Watauga Medical Center, Inc.

My daughter’s emergency room visit to WMC was frustrating and expensive. On May 1st 2015, my daughter was directed by the [redacted] State clinic to get a CT scan at WMC emergency room to find the cause for her stomach pains. (Her appendix had been removed 9 years earlier.) She and my wife arrived at 5pm and finally were able to leave 10 hours later at 3am. Upon arrival they were ushered into a room and several tests were performed within a reasonable time. Then they were informed that further tests were needed without any mention of long delays. It turned out to take hours before a nurse finally came back to proceed with the tests. (It actually felt like they had been forgotten and then someone finally remembered they were there.) Naturally they became hungry and irritated during the endless wait. However, the staff was unsympathetic and one doctor even expressed annoyance at them. In the end, the tests were performed but the experience was very stressful. And it certainly did not seem like the visit was handled like an emergency.
Then we received the bill; $6,000 (Ouch!). Our insurance company covered $1,500 and the billing department granted $1,500 financial aid. I later asked my doctor how much a CT scan should cost. He informed me that a clinic in Winston-Salem would probably have charged less than $1,000.

My daughter’s emergency room visit to WMC was frustrating and expensive. On May 1st 2015, my daughter was directed by the [redacted] State clinic to get a CT scan at WMC emergency room to find the cause for her stomach pains. (Her appendix had been removed 9 years earlier.) She and my wife arrived at 5pm and finally were able to leave 10 hours later at 3am. Upon arrival they were ushered into a room and several tests were performed within a reasonable time. Then they were informed that further tests were needed without any mention of long delays. It turned out to take hours before a nurse finally came back to proceed with the tests. (It actually felt like they had been forgotten and then someone finally remembered they were there.) Naturally they became hungry and irritated during the endless wait. However, the staff was unsympathetic and one doctor even expressed annoyance at them. In the end, the tests were performed but the experience was very stressful. And it certainly did not seem like the visit was handled like an emergency.

Then we received the bill; $6,000 (Ouch!). Our insurance company covered $1,500 and the billing department granted $1,500 financial aid. I later asked my doctor how much a CT scan should cost. He informed me that a clinic in Winston-Salem would probably have charged less than $1,000.

Review: I have been receiving a statement from Watauga Medical Center since last December for a Patient Name: [redacted]. I have never heard of this person. I have called the Watauga Medical Center billing department four times regarding this mistake and four times I have been told they were going to send this bill to the correct person and take it off my name. I have just received yet another statement and nothing has been done to correct their error. I called the office of the President of Watauga Medical Center two days ago and was put to a voice mail. I have never received a call back. Over the last few months I have spoken to: Amy, Christy,and Teresa in the billing office and left a message with Jolyn Maloney in the Presidents office. I need someone to correct this mistake and take this person off my account. I do not want someone elses bills to be put under my name - I don't even know who this person is.Desired Settlement: This incorrect person needs to be removed from under my account. I do not know this person and to this day no one at Watauga Medical Center can tell me how this happened. This person ([redacted]) can not pay his bill if all of his invoices are being sent to the wrong person (me).

Review: On 09/18/2010, I was seen at Watauga Medical Center (WMC) in Boone, NC for a hand/wrist injury. WMC claims to have billed me $319 in the months of October and November of 2010 for their services. According to WMC, the bills were sent to [redacted], which was my address before attending college at [redacted]. I never saw this bill. All other bills were sent to my Dad in [redacted], and they were paid. WMC did not attempt to call me about this matter even though they had my phone number. Instead, WMC sent my bill to [redacted] (a collection agency) on 02/18/2011. [redacted] sent me a letter pertaining to this matter on 07/23/2013, over two years later. It was the first time I knew of this bill. This matter has been recorded on my credit file. I feel that WMC could have called me before taking such a drastic step by sending me to collections. I pay my bills and would have paid this one. I will research this matter further. I also feel that the lack of time between my account being sent to collections by WMC and my first correspondence with [redacted] is suspect. I'm not aware of any collection agencies practicing two years and five months of patience.I have established a three month payment plan with [redacted] while I am investigating this matter. However, my credit file now has a negative report.Desired Settlement: I feel that WMC should take the steps necessary to remove this matter from my credit file or at least show that this collection claim is a mistake on their part. Also, I would like to know why there is such a large time lapse between the dates of service at WMC and my first notice from [redacted].