ComplaintsforUnited Health Centers of the San Joaquin Valley

• Initial Complaint

  06/10/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Calling to make an appointment is absolutely horrible. Theres no reason I should be on hold for over an hour just to schedule an appointment with my doctor. Then one of the workers finally picks up, they sound annoyed to speak to you. UHC is doing an awful job with their service. Even when I make an appointment Ill wait in the room for an hour while I can hear the doctor outside gossiping and laughing with the other workers.

  

  Business response

  06/14/2024

  UHC apologizes for the unfortunate lapse in service experienced by *************.  We immediately tasked our information technology department with researching our phone system call history.  Resulting reporting for ************* showed one instance on March 25, 2024 where ************** spent 20 minutes on a phone call with our Call Center.  We thank ************** for bringing this lapse to our attention as it gives us the opportunity to improve our internal systems.  Our health center site has reached out to ************** to expedite his appointment scheduling.  This issue has been addressed with ********************** to ensure quicker turnaround for phone calls.
  
  UHC always strives for exemplary customer service in all facets of patient care.  To that end, UHC has recently implemented a text messaging system which has had a very positive impact on appointment scheduling efficiency.
  
  We sincerely hope that ************** continues to use UHC for all his medical needs recognizing that we are always looking to improve our systems for our patients.

• Initial Complaint

  12/31/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  December 30, 2023 I went into the urgent care to get seen for a few issues and was turned away and told they can only allow me to be seen for one thing and that my other issues were not going to be seen and that they were not my primary doctor so I should take it up with my primary doctor and my issues were very minimal and did not require a primary care physician visit. I believe this violates hippa laws as well as the doctors job that is to help and treat problems and they refused to do so.

  

  Business response

  01/23/2024

  Hi,

    This must have gone in my spam mail.

     We will respond tomorrow to this complaint.

  Thanks

  *******************

• Initial Complaint

  08/15/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On August 10th, 2023 I was at the dentist. While ************ was working on my tooth she was highly distracted by someone who had walked into the office. I overheard her saying "she looks so cute" and having a separate conversation while drilling into my tongue, my gums, and my tooth. I still have cement in my mouth that was not removed due to her ******* through the job to go talk to the person who had come into the room. The next day August 11th, she calls me to check in. She starts to tell me I'm not the only patient in the office. After being very direct with her she then admits her assistant brought her baby to work and she was in fact talking to someone other than another patient. She then says we can reschedule to get the remaning cement off of my tooth. I then explain I will be seeing someone else and she hung up on me in the middle of my statement.

  

  Business response

  08/21/2023

  Response to complaint #********

• Initial Complaint

  11/14/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Delayed my healthcare multiple time by denying me the ability to make 2 appointments in 1 day & canceling without cause. Cannot call clinic directly, routes through call center. Asked maganer at Bullard location to call me, called him for a week straight without any response from him. Escalated to district manager *** ***** - very similar thing happening. Information about availability of care on their website is incorrect. Says they offer transportation to their clinics on the phone but that isn’t true of most locations. Multiple places where info for patients is inaccurate. Delaying my ability to get health care because of scheduling incompetence & lack of support for patients.

  

  Business response

  11/18/2022

  UHC has been in contact with this patient regarding the scheduling of appointments, communications, transportation, and general information.  While there was some confusion with two appointments, the situation has now been resolved to the patient’s satisfaction. 

   

  All phone calls to UHC do go through the call center in order for the health center staff to be able to concentrate on direct patient care without being pulled off to answer phone calls.  We have found that this best serves to fulfill our mission to our patients. 

   

  Our Health Center Manager has been out of the office.  Messages have been routed to our Operations Director in the Health Center Manager’s absence.  Follow-up calls are being made as we catch up. 

   

  UHC offers free of charge transportation at the majority of our health centers.  We have been in contact with this patient regarding transportation and the issues have been resolved. 

   

  Lastly, the information on the UHC website is reviewed regularly for accuracy and to keep up with corporate changes.  We will continue to do our best to have the most up to date information published. 

