Phoenix Children's Hospital

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.What I don't get is why the bill is under my wife name, there is no reason for that, and why there is a charge almost one year after the service. Regards,[redacted]

Phoenix Children's Hospital stated in their response that they would contact me directly to resolve the issue.  It has now been a week, and still, no one has contacted me.  I'd also like to...

add that there was an error in my original complaint that said I had called Cigna 9 times, when I meant to say that I had called Phoenix Children's 9 times between January 28th and October 20th.

Standard processing time for refunds is 6-8 weeks.  This refund was issued and mailed. Parent contacted PCH stating check not received.  Stop payment was issued and new check has been mailed to parent.  Resolved.

I have investigated this complaint and found that [redacted] Non-Particpating notices were not placed in the PCH urgent care centers until August 2013 so PCH will be reducing the balance on this account to the family's urgent care co-payment amount of $50.00.  Please contact me at [redacted] if you have any additional questions.

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.

Message received from PCH:

The account for DOS 8/26/13 was billed correctly and no fradulent billing exist. The physician services located in Gilbert are now part of Phoenix Children's Hospital (PCH).  PCH clinics are all registered as hospital based clinics which means that our families are billed a physician charge and a facility charge.  The physician charge on this DOS incurred a $25.00 copay and the facility charge incurred a $200.00 deductible.  The deductible had not been met at the time of service and therefore applied to this visit by your insurance.  The $200.00 is currently with a Bad Debt agency so please feel free to call me if you have additional questions.

Sincerely,

Hospital Revenue Cycle Manager

[redacted]  

This response did not address this dispute and is a continuation of the Phoenix Children's Hospital's refusal to address the root of the problem.

1. The response did not explain the discrepancy and provide documentation for the difference between the billing for a similar visit with the same procedure on August 13, 2012  to the exact same facility, and the visit in question on August 26, 2013.  

2. I was not told about these charges. I did not sign any documentation agreeing to these charges. Phoenix Children's Hospital has not provided documentation   showing that these "Facility charges" were disclosed to me and that I agreed to them  on August 26, 2013. It is a fact that they (doctor's office personnel) did NOT disclose these charges to me.  That fact makes this billing fraudulent. Phoenix Children's hospital has not proven otherwise.  I did not receive any notification I would responsible for additional charges at the time of the office visit.   In fact, I was told the opposite on the day of the visit. I was told I did not need to pay anything. Simple logic indicates that based on past billing and past visits where these 'Facility charges' did not exist, there is no reason that I should expect these charges to be made at a later time for the visit in question.

3. I spoke with [redacted] on 05/28/2014 from Phoenix Children's Hospital at 4:38pm for nearly 20 minutes.  In that conversation I was told this would be "pulled back" from the debt collector and her 'Director' would contact me by June 9, 2014 to further discuss my concerns.  [redacted] also indicated there appeared to be inconsistencies in the billing as she looked at her computer while we were talking on the phone..  I'm not sure if this response by [redacted] is considered that 'contact'.  If it is, it fails to address my main dispute which is a full accounting by Phoenix Children's Hospital of the significant discrepancy between what the doctor's office personnel told me, billing in past visits (for the same thing) and how I (and my insurance) are being billed this time.  This response is not completely consistent with what I was told by [redacted].

I left a message at [redacted] on 05/29/2014 at 2:47pm for [redacted] to call me back.

Regards,

Please call me at [redacted] as I need to obtain patient information to provide a zero balance statement.

This was resolved on 9/1/15.  An updated bill will be mailed in the next week to ten days.

I spoke to Mr. [redacted] personally and I was under the impression that this issue was resolved.

Thank you for notifying us of this challenge regarding insurance denial for the care you received at our clinic.  Accounts [redacted] and [redacted] for the dates of service 1/10/2013 and 5/4/2012 respectively are currently reprocessing with your insurance.  We have spoken with your insurance,...

and according to the representative, reference call number [redacted], these services do not require authorization.  They have committed to reprocessing the claims and have asked that you allow 15 to 30 business days for resolution.  We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused you and your family. Account [redacted] has been removed from [redacted] Financial Services inventory and removed from any reporting on your credit.

