Village OB/GYN Medical Group

I am writing this letter in response to complaint ID #11549454 submitted to your office on 07/06/2016 by consumer, C[redacted], Ms. C[redacted] has been seen on two separate occasions at Village OB/GYN Medical Group, Inc. The first encounter was on 02/26/2015, at which time she met with my nurse...

practitioner as a new patient. In 2015, all new patients were scheduled with the nurse practitioner for their initial visit and not with the physician due to scheduling constraints and current office policy. Ms. C[redacted] was then seen for a second time in our office on 02/26/2016. This time, as she was a returning patient to the practice, her visit was scheduled with me, Dr. Fine, upon coming to the office, the patient was presented with our office policy upon check-in, which I have attached and labeled as "Exhibit A." This policy essentially asks that patients keep a credit card on file for outstanding balances and if not, then an administrative fee of $25 will be assessed monthly for any balance on the account. Ms. C[redacted] signed that she declined keeping a credit card on file and agreed to the $25 monthly administrative fee for each month that an outstanding balance was due.Upon being ushered into a room and evaluated by medical assistant, Aurora Trogman, the patient was advised of Medicare's Advanced Beneficiary Notices by the medical assistant. These are attached and labeled as "Exhibit B and C." in short, these forms advise the patient, in this case Ms. C[redacted], that Medicare may or may not pay for certain services. Exhibit B referred to her breast and pelvic exam, and Exhibit C referred to preventative counseling on health promotion and disease prevention. Ms. C[redacted] opted for Option 1 on both, indicating that she wanted the above listed services, and understood that if Medicare did not pay, then she would be responsible for the payment. At that visit, I (Dr. Fine) performed a comprehensive physical exam, including but not limited to a breast and pelvic exam. Additionally, an additional 15 minutes were dedicated to preventative counseling in the form or diet, exercise, vitamin supplementation and necessary screening procedures, The patient left the office with prescriptions for screening mammography and was advised to return in 6-12 months for follow up. On April 7, 2016, the patient was sent an invoice/bill for $75 ($50 of this was for the preventative counseling that Medicare did not pay for, and $25 was her monthly administrative fee as she agreed to on Exhibit A). The patient called and spoke with billing after receiving the bill and on 04/21/2016, our biller, Nichole McLeod, left the patient a voicemail letting her know what the bill was for and that she could pay over the phone via a credit card or send a check in by the end of the month. Patient then called back to state that she was leaving the practice. On May 3, 2016, new monthly statements were mailed. The patient's payment had STILL not been received and she had not called in payment over the phone. Per Exhibit A, she was charged an additional monthly $25 administrative fee, bringing her new balance to $100. On May 12, 2016, the office received a check from the patient for $75, leaving a balance of $25 on the account, have asked my biller to waive this fee and to zero out the patient's balance moving forward as will no longer be providing services to this patient as she refuses to abide by office policies by which she agreed to in writing.If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.Regards,S[redacted] MD Vice President of Village OB/GYN Medical Group, Inc.