   

• Initial Complaint

  10/28/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  9/9/22 I paid cash out of pocket for a pair of glasses. I picked out a pair of frames, ordered the progressive transitions, I did receive the pair of glasses. At first they seemed OK, until I later found out I didn't receive the Darkest Transitions. Then the left arm of the frames were loose. I went back and told them the problem with the Transitions and the Frame's, also in the beginning they did not provide silicone nose pads, so I went to "Lens Crafters" and paid for the change out from hard plastic to Silicone pads. After a small argument with the staff the doctor overheard me and came out from the back office and I explained to Doctor Stephanie Lee Phyo, OD and she agreed to re-examine my prescription. She found out that the original prescription was not correct. She did the reexamination and ordered a new prescription with the darkest Transitions and she said that they would make sure that I get a new pair of frames because the left frame arm was loose, I called two weeks later and was told "The lenses are ready but we are waiting on the new frames" also they lied on the RX form they gave me, I picked up my new glasses on 10/7/22. They took my glasses I had to put on silicone nose pads in the back of the office, came back out I put them on and I could tell they did change the RX lenses, I signed the release forms, left. I later found out that the frames were not replaced, they used the same exact frames I waited for two almost three weeks. My complaint is that I want the new undamaged frames that they promised. Thank you

  

  Business response

  11/29/2022

  Hi ******,

   

    This was an unfortunate and regretful series of events.  UHC prides itself on its customer service to our patients.

   

    I have spoken with both our Optometry Director and our Director of Optometry Operations and we are ready to provide Mr. ********* with new frames, the new lens with the darkest Transitions, and the silicone nose pads he requested.

   

    Our Optometry team will be reaching out to him shortly to get the process started.

   

  Thanks

  **** *****

  Director of Human Resources and Risk Management

• Initial Complaint

  08/29/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I went in for impressions for a partial denture and the dental assistant forced the rubber cement down my throat. The dentist had another assistant do the impression. I came in August 19th to have a tooth extracted and receive the partial. The dentist stated repeatedly that the partial was temporary. After the dentist left the "room" the assistant informed me that the partial was in fact not temporary. The partial did not fit my mouth, would not stay in my mouth and I could not speak clearly with it in my mouth. The assistant said I would have an appointment in a week, at which time a new impression would be made. I called on August 22nd to find out what time my appointment was and I was told I didn't have one. I have asked repeatedly to speak to the office manager, I get her voice mail, leave a message and my calls have not been returned. I have left multiple messages on their we sites contact us page and I get no response.

  

  Business response

  09/12/2022

  Hi,

  
  

    I have responded to this complaint directly to the agent; the original complaint would not allow a response.

  
  

    I've attached our response.

  
  

  **** *****

  Customer response

  09/13/2022

   I am rejecting this response because: 

  Many of the purported statements attributed to the provider in the business' response did not occur or are untrue. The "temporary" partial denture did not fit and would not stay in place. Sending it back to the dental lab would not have changed that even if the provider offered to do that (which he didn't). I mentioned that the compound used in the first attempt to make an impression of my upper pallet was the consistency of oatmeal only because the dental assistant was forcing it down my throat. Every appointment I have had with the provider the provider recommends implants and every time I respond by telling him my insurance does not cover implants and that I can't afford them. I believe I have also told him at every appointment that my primary goal was being able to chew food on the left side of my mouth. That the "temporary" partial could not be used while eating is a new revelation to me. Because of my dissatisfaction with the service I had been receiving and available appointment times, I inquired about seeing a different provider when scheduling my last appointment but the schedular told me that the provider I had been seeing was the only one at their location that accepted my insurance.

  The above is my reply to their response. During my last appointment, the provider stated that the charges for the "temporary" partial would be applied to the "more permanent" one. If he can provide me a partial denture that fits in my mouth, stays in place, allows me to speak clearly and chew on the left side of my mouth I will consider this an acceptable business transaction.

  
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  08/20/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I just received a letter about a data breach. My social, name, and address has been compromised and you guys still haven't done enough to fix this issue. You only gave the affected victims of fraud a mediocre rated protection service EQUIFAX with a 1.0 rating out of 5. To top it off, YOU WAITED NEARLY A WHOLE YEAR to tell us about the data breach on September 22, 2021!!! This is UNACCEPTABLE, and it shows us that you can care less about my information that you guys have on patients like me. I dont want an apology, I want you to fix this, give us, the VICTIMS, a better protection service other than EQUIFAX and a lifetime of identity theft protection! Don't play hot potato with this situation of having your victims going through loops of trying to have us contact other Bureaus on your behalf. FIX. THIS.

  

  Business response

  09/29/2022

  Response is attached.

  
  

  **** *****

  Customer response

  09/29/2022

   I am rejecting this response because:

  
  

  There's no justification of the fact that this buisness notified its affected patients nearly a year later. Our social security's, and identity gotten exposed and it's out there in the dark web, and we cant just change our credentials, especially SSNs. Im not happy until they acknowledge on improving there cyber security and technicians and create a better privacy rule containing our data. And at least give multiple years of credit monitoring of the big 3 firms, not just one. I'm sure nothing else will be done, because the higher ups are not affected.
  
  

  

  Business response

  10/05/2022

  Good afternoon,

  
  

    United Health Centers has put in place best-in class IT security protection and monitoring systems from global standard security partners.  Further, we have an in-depth IT Security and an HIPAA training program in which all employees participate. United Health Centers also holds a HIPAA Seal of Compliance from the Compliancy Group. This is only given to organizations that meet strict standards for HIPAA Rule adherence.

