Verve Marketing & Communications

Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # [redacted] Dr [redacted] from the Aum Healing Center claims that all of her patients are made aware of her insurance policies prior to the appointment, however, if that were in fact the case then I would not be writing a complaint regarding this matterI was never made aware of the insurance policies for this business prior to my appointmentIn fact, when I first made my appointment on the phone with the Aum Healing Center, the assistant took all of my insurance informationLogically, if the business did not accept my insurance, then why wouldn't they have told me right then on the phone? If they had been honest with me and told me that they did not accept my insurance, then I never would have made an appointmentAt this point, it is the merchant's word against mine and of course the merchant is going to say whatever they can to negate what actually happenedI explained to Dr [redacted] that when I called to submit the codes to my insurance company, they had told me that I was not responsible for submitting the codes but that the doctor wasShe then said that she would contact the insurance company herself and send the codes in but she never didI have included a copy of the email from my insurance company stating that they were never contacted by the doctor or the Aum Healing CenterAlso, Dr [redacted] claims that she has never had any issues with other patients complaining about her not being up front and honest about her office's policies and yet, there are multiple reviews on yelp negating that very statementOther patients have in fact complained about her shady practices and dishonestyI have also included a copy of the disciplinary action filed against Dr [redacted] by [redacted] for not disclosing information to a patientIf Dr [redacted] was honest with her patients, as she claims to be in her response, then The Board of Registration in Medicine would not have taken disciplinary action against her for her unethical behaviorAlso, the doctor has not made any attempts to contact me regarding this matter to try to work things out and yet she claims to take this matter very seriously and wishes to find a resolutionThis does not sound like a doctor who cares about her patientsI still feel that my mother and I were taken advantage of by Dr [redacted] and her business, therefore, I reject her response Regards, [redacted] ***

I would like to begin by thanking the Revdex.com for bringing this matter to my attention. I take this situation very seriously and I want to resolve it urgently. This matter marks the first time since Aum Healing Center opened in that we’ve had a patient claim that they
were not informed up-front regarding our insurance policy. Let me assure you that we have a rigid process in place when new patients contact Aum Healing Center. Our front desk manager asks each and every patient who is new to the practice which specific insurance they have. She then politely informs them whether we accept their insurance or notIf we don’t accept their insurance, she informs them that their out-of-pocket cost is four hundred dollars. They are also informed that we are happy to provide them with the codes to submit to their insurance company for potential reimbursement. Many of our patients have done this in the past.At Aum Healing Center, we put our patients’ needs first and this includes providing them with ALL pertinent information during our initial conversation so that they fully understand our policies and procedures. We do this to protect and benefit our patients. In this specific case, we informed the patient that we do not accept her insurance (nor have we ever in the past) during her initial call to the practice. She was told of the four hundred dollar out-of-pocket cost after which she decided to book an appointment. After my comprehensive hour-long appointment with her on June 25, 2015, she wrote Aum Healing Center a check both for the visit and for the supplements I prescribed as part of her healing plan. The patient then contacted us on June 29, and she yelled at our front desk manager for not billing her insurance. Subsequently, the patient cancelled the check, at which point, the office billed her credit card on fileIn our best attempt to rectify the situation, we spoke with the patient on July 13, and informed her that, despite the fact that we’re not contracted with her insurance provider, we would make an exception by submitting the codes for her to be reimbursed for the services she received. We sincerely wanted to go above and beyond to do everything within our power to work with the patient to resolve this matter We are currently awaiting response from her insurance company. In regards to our insurance policy, some people who have contacted our office for our services have asked us why we do not bill certain insurances directly when other medical providers doWe fully understand the financial challenge this presents to some patients, and we wish there were a way for us to bill certain insurance companiesUnfortunately, at this time, there is notHere is why: When clinics bill health insurance companies directly, the doctors are required to become participating providers. The doctors must sign a contract that allows the insurance company to determine which services they will and will not provide. Many insurance companies are not focused on any preventive or wellness services.I have found that I cannot be a participating provider in some insurance networks and provide the time-intensive, well-researched, personalized care that I do. In regards to the patient’s claim that we sell over-priced supplements, she is entitled to her opinion, but here is our philosophy/approach: we make nutritional supplements available at Aum Healing Center as a service to our patients. They serve as a valuable adjunct to dietary and lifestyle modification. This approach is central to the well-researched and science-based practice of functional medicine. While these supplements may come at a higher financial cost than those found on the shelves of pharmacies or health food stores, the value must also include assurance of their purity, quality, bioavailability (ability to be properly absorbed and utilized by the body), and effectiveness. The chief reason we make these products available is to ensure quality. Patients are not guaranteed the same level of quality when they purchase supplements from the general marketplace. I am not suggesting that such products have no value; however, given the lack of stringent testing requirements for dietary supplements, product quality varies widely. Our patients are under no obligation to purchase supplements at our office. We purchase these products only from manufacturers who have gained our confidence through considerable research and experience. We determine quality by considering: (1) the quality of science behind the product; (2) the quality of the ingredients themselves; (3) the quality of the manufacturing process; and (4) the synergism among product components. The brands of supplements that we carry in our center are those that meet our high standards and tend to produce the best outcomes. My intention in opening Aum Healing Center was, and always will be, to provide the highest level of personalized care in a professional and ethical manner. It is unfortunate that this situation has occurred, but I am committed to establishing a resolution. I’m open to having a phone conversation to further discuss the matter and to answer any questions that the Revdex.com may have. I do not want this matter to negatively impact my rating with your organization nor do I think it should given my honesty and my attempts to resolve the situation. Thank you again for providing me an opportunity to respond. I sincerely appreciate it and I look forward to your response!

