I came into the emergency room and due to the long wait I went to get something to eat but I was told that they do not serve patients unless approval is ascertainedI came down and talked to a very rude person in admissions who gave no optionsShe would not call to give me an approval to get a salad, refused to get a doctor and completely ignored my request for someone else and this person was [redacted]
I have contacted Carilion multiple times about this bill They have continually told me it would be taken care of then it was submitted to a credit agency
I came into the emergency room and due to the long wait I went to get something to eat but I was told that they do not serve patients unless approval is ascertainedI came down and talked to a very rude person in admissions who gave no optionsShe would not call to give me an approval to get a salad, refused to get a doctor and completely ignored my request for someone else and this person was ***
I moved to the area about a year ago and discovered that Carilion clinics have a pretty solid monopoly in southwest Virginia, which is unfortunateMy first experience in July of last year was very disappointing, beginning with the doctor forgetting to send my prescriptions to the pharmacyWhen I called the clinic to follow up, I waited on hold for nearly an hour because the office had closed down for a staff meetingThe entire officeDuring business hoursThere was no phone message to inform patients of what was going on because, as the receptionist told me when I finally got through, they "weren't expecting me to call" (I suspect this was said with sarcasm)When I was finally transferred to a nurse, she had to ask me for the name of the medication and the dosage to write on the prescription because she couldn't find a record of what I was taking (I had given all of this information on the patient intake form)I was truly taken aback by the manner in which the clinic operated, and decided it was in my best interests not to trust them with my health concernsAfter sharing my experiences with the patient advocate, I was referred to another Carilion clinic down the street, where I had several positive visits
In April however, I scheduled an appointment for my provider to check my TSH levels and possibly adjust my thyroid medicationI also brought in my mother's recent test results for genes that may have put her at a higher risk for breast cancerMy provider brought in a student to observeI was not asked if this was something with which I was comfortable, the student just appeared in the exam room with the provider introducing her with "this is so-and-so, she's following me around this month"I asked the staff person at check-out to put a note in my file that I would like to be asked the next time a student might be present
If this had been the only issue, I would not have been so concernedHowever, I was supposed to schedule an appointment with the genetic counselor to test for a breast cancer-susceptible gene my mother tested positive forThe referral coordinator called me after my visit and informed me the genetic counselor is no longer with the clinicHowever, she had spoken with the office where the genetic counselor used to work, and they told her (this is verbatim), I only needed a genetic test if my mother was BRCA positiveThis is and dangerously misleading informationMy mother is PALBpositive, and was also tested for a whole slew of genes that can increase one's risk of developing breast cancerTesting only for BRCA has been an outdated practice for yearsMy mother's doctors told her, and the paperwork she received and passed on to me also states, that PALBincreases your cancer risk up to 58%, that there's a 50% chance her children could have it, and we (her children) should be testedMy provider had reviewed these results with me and made a copy of themI explained all of this to the referral coordinator, who responded she didn't know anything about genetics, but was simply passing on information from the other officeWhen I later addressed this with the office manager, she defended her by saying the coordinator was not passing on "clinical information"To clarify, if I had taken the coordinator at her word, I would not have gone for testing myself and would not have begun the preventative care recommended for someone at a higher riskThe manager was unperturbed and unapologetic when I brought this up
I also had lab work done during my visit to test my TSH levels and determine whether my dosage of thyroid medication needed to be changedMy former provider who started me on the medication discussed keeping my levels at an optimal range below The results from this visit came back at My current provider decided to continue me on the same dosageI called and expressed my concerns to the nurse, who informed me my provider wouldn't change my dosage unless my TSH went up to I explained the optimal range my former provider and I agreed on is aligned with newer standards, and was told if I wanted a higher dose I should seek out a different providerThe office manager repeated this, saying my provider was a "medical professional" and wouldn't change my dosage based on "something I read on the internet"Actually, the call with the manager consisted mostly of her relating her staff's version of events, with zero apologies except for the "miscommunication" (for which I presumably am also responsible)
My employer's open enrollment period begins soon and I am adding out-of-network coverage specifically so I can see a provider who is not associated with CarilionBased on these experiences I deeply mistrustful of the information and services I might receive here
Our insurance covers 100% of all pregnancy visits from beginning to labor This comprehensive coverage covers literally everything, from screening, office visits, ultrasounds, tests, urinalysis, etc (No co-pay) Wife made first trimester appointment (as incentivized by our "wellness plan") for a simple pregnancy confirmation and quick ultrasound(3rd child) Carilion Clinic coded the bill incorrectly as they routinely do (we've had numerous problems about them coding bills to get the most money when the codes are no where close to describing the doctor visit) Carilion Billing agreed to submit the bill for review to double check the coding We have received our second bill now and after calling our Insurance plan, we are informed that the codes on the bill that were submitted to not mention anything at all about pregnancy How is this even legal?
