Rettig Family Health Care

Mrs. [redacted], We are very sorry to hear that you are displeased with services provided at our facility. We do try to thoroughly explain every test or procedure that we recommend each patient have done, and we also let each patient know that it is their choice to proceed with that service. As...

our office manager explained when speaking to you, we use a company to print and mail out all our patient statements. We have contacted this company regarding your concern of never having received the monthly statements we sent you and your husband. There were no issues that the statement company could find that prevented you from receiving the statements. We have access to each and every statement that was mailed to you and your husband. At the end of May 2017, we mailed out a large package to you and your husband with copies of statements that has been mailed to you. Our Office Manager did confirm that you received those. This package as well as the collection letter you received were sent to the same address that the statements have been being sent to which we verified with your husband. In regards to your desired settlement, we will not be able to reduce you nor your husband’s bill as these bills have been outstanding since November 2014 on your account and since July 2015 on your husbands account. Also, you mentioned being penalized; however, you are not penalized at all. The balances due are for the services we provided in good faith.   Lastly, thank you for filling out the payment plans for you and your husbands account which we have received.

After reading your last response, we would like to try to make things more clear in order to aid in understanding. As previously discussed with Mr. [redacted], we cannot provide proof that the statements were physically stuffed in envelopes, stamped, and delivered to you, however we do have documentation in both yours and your husbands accounts that our statement company did mail the statements out each month. I am not sure what kind of proof any business would be able to offer in regards to monthly statements being sent out except a dated copy of the statement which is what we have already sent you and your husband. In summary, this disagreement started because you received a collection letter from us which you both responded, that was sent to the address of all of our correspondence with you.   We provided necessary medical services in good faith that we would be compensated for services rendered. Patients sign forms accepting responsibility for those charges that the insurance company approves but which are not paid by the insurance policy.   In regards to the Texas Civil Practices and Remedies Code that you mentioned, we did not do any untimely invoicing. We invoiced you and your husband promptly after your insurance company processed the claims. We continued to invoice you both each month until the past due balances were transferred to an in-house collection account. Once in the collection account, statements ceased to be mailed and we then mailed you and your husband the collection letter. With confirmation that you both received the collection letter, the package with past statements, and the payment plan that have all been sent to the same address that all the past statements were sent to. As stated in our initial response, we are sorry that you and your husband are dissatisfied with our facility. We have looked into both of your accounts numerous times as well as contacted our statement company to find any errors that we may have made, however, we cannot find where any errors were made in regards to timely invoicing or the mailing of monthly statements.   Lastly, regarding interest or penalties, our policy is to extend generosity and not add penalties or interest on past due balances but to rather focus on collecting the fees for the services we provided.

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]

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: Rettig Health Care Office-In regards to contacting the billing company; how can they show proof that they sent out monthly statements since 2014? Yes you were able to mail me a copy of the statements recently but that does not prove that they were actually printed, put in an envelope, and sent in the mail each month for the past 2 years.Texas has a law regarding medical billing practices with untimely invoicing. The Texas Civil Practices and Remedies Code requires that a healthcare service provider bill the patient or other responsible third party no later than the first day of the 11th month after the date of service. In addition, they must meet the deadline in any contract with the health benefit plan. The healthcare service provider cannot recover any fees or charges if they fail to invoice the patient or insurance company in the specified period. This means that individuals can successfully dispute any medical invoices submitted after either deadline.So if indeed these invoices were sent in a timely manner and every month since the service was provided why were there NO penalties and/or late fees?? If a customer is delinquent on that many payments, typically there are penalties. The ONLY reason my husband and I have agreed to pay these outstanding balances is to protect ourselves. We have worked to hard to let Rettig Family Health Care damage our credit. We are offended that we would be accused of being delinquent on payment when that is not our character at all. Regards,
[redacted]