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,

The account for DOS 8/26/13 was billed correctly and no fradulent billing exist.  The physician services located in Gilbert are now part of Phoenix Children's Hospital (PCH).  PCH clinics are all registered as hospital based clinics which means that our families are billed a physician...

charge and a facility charge.  The physician charge on this DOS incurred a $25.00 copay and the facility charge incurred a $200.00 deductible.  The deductible had not been met at the time of service and therefore applied to this visit by your insurance.  The $200.00 is currently with a Bad Debt agency so please feel free to call me if you have additional questions.Sincerely,[redacted]Hospital Revenue Cycle Manager

I spoke to Ms. [redacted] on 4/25/14 and she confirmed that she spoke to [redacted] on 4/24/14 and the issue is resolved.

[redacted]The parent is being contacted directly to discuss her concerns and come to a resolution.

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.

It is correct that we have

had multiple discussions with PCH in an attempt to resolve this issue and make

them aware of the incorrect billing that has taken place.  In fact, beginning on 9/25/16, within the

first week of receiving the bill, we contacted PCH five times regarding this

billing error, each time escalating to another level of management.  While I did not get the name of the first

person we spoke with, I did note that future conversations were with Claudia,

Kenyatta, Dianna Sierra, and finally, Wanda Bartels.  We

were billed an exorbitant, incorrect amount for a standard, scheduled

appointment.  There was no “operating

room” and he received no “surgical services”. 

The incorrect bill was not reflective of the amount quoted to us at the

time of scheduling the appointment, nor was it reflective of the minimal services

my son received in the twenty minutes he spent in the room.  During the very first interaction, PCH

offered a 50% discount off the bill.  We

explained that we were not looking for a discount; we simply were requesting a

bill that correctly reflected the services quoted and received. Additionally, we requested the detailed records

from the appointment, both billing and medical, from PCH.  We were

told it would take approx. 30 days to receive the medical records and that the

billing record would be a single line item – “Ancillary

Services”.  PCH continued to offer 50% off the bill and said the

offer would expire within 7 days.  We asked PCH to put their offer in

writing as we have had miscommunication with them regarding billing since

scheduling the appointment.  This is very standard practice in any

financial negotiation.  PCH (specifically,

Dianna S[redacted] and Wanda Bartels[redacted]We have and continue to ask

only that PCH acknowledge the error in billing and present to us a new bill

correctly reflecting our $60 co-pay for a regularly scheduled appointment with

an orthopedic dr. Unfortunately, his is not an

issue we alone have had with PCH.  As

reflected on the Revdex.com and other sites, many families, like us, have gone through

this headache while trying to care for the medical needs of their children.  Unfortunately, PCH appears to be in the habit

of practicing creative billing and deceiving the public for monetary gain.  It is for this reason that we, along with

many others, have been forced to file complaints with the Revdex.com, The Department

of Insurance, the Medical Board, Yelp, Google, and our State

Representatives.  Additionally, at the

advice of both our insurance agent and our representative at BCBSAZ, we have

filed a case with the BCBSAZ Fraud Department.We

would have never made an appointment at this facility if we had known they

would re-code our appointment upon our arrival in an attempt to collect more

money.  We

sincerely hope that PCH will re-consider our plea to correct the error in

billing.  Upon their doing so, we are

more than happy to promptly pay our $60 co-pay amount for the standard,

scheduled, middle-of-the-day appointment our son had with the orthopedic dr. 

Regards,

We have not reached an agreement. I still feel the charge is assured and not fair. Per the comments mentioned in my complaint. I'm seeking further action, which is why I submitted...

this complaint.