Immoral and corrupt business practice pertaining to wellness center contracts
You are charged on the 5th of every month, so naturally you would think that as long as you cancel your membership before then - you aren't forced to pay for a monthEven if that is the case, you'd think it would be possible to get a refund for the month you aren't going to use, or at least a prorated refund
This is not the caseThey stand by the "fine print" in their contracts which most people probably don't read (it is a gym membership, not a purchasing of assets)I guarantee most customers throw away the contract after signing or never look at it againThe manager told me that they deal with this issue (angry people requesting refunds, bank disputes, etc.) every month, and they blame the customers - not their policy
What's worse is, in my case, I attempted to cancel the membership in person before the end of the monthMy number was taken down, and I was told I would receive a call from th
I came into the emergency room and due to the long wait I went to get something to eat but I was told that they do not serve patients unless approval is ascertainedI came down and talked to a very rude person in admissions who gave no optionsShe would not call to give me an approval to get a salad, refused to get a doctor and completely ignored my request for someone else and this person was [redacted]
I have contacted Carilion multiple times about this bill They have continually told me it would be taken care of then it was submitted to a credit agency
see Attached document
I came into the emergency room and due to the long wait I went to get something to eat but I was told that they do not serve patients unless approval is ascertainedI came down and talked to a very rude person in admissions who gave no optionsShe would not call to give me an approval to get a salad, refused to get a doctor and completely ignored my request for someone else and this person was ***
I moved to the area about a year ago and discovered that Carilion clinics have a pretty solid monopoly in southwest Virginia, which is unfortunateMy first experience in July of last year was very disappointing, beginning with the doctor forgetting to send my prescriptions to the pharmacyWhen I called the clinic to follow up, I waited on hold for nearly an hour because the office had closed down for a staff meetingThe entire officeDuring business hoursThere was no phone message to inform patients of what was going on because, as the receptionist told me when I finally got through, they "weren't expecting me to call" (I suspect this was said with sarcasm)When I was finally transferred to a nurse, she had to ask me for the name of the medication and the dosage to write on the prescription because she couldn't find a record of what I was taking (I had given all of this information on the patient intake form)I was truly taken aback by the manner in which the clinic operated, and decided it was in my best interests not to trust them with my health concernsAfter sharing my experiences with the patient advocate, I was referred to another Carilion clinic down the street, where I had several positive visits
In April however, I scheduled an appointment for my provider to check my TSH levels and possibly adjust my thyroid medicationI also brought in my mother's recent test results for genes that may have put her at a higher risk for breast cancerMy provider brought in a student to observeI was not asked if this was something with which I was comfortable, the student just appeared in the exam room with the provider introducing her with "this is so-and-so, she's following me around this month"I asked the staff person at check-out to put a note in my file that I would like to be asked the next time a student might be present
If this had been the only issue, I would not have been so concernedHowever, I was supposed to schedule an appointment with the genetic counselor to test for a breast cancer-susceptible gene my mother tested positive forThe referral coordinator called me after my visit and informed me the genetic counselor is no longer with the clinicHowever, she had spoken with the office where the genetic counselor used to work, and they told her (this is verbatim), I only needed a genetic test if my mother was BRCA positiveThis is and dangerously misleading informationMy mother is PALBpositive, and was also tested for a whole slew of genes that can increase one's risk of developing breast cancerTesting only for BRCA has been an outdated practice for yearsMy mother's doctors told her, and the paperwork she received and passed on to me also states, that PALBincreases your cancer risk up to 58%, that there's a 50% chance her children could have it, and we (her children) should be testedMy provider had reviewed these results with me and made a copy of themI explained all of this to the referral coordinator, who responded she didn't know anything about genetics, but was simply passing on information from the other officeWhen I later addressed this with the office manager, she defended her by saying the coordinator was not passing on "clinical information"To clarify, if I had taken the coordinator at her word, I would not have gone for testing myself and would not have begun the preventative care recommended for someone at a higher riskThe manager was unperturbed and unapologetic when I brought this up
I also had lab work done during my visit to test my TSH levels and determine whether my dosage of thyroid medication needed to be changedMy former provider who started me on the medication discussed keeping my levels at an optimal range below The results from this visit came back at My current provider decided to continue me on the same dosageI called and expressed my concerns to the nurse, who informed me my provider wouldn't change my dosage unless my TSH went up to I explained the optimal range my former provider and I agreed on is aligned with newer standards, and was told if I wanted a higher dose I should seek out a different providerThe office manager repeated this, saying my provider was a "medical professional" and wouldn't change my dosage based on "something I read on the internet"Actually, the call with the manager consisted mostly of her relating her staff's version of events, with zero apologies except for the "miscommunication" (for which I presumably am also responsible)
My employer's open enrollment period begins soon and I am adding out-of-network coverage specifically so I can see a provider who is not associated with CarilionBased on these experiences I deeply mistrustful of the information and services I might receive here
Our insurance covers 100% of all pregnancy visits from beginning to labor This comprehensive coverage covers literally everything, from screening, office visits, ultrasounds, tests, urinalysis, etc (No co-pay) Wife made first trimester appointment (as incentivized by our "wellness plan") for a simple pregnancy confirmation and quick ultrasound(3rd child) Carilion Clinic coded the bill incorrectly as they routinely do (we've had numerous problems about them coding bills to get the most money when the codes are no where close to describing the doctor visit) Carilion Billing agreed to submit the bill for review to double check the coding We have received our second bill now and after calling our Insurance plan, we are informed that the codes on the bill that were submitted to not mention anything at all about pregnancy How is this even legal?
Immoral and corrupt business practice pertaining to wellness center contracts
You are charged on the 5th of every month, so naturally you would think that as long as you cancel your membership before then - you aren't forced to pay for a monthEven if that is the case, you'd think it would be possible to get a refund for the month you aren't going to use, or at least a prorated refund
This is not the caseThey stand by the "fine print" in their contracts which most people probably don't read (it is a gym membership, not a purchasing of assets)I guarantee most customers throw away the contract after signing or never look at it againThe manager told me that they deal with this issue (angry people requesting refunds, bank disputes, etc.) every month, and they blame the customers - not their policy
What's worse is, in my case, I attempted to cancel the membership in person before the end of the monthMy number was taken down, and I was told I would receive a call from th