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ***.
Dr*** *** from the Aum Healing Center claims that all of her patients are made aware of her insurance policies prior to the appointment, however, if that were in fact the case then I would not be writing a complaint regarding this matterI was never made aware of the insurance policies for this business prior to my appointmentIn fact, when I first made my appointment on the phone with the Aum Healing Center, the assistant took all of my insurance informationLogically, if the business did not accept my insurance, then why wouldn't they have told me right then on the phone? If they had been honest with me and told me that they did not accept my insurance, then I never would have made an appointmentAt this point, it is the merchant's word against mine and of course the merchant is going to say whatever they can to negate what actually happenedI explained to Dr*** that when I called to submit the codes to my insurance company, they had told me that I was not responsible for submitting the codes but that the doctor wasShe then said that she would contact the insurance company herself and send the codes in but she never didI have included a copy of the email from my insurance company stating that they were never contacted by the doctor or the Aum Healing CenterAlso, Dr*** claims that she has never had any issues with other patients complaining about her not being up front and honest about her office's policies and yet, there are multiple reviews on yelp negating that very statementOther patients have in fact complained about her shady practices and dishonestyI have also included a copy of the disciplinary action filed against Dr*** by *** *** ** *** ** *** for not disclosing information to a patientIf Dr*** was honest with her patients, as she claims to be in her response, then The Board of Registration in Medicine would not have taken disciplinary action against her for her unethical behaviorAlso, the doctor has not made any attempts to contact me regarding this matter to try to work things out and yet she claims to take this matter very seriously and wishes to find a resolutionThis does not sound like a doctor who cares about her patients. I still feel that my mother and I were taken advantage of by Dr*** *** and her business, therefore, I reject her response
Regards,
*** ***

Dear Revdex.com,I have reached out to *** and informed her via email that we've spoken with her insurance company and they will pay a portion of her medical visit in the next days. As a result, I informed *** via email that we will refund her $400. I am currently waiting for her updated information to send the refund.We at Aum Healing Center consider this matter resolved. Please let me know if there is any further action requested. Your Healthy Living Doctor, *** ***, MDAum Healing Center1*** *** *** ** ***