Review: I took my child to an URGENT CARE
They billed it as an EMERGENCY ROOM
I've responded to them several times, included correspondence from my health insurance stating what they needed to do to resubmit and correct the claim
They have NEVER responded to me
They have sent to collection agency, which is violation of [redacted]
The collection agency has never responded to my written and faxed requests for information
They have never responde, which is violation of [redacted]Desired Settlement: resubmit corrected claim
remove from credit report
show balance of "$0"

Business
Response:
This account was turned to collections appropriately. Phoenix Children’s Hospital’s (PCH)first statement was sent to [redacted], Gilbert, AZ 85234 (the address listed in this complaint) on 2/15/2013. Two more statements were sent on 2/22 and 3/29/2013. We were contacted by the responsible party on 4/1/2013 through the automated system at which time a financial assistance application was requested and provided. The completed application was not returned to PCH.
On 5/8/2013 PCH received a letter of dispute stating the account was billed incorrectly as it was“billing through their affiliated hospital facility as an urgent care not as a physician office. This is the reason the higher urgent care/emergency room copay...”, according to a response from the member’s insurance. The account was reviewed by the billing manager and determined that it was billed correctly because our urgent care services are provided by a facility based urgent care.
After this review, five additional phone calls were made and three additional statements were sent to advise the family of the outcome of the review, to explain the billing process and assist in establishing a payment arrangement agreeable to both parties; however, Mr. [redacted] did not respond to our calls or statements nor contacted us in that time so the account was sent to collections on 7/25/2013.
A total of six statements were sent and five phone calls made over a time period of five months before this account was referred to a collection agency. Phoenix Children’s Hospital made every attempt to contact Mr. [redacted] to assist with addressing this debt. This account does not meet the criteria to return from bad debt as it was sent appropriately. Mr. [redacted] will need to contact the agency to establish a payment agreement.

Consumer
Response:

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 responded to each letter I received an called the billing department numerous times. The insinuation that I did no respond to any correspondence is false. The hospital NEVER responded to any of my phone calls or letters, which is a violation of the [redacted].

My son was seen in a free standing URGENT CARE buildng, not at the EMERGENCY ROOM. The EOB clearly shows this visit was billed as an EMERGENCY ROOM visit. I want PCH to correctly bill the insuracne for an URGENT CARE visit, and not fraudulantly upcode to a EMERGENCY ROOM visit. The insurance comany clearly stated that is what needs to happen. An alleged phone call to the insurance by PCH is not acceptable. The bill was incorrect and the incorrect EIN for PCH hospital and not Urgent Care was attached.

Regards,

Business
Response:
This encounter was billed as an urgent care. Please note the attached copy of the bill that was sent to your insurance which identifies the services as urgent care services.
This billing is appropriate for a facility based, or hospital owned, urgent care. The EIN on the bill is for Phoenix Children's Hospital because it is a facility based urgent care versus an independent urgent care as described in the previous response.
In response to your question of our contact made with your insurance on two separate occasions, we contacted your insurance to assist you with your claim, but were unsuccessful in obtaining any additional information. Their indication to us in our call was that the payment was appropriate for this type of facility based urgent care billing. We have found that a member dispute with regards to this type of a situation can be more successful. We hope the attached bill may assist you with this appeal process.
With regards to your statement of response to contact, our inbound and outbound phone service is automated and logged and cannot be overridden, therefore the unsuccessful call attempts and statement dates are valid. Also, upon discussion with our representative on 10/22/2013, you acknowledged that our auto dialer did attempt to contact you; however, you stated it was during the day at your home while you were at work and you did not have time to contact us back. This was the number that was provided to us by you for contact.
We apologize for any frustration this has caused your family, but the activity that has taken place with this account is appropriate. As a good faith effort, we have authorized the agency to accept a 50% discount on account [redacted] and they have agreed to delete this from your credit report. They will be contacting you soon to discuss this agreement.

