first recheck examination and suture removal at no additional charge to the client for patients who have surgery at MedVet.  Many veterinary practices use patient drop offs as a way to provide services to patients when all of their normal appointment time slots for the day have been filled.  We do not keep possession of pets to collect our fees.  This would be unethical and show a lack of compassion for both the pet and the pet owner.         Our veterinary healthcare team provided medical and surgical services for Ms. [redacted]’s pet [redacted] in good faith.  We fully expected Ms. [redacted] to act in good faith with us, and to pay her balance when she picked [redacted] up from the hospital following his surgery.  However, when she arrived, she was unwilling to pay in full for the services that had been provided to [redacted] with her written and verbal consent.  We feel that she should pay the balance remaining on her bill.    Melissa S. W[redacted], DVM, Dipl. ACVIM Regional Medical Director, Central & Northern Ohio

To Whom it May Concern:
Attached please find my response to Mr. [redacted]' complaint regarding his visit with his dog, [redacted], to MedVet Medical and Cancer Centers for Pets in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Thank you for the opportunity to address these concerns.
Sincerely,
[redacted]...

[redacted]Regional Medical Director
MedVet Medical and Cancer Centers for Pets

On April 13, 2016, as a courtesy, MedVet credited our client’s debt by $127.70 reducing the amount she still owed MedVet to $443.10. At that time MedVet advised its collection agency that the amended amount to be collected was $443.10. On May 13, 2016, our client paid her amended balance of $443.10 in full.  MedVet immediately reported to our collection agency that our client had resolved her debt by paying MedVet directly. Our collection agency then changed the client’s account status from “unpaid” to “paid in full” and reported that resolution to the respective credit bureaus. Upon receiving our client’s phone call on Friday August 12, MedVet contacted our agency to request that the reporting be removed entirely.  On Monday August 15th the collection agency was able to confirm that her account had been set to remove the reporting in its entirety.  I immediately contacted our client as soon as I got this confirmation and let her know that her account had been updated to remove the reporting.  I asked our client at that time if I could confirm this in writing via email to which she agreed and we confirmed the email account we had on file. I emailed this confirmation to our client on Monday around noon. I did not hear back from our client after my email so a few days later I called her again to confirm that she received my written email of the removal. Our client emailed me back on Friday, August 19th to confirm that she received my voice mail, but stated that she had still not received a written copy of what was sent to the credit bureaus. MedVet does not report directly to the credit bureaus.  We contract with a collection agency to collect our outstanding past due debts.  Therefore, MedVet cannot directly request that a file be amended or removed with a credit bureau.  MedVet does report any payment and balance changes to our collection agency.  Since we do not have copy of what was sent to the credit bureaus we contacted our collection agency and obtained screen shots of the deletion order in the collection agencies system. We also obtained a screen shot of the system description of the code on her account to detail that the file was marked for deletion.On Tuesday, August 23rd, we provided our client with the screen shots and the timing of the electronic file upload to the credit bureau’s (the first week of September) so that she can check the 2nd week of September for confirmation that it had been removed. We provided our client the phone numbers and office hours of our collection agency so that she could call them direct and confirm that the reporting was marked set for deletion. We provided our client the option of calling the collection agency direct and providing the collection agency with additional identifying information so that the removal could be expedited. We provided our client the option of disputing the reporting with each agency directly.  They would in turn contact our collection agency who would confirm the deletion request.  This was suggested as another option to expedite the deletion of the account from the credit bureaus if she did not wish to provide the collection agency with additional identifying information. The above remedies should enable our client to confirm that the reporting of her debt has been removed from the credit bureaus as requested.