Mountain Peaks Urgent Care

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Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to meHello, here is the latest response from Cigna InsThis statement indicates that I do not owe any fee to Urgent CareThank You for your help in this matter
Regards,
*** ***

September 25, 2015 Revdex.com Jefferson St NE Ste A Albuquerque, NM Phone ###-###-#### Fax ###-###-#### Regarding complaint ID *** To whom it may concern, When people come in to our urgent care clinic, they are greeted warmly by the receptionist who asks
"How may we help you?"Patients then either state what they specifically need and ask questions if they have concerns about cost or whether we can treat their issue, or they simply reply that they need to see a doctor (provider) and may or may not disclose the reason for their visit. In this case, when he asked the price of a Tetanus shot, he was not told $since that is completely inaccurate; he would have been told $plus $for the administration feeApparently that was acceptable because he was then asked to sign in to be seen as a patient, which implies a clinic visit as required by law to be able to administer any type of medical treatment including prescribing or administering medications, immunizations (Tetanus), ordering tests, or doing proceduresHe did not inquire about the cost of the visit- if he had, he would have been quoted the new patient fee of $which is actually lower than most urgent care clinicsIt is astounding that the patient filing this complaint is completely ignorant of the basic workings of a medical clinicIt is the responsibility of the patient to know what their insurance covers and to inquire about costs if that will factor in to their decision to be seen at any given medical facilityIn many cases, the receptionist cannot give an exact cost until the patient is seen by the medical provider since the final visit cost is dependent on many factors such as the severity of the issue and fees for tests, procedures, medications and medical supplies. According to his clinic encounter documentation, he wanted a Tetanus shot because of puncture wounds that he had on his arm from barbed wire fencing; he had his vital signs taken his medical history reviewed, and an appropriate examination from a certified Physician AssistantHis treatment plan included giving him a Tetanus shot, wound care instructions, and infection precautionsHad his wounds become infected, he would have received further care without any additional cost. All insurance companies engage in a practice called "repricing" and ask every provider that they have a contract with to accept reduced feesOur clinic accepts this practice even though we charge standard reasonable fees because we feel an obligation to the community to provide needed healthcare servicesMany physicians will not accept those insurances that reimburse poorly because of repricing to the extent that in some cases it costs more to see the patient in clinic overhead expenses than what the provider is reimbursed for the visit/services providedIn all reality, the main issue with the continued sky rocketing costs of healthcare is related to the exorbitant over pricing by the pharmaceutical and medical supply industriesThe $for the Tetanus is a reflection of their price!In conclusion, the charges are absolutely appropriate for the services that were receivedThere was not any deceptive billing practice- only an unfortunate misunderstanding and lack of knowledge on the patient's partTherefore, since we have already accepted a large insurance write-off (repricing), we do expect to be paid the remainder that is dueSincerely, Susan *W*** Mountain Peaks UC Owner/Manager