Review: On October 28, 2012, my daughter [redacted] fell from a razor scooter which resulted in a small lesion to the chin necessitating a few stitches. I took her to the PHC urgent care on Scottsdale and Shea. I requested a clear quote as we were uninsured at the time and was told that for uninsured patients, it would be an all inclusive $275; which we agreed to and paid upfront by debit card (posted 10/31/2012). We were also clearly told by the office manager, Olga [redacted], that when [redacted] would come back to remove the stitches, there would be no additional charge but warned that PCH had been having regular problems with billing and that I should not be surprised if an extra invoice is sent. She gave me the phone number and name of a supervisor at PHC to get the incorrect billing removed. I was not worried when an extra bill arrived and immediately followed Ms. [redacted] ‘s instructions leaving two voice mails for the billing supervisor in question. We never received any call back. The invoices kept coming, alleging that no balance had been paid. We called a call center in Florida (the number was on the invoice) and explained the situation. The representative asked us to prove that we had made the payment and provided a fax number. We faxed a copy of our bank statement showing the debit card charge for $275 on 12/31/2012. The invoice kept coming, exactly like if we had never called. We tried once more and this time put Ms. [redacted] on a three way call with a call center representative where she confirmed the whole story. We were then transferred to a call center supervisor who said they would note the account and we would get a callback after a billing audit clears the invoice. Nothing happened! Finally, I accidently realized, last week, that a charge by a collection agency, apparently working on behalf of PCH, and that I have never heard of before, had been reporting the charge as delinquent to the credit report agencies. Our credit is being hurt even though we paid everything upfront! This is causing major damage to me and my family and will have to be compensated for after litigation. Due to the small amount of the charge, we are making one final attempt to reach out to the incompetent administration of PCH and give them a last chance to avoid litigation. I must add that refusal of PCH to clean up their act on a simple to prove billing question opens up the possibility that this billing policy is not the result of incompetence but a willing attempt to defraud customers into paying more than what has been represented. In my opinion, full discovery on the PCH billing practices and their third party call center administrator are bound to reveal widespread fraudulent practices. We are talking to several class action law firms. We can prove everything as we recorded some calls and can subpoena several PCH employees involved in this matter. I hope, PCH will step back from the brink and clean up their very dirty act.Desired Settlement: To avoid litigation and full discovery on the PHC billing practice. -Cancel immediately the collection process. - Instruct collection agency to remove negative report on credit reports. -Send letter of apology. Refusal to do so despite the facts would show purpose and open the case to criminal prosecution:

Business

Response:

On behalf of Phoenix Children’s Hospital and Medical Group, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused Mr. [redacted] and his family. Mr. [redacted] is correct, the services to remove the sutures should not have been billed let alone result in collection activity. We have notified PMS, the collection agency, to remove Mr. [redacted]'s account and reverse any negative reporting to his credit. They advise this should be complete no later than June 15th, 2013.

We have also corrected the account internally and reversed all charges to avoid any further activity.

We thank Mr. [redacted] for escalating this issue. We value feedback from our patient’s families as it allows us the opportunity to improve.

We have addressed these errors with the appropriate staff members as well as departmental leadership to ensure it does not happen in the future.

Sincerely,

Manager, Customer Service

Phoenix Children’s Hospital

Phoenix Children’s Medical Group

Review: My son was very ill and admitted to PCH December 30, 2011 for roughly three weeks and after that he has had several different treatments, doctors' visits and tests. I have tried to be diligent with making payment plans to pay the thousands of dollars owed. This year I paid off all the 2011 and 2012 bills and then made my last payment for one of the bills that was on a payment plan. But then the next month the bill that should have had a $0 balance suddenly had a balance of $414. Their excuse was that whatever amount I paid online may have been reallocated. Reallocated where?? I've called multiple times and requested itemized statements via phone and fax, but never received anything. Always with an excuse of why it never went out. I was told that they would audit my account and send me the findings, but I still never received anything. I asked them if anything would go to collections while I wait for the audit and itemized statement and they assured me it wouldn't. A month later I receive a bill with a different amount than the others and when I call they tell me that one of the bills has gone to collections. I never received a final notice, although they said they sent it. And all I get in response from the very curt supervisor is, "I understand your frustration, but there is nothing we could do." It is by law that I receive an itemized list when requested and with the multiple conversations nobody could explain to me why I'm getting additional bills for amounts that I have already paid.Desired Settlement: I want the bill that went to collections to come back out, I want the itemized list of all hospital balances owed and paid that I already requested multiple times, and I want a full audit.