    Data breach regulation mandate one (1) year of credit monitoring and that is what United Health Centers offers. 

    In short, United Health Centers has not only met all its obligations under the law but has gone far beyond that by strengthening our Information Systems security infrastructure and providing employee HIPAA training.

  
  

  Respectfully,

  
  

  **** *****

  Director of Risk Management

• Initial Complaint

  02/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I just got a alert threw credit wise it’s showing on my credit report threw the black web my private information and social security and license has been released to the public threw United health center in Kerman California also T MOBILE SOMEONE IS FORGING MY INFORMATION AND RELEASED IT ON BLACK WEB PAGES

  

  Business response

  03/08/2022

  Dear Ms. *******,

  Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We are aware of this situation, and are actively investigating it. To provide further background, on August 28,2021, United Health Centers of the San Joaquin Valley ("UHC") experienced technical difficulties resulting in a disruption to certain computer systems. UHC promptly took steps to secure our systems and commenced an investigation into the nature and scope of the incident. UHC's investigation determined that the disruption was caused by an encryption event. UHC worked expeditiously to restore out systems to avoid an interruption to patient care. 

  On September 22, 2021, UHC discovered that certain UHC-related data had been compromised. UHC immediately undertook a further investigation, with the assistance of third-party specialists, to confirm the scope of the incident. The investigation determined that certain documents stored within our systems were compromised between August 24, 2021 and August 28, 2021. With the assistance of third-party subject matter specialists, we then undertook a diligent and thorough review of the impacted documents to determine what information these documents contained and to whom that information related. That review is ongoing at this time, and we are working as expeditiously as possible to provide legally-required notices to individuals whose personal information was found within the documents.

  On November 19, 2021 we posted notice of this data privacy event to our website, and provided notification of the event through prominent media outlets in California. The link to our website notice may be found here www.uhcofsjv.org. We have also reported the matter to the Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights, the California Department of Public Health, and federal law enforcement.

  We appreciate our patients' trust in us and remain committed to safeguarding the information in our care.

  Sincerely,

   

  **** *******

  UHC Health Information Privacy Officer

• Initial Complaint

  09/01/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This business has created much un-needed stress in my life by making multiple errors and misleading with mixed messages as a customer. I have been told different messages when it comes to prices and when it will be paid. I have temporary caps that keep falling off or breaken, **** the managers excuse their behavior and say it is normal when it is not. I as well have told them multiple times that one of my my teeth is highly sensitive and the permanent cap better not cause the same thing. The doctor has ignored me and tried to blame it on other things like my gums. I have been treated extremely poorly. The place has cost me a lot of time and money plus caused to much physical pain and stress. First and foremost, this place needs to take responsibility for their actions and stop doing a lousy job and creating more pain and stress in my life. I would like my job to be done at no cost because of the ongoing mistakes and misleading of information that I have received. I sit in major pain

  

  Business response

  10/15/2021

  Dear Ms. *******,

  United Health Centers has tried on multiple occasions with multiple dentists to meet the needs of this patient but have been unable to satisfy her demands. At this time, Ms. ******* has refused to take our calls from department leadership yet continues to demand a resolution by making harassing and threatening phone calls for legal suit to our health center staff.

  United Health Centers has now explored and exhausted every possibility of partnering with Ms. ******* to find a successful resolution. United Health will rescind the $100 billed to Ms. *******'s insurance and refund her the $50 she has paid so far. We are doing this under the premise that she does rightfully owe us this money, but to resolve the situation and simply move on at this point we will move forward with this. 

  At United Health Centers we make it our everyday mission to serve patients in every way possible. Our outstanding customer service record speaks for itself. We have multiple facilities to enhance access and for patients to find a provider of their choice. We have oversight to ensure the highest quality of care is provided. Our clinical leadership did a through review of Ms. *******'s treatment and found it to more than meet the guidelines of acceptable care. Despite all of that we are unable to satisfy this patient. This will be the conclusion of our interaction with Ms. *******.

  Please let me know if anything else is needed as a follow up regarding this situation.

  Sincerely,

   

  ******* *****

  Director of Risk Management

  Customer response

  10/15/2021

   I am rejecting this response because: I do not owe this business any money. I have not received any calls from this business in a while and what they say on here is inaccurate. The reason they were removing the Steve is because a grievance was filed against him and they will have to pay the insurance back as well. This company does not know how to satisfy customers or take responsibility for their bad behavior or unprofessional job. I as well do not know this company money or I have filed a grievance can the insurance is going to take back the money they paid as well. Please send this to the company
  
  
  

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