Business

Response:

This response was originally submitted on 11/5/2013.

We contacted Ms. [redacted] to discuss her concerns regarding the payments and accounts. She did not have an established payment plan for the disputed account with the hospital-[redacted], but was making payments on other outstanding accounts she had with the physician’s group. Although statements for account [redacted] were sent to the address listed in this complaint and calls made, we were unsuccessful in contacting Ms. [redacted] and the account was sent to collections. We apologize if Ms. [redacted] felt that her questions were handled curtly and we will follow up with the recorded call to determine if the representative was acting according to our mission and follow up as necessary.

After discussing her payment history and accounts on November 4, 2013 with Ms. [redacted] for both the hospital as well as the physicians group, it seems there was confusion as to what she needed to do to ensure payments were allocated accordingly to keep accounts for both physician and hospital in good standing. During this discussion, Ms. [redacted] requested itemized statements and these have been mailed.

Although the activity on this account was appropriate, as a good faith effort we have removed account [redacted] from collections to establish an agreeable payment plan for Ms. [redacted]. An agent has already spoken with Ms. [redacted] to assist with this payment plan.

Consumer

Response:

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,

Review: My daughter has a congenital heart defect.

Once a year she sees a doctor to assess her condition and determine if additional treatment is needed.

These are office visits at [redacted].

(The doctor's office visits are NOT at Phoenix Children's Hospital although PCH is somehow involved with the billing)

Dispute Item#1:

PCH is incorrectly billing a Doctor's office Visit as a Hospital Admission/Out-Patient Procedure. The total amount charged to my insurance for the office visit on 08/13/2012 was approximately 1/3 of the amount charged on 08/26/2013 for the exact same procedures, with the exact same personnel, and equipment. I have the doctors' reports from both visits, and both read nearly identical due to the similar nature of the visits. This further proves my point that the billing in 2013 is fraudulent and wrong. When I contacted my insurance they stated that the billing on 08/13/2012 was billed differently -- an office visit. The 08/26/2013 billing was as an Outpatient Hospital Visit. It was clearly an office visit and was not in any hospital environment.

Dispute Item #2:

During the doctors office visit on 08/26/2013, I was not required to sign any paperwork at all, which I found odd. The doctors office personnel even told me there was no co-pay required and they refused to accept any payment. I was suspicious of this and it turns out I was correct. I later received a bill for a doctor's co-pay which has been paid as I believe that was correct. Now in addition, PCH is trying to fraudulently bill me (and my insurance) as though this was a Hospital Out-patient procedure, resulting in additional charges. If PCH is indeed billing me correctly, PCH should have no problem producing a copy of the documentation I signed on 08/26/2013. The doctors's office personell represented to me that no payments were neccessary, and I signed nothing agreeing to any additional charges. I have paid the doctor's co-pay due as required. My insurance has already paid more than they should because of the incorrect billing and they should be due a refund. PCH is still trying to collect a 'deductible' balance that would not exist if the billing to the insurance was correct to start with.

I have documented in writing my efforts to contact PCH on numerous occasions. PCH has responded to none of my requests for resolution.Desired Settlement: 1. Phoenix Children's Hospital will correct the billing or provide me with a written, easy-to-understand explanation of the gross discrepancy between billing from the 08/13/2012 visit and the incorrect billing on the 08/26/2013 visit. In accordance with the PCH written policy in their 'Patient and Family Rights' brochure, I am entitled to this full explanation and or resolution.

2. Phoenix Children's Hospital will provide a photo copy of any original documentation I signed on 08/26/2013 where I agreed to these charges. I contend there is no such documentation and therefore I am being fraudulently harassed for something I never agreed to.

3. Phoenix Children's Hospital will cease all collection efforts and retract any reports, or planned reports to any credit reporting agencies.

Business

Response:

The account for DOS 8/26/13 was billed correctly and no fradulent billing exist. The physician services located in Gilbert are now part of Phoenix Children's Hospital (PCH). PCH clinics are all registered as hospital based clinics which means that our families are billed a physician charge and a facility charge. The physician charge on this DOS incurred a $25.00 copay and the facility charge incurred a $200.00 deductible. The deductible had not been met at the time of service and therefore applied to this visit by your insurance. The $200.00 is currently with a Bad Debt agency so please feel free to call me if you have additional questions.Sincerely,[redacted]Hospital Revenue Cycle Manager

Consumer

Response:

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.

Message received from PCH:

The account for DOS 8/26/13 was billed correctly and no fradulent billing exist. The physician services located in Gilbert are now part of Phoenix Children's Hospital (PCH). PCH clinics are all registered as hospital based clinics which means that our families are billed a physician charge and a facility charge. The physician charge on this DOS incurred a $25.00 copay and the facility charge incurred a $200.00 deductible. The deductible had not been met at the time of service and therefore applied to this visit by your insurance. The $200.00 is currently with a Bad Debt agency so please feel free to call me if you have additional questions.

Sincerely,

Hospital Revenue Cycle Manager

This response did not address this dispute and is a continuation of the Phoenix Children's Hospital's refusal to address the root of the problem.

1. The response did not explain the discrepancy and provide documentation for the difference between the billing for a similar visit with the same procedure on August 13, 2012 to the exact same facility, and the visit in question on August 26, 2013.

2. I was not told about these charges. I did not sign any documentation agreeing to these charges. Phoenix Children's Hospital has not provided documentation showing that these "Facility charges" were disclosed to me and that I agreed to them on August 26, 2013. It is a fact that they (doctor's office personnel) did NOT disclose these charges to me. That fact makes this billing fraudulent. Phoenix Children's hospital has not proven otherwise. I did not receive any notification I would responsible for additional charges at the time of the office visit. In fact, I was told the opposite on the day of the visit. I was told I did not need to pay anything. Simple logic indicates that based on past billing and past visits where these 'Facility charges' did not exist, there is no reason that I should expect these charges to be made at a later time for the visit in question.

3. I spoke with [redacted] on 05/28/2014 from Phoenix Children's Hospital at 4:38pm for nearly 20 minutes. In that conversation I was told this would be "pulled back" from the debt collector and her 'Director' would contact me by June 9, 2014 to further discuss my concerns. [redacted] also indicated there appeared to be inconsistencies in the billing as she looked at her computer while we were talking on the phone.. I'm not sure if this response by [redacted] is considered that 'contact'. If it is, it fails to address my main dispute which is a full accounting by Phoenix Children's Hospital of the significant discrepancy between what the doctor's office personnel told me, billing in past visits (for the same thing) and how I (and my insurance) are being billed this time. This response is not completely consistent with what I was told by [redacted].

I left a message at [redacted] on 05/29/2014 at 2:47pm for [redacted] to call me back.

Regards,

Business

Response:

Phoenix Children's Hospital has decided to adjust the bad debt balance of $200.00 and have any entries removed from the parent's credit report. There was no fradulent billing on the part of Phoenix Children's Hospital (PCH) as our clinics are all registered as hospital-based clinics and as such, are allowed to bill facility charges in addition to the physician charge. Please feel free to call me at [redacted] if you have additional questions.

Review: On January 17, 2013 my daughter had a febrile seizure in our home. After contacting 911 the fire fighters at our home suggested we transport her to the hospital to be checked by a doctor. My husband immediately drove her to Phoenix Children’s Hospital and she was checked by doctors in the Emergency Room. While there, her temperature was taken and she was given a dose of Advil and a dose of Tylenol. No other tests or medications where given to her during that visit. After about two hours of observation, and receiving the Advil and Tylenol, my husband and daughter were sent home.

Four months later, in May, we received a bill from Phoenix Children's Medical Group for $66.49. After checking our Explanation of Benefits (EOB) it was determined that the bill was for "Emergency Care". We called the number on the billing statement and requested a detailed bill for the services my daughter received on January 17th. We spoke to a woman named [redacted] regarding our bill and specifically asked her if we would see any further bills/statements regarding this incident. [redacted] informed us that "no" our account would be closed after they received our check for $66. 49. She agreed to send us a detailed bill at the time of that phone conversation.

On October 31, 2013, I received an automated phone call from [redacted] regarding an unpaid bill of $1,634.00 for Phoenix Children's Hospital. I immediately called [redacted] regarding the unpaid bill. I was outraged when I was told that Phoenix Children's Hospital had been sending us a bill for this unpaid balance to an address that we had not lived at for two years! [redacted] is a collection agency and if they do not receive payment for $1634.00 in 30 days this bill will be reported to a major credit agency. After talking to [redacted] about the bill I called Billing [redacted] at Phoenix Children's Hospital and talked to [redacted]. I asked [redacted] why I had not received a phone call or bill from them regarding the $1634.00 balance. In addition, if they were able to send me a bill for $66.49 to the correct address then why would they send a separate bill for $1634.00 to a different address? [redacted] put me on hold and without telling me what she was doing she transferred me to [redacted]! I did not need or want to talk to [redacted]! Phoenix Children's Hospital is the one responsible for timely and appropriate billing, not [redacted]!

As of today, November 3, 2013, we have still not received the detailed bill, which [redacted] said she would send, for the services that were provided to my daughter on January 17, 2013. I have serious concerns regarding the bill for $1634.00. What are we being billed for? Why did Phoenix Children's Hospital send a bill to an address that we had not lived at for two years after they sent a bill to the correct address initially? At this point I do not trust Billing [redacted] and I do not agree with the charges. We were told by [redacted], over the phone, that we would not have any further charges after we paid the first bill that was sent to us for $66.49.Desired Settlement: I want the charges reversed. I should not have to suffer financially for the lack of organization and professionalism of Billing [redacted] at Phoenix Children't Hospital. We took our daughter there because we thought it was the best place for her personal safety and well-being. I no longer feel that Phoenix Children't Hospital truly cares about their patients. If they did, then Billing [redacted] should reorganize their department and think twice before reporting an unpaid bill to a customer that never received a bill in the first place.

Business

Response:

We apologize that the [redacted] family feels they were misinformed. We realize health care billing can be complex and believe it is our duty to assist in making this difficult process easier for our families. Fortunately, Phoenix Children's Hospital records their calls for quality assurance and training purposes. Upon review of the recorded call in question with our representative [redacted], we identified that she did not give indication that there were no other outstanding balances for this date of service.

Also, to address the [redacted]’s concern of lack of contact regarding the disputed bill for the hospital portion, account [redacted], we reviewed the statements and contact attempts made to the family. The statement sent for the disputed account [redacted] was mailed to the same address as the statement the family received and paid: however, it was returned to sender. We also attempted to contact the family via phone regarding the outstanding balance on the disputed account [redacted] on 8/2, 8/20, 9/7 and 9/11/2013 without response. This system is automated and cannot be overridden or manually manipulated. Also, similar to the EOB the family received for the bill for $66.49, their insurance processed the disputed bill [redacted] as well and should have sent a corresponding EOB to alert them of the balance due to Phoenix Children's Hospital as it applied to their deductible. An itemized statement for this account has been mailed to the PO Box listed in this complaint.

Last, the signed consent and discharge documents identify the agreement that the [redacted]’s understood their child was seen in the emergency room and would be responsible for the charges incurred.

As a good faith effort we would like to assist the family and provide them with the opportunity to discuss the many financial assistance options available to our families to include discounts and extended payment plans. We have authorized a return from the collection agency and will be contacting the family to establish an affordable payment arrangement.

Consumer

Response:

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,