ComplaintsforTorrance Memorial Physician Network

• Initial Complaint

  09/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Torrance Memorial ******************************** refuses to pay *********/****************** bill from 12/26/2022 date of service. The bill is $2856. They made a partial payment of $50. with an outstanding balance of $2806. TMIPA claims contact number is **************. ***** answered on 6/13/3023 and opened a Ref # ******. **** answered on 7/6/2023 and opened a Ref# ******. Each time they asked for a 30 day review period with no results for 8 months. Blue Shield of **********, my insurance carrier has also repeatedly contacted TMIPA with the same lack of results. Next stop is ********** ********** of ******************* at **************. While TMIPA is a terrific group of doctors and we entrust our lives to them, their group billing practices is a throw back to the 1960's and a thumb at the nose to the *************** Act. A loophole in the act allows them to stiff the ambulance companies who are not under contract to the *** health network. This is indeed a crisis of national proportions as HBO/********************* brought to our attention in 2021 with You Tube segment ******************************************* Nothing has changed in 2023, at least in Torrance **********. Hope you can help Better Business Bureau. You were recently successfully helping my daughter having problems with this same medical group. Thank you!

  Business response

  09/05/2023

  Thank you for contacting me however I need to provide some clarity. 

  This complaint involves TM*** which is Torrance Memorial Independent Physician Association.  The *** processes all HMO claims for services provided by our physicians who belong to TMPN Torrance Memorial Physician Network.  

  I am your contact for TMPN and am happy to respond to such complaints. 

  Please direct TM*** concerns to ******************************************  I will forward this complaint to ******, but it is also recommended that you reach out directly. 

  Kind Regards

  **************;

  Customer response

  09/14/2023

   
  Complaint: 20506937
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  
  *********,
  
  Thanks for your response, but you havent added any clarity, or paid my bill, so your response is inadequate.  All three of your entities (TMMC, TMIPA, and TMPN) played a roll in my treatment for this accident and all three have contractual obligations toward my *** insurance with Blue Shield of California.  My *** co-pay, verified by BSOC for the ambulance is $250not $2806.  
  
  TMMC played a dirty billing trick by paying just $50 to the ambulance company, while they billed over $60,000.00 to BSOC for my two day hospital stay for observation, having no special procedures or surgeries.  This is kind of outrageous even if the ambulance bill is also outrageous.  Then TMMC has the indecency to say they have changed billing responsibilities between TMMC and TMIPA and TMIPA is responsible to pay the rest.   Upon calling TMIPA repeatedly as documented by their call reference system both BSOC and myself were asked to wait for several 30 day review periods.  No results ever came.  Like a black hole.   Hence resorting to complain at the BBB and the DMHC.
  
  Now the BBB system directs the complainer to file under the name TMPN, which may not be technically correct as both TMMC and TMPN deny having financial responsibility for the *** ambulance claim.   In my opinion all three entities are racketeers and all are culpable and ripe for a joint named lawsuit.   I will re-file my BBB complaint to all three entities if I get nowhere with this and seek to give you all a bad name in the community, with insurance agencies, endowments, benefactors, everything I can think of.   TMMC has lost some of its shine as an esteemed institution through its billing practices, while I did receive good medical care.  Please help me out here and get this resolved as fast as you can.  Thank you ********* and ****** (******************************************),
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Business response

  10/02/2023

  Upon review by Torrance Memorial ************** (TMMC), Torrance Memorial Physician Network (TMPN) and Torrance Memorial ***, the patient's issue is specific to payment made on an ambulance service that was provided to him.  

  TMMC and TMPN do not have any control over the payment of services.  Payment is issued either by the *** or by the patient's insurance based on the division of financial responsibility as defined by the patient's policy and benefit specificity.  I believe *********************************, TM*** VP of ************ Operations has already responded to the patient's concerns, so no further information is available.  

  Customer response

  10/09/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  The business has responded to complaint ID ********.  They actually paid the bill !  Thank you for providing this mechanism to hold them accountable to the community. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  05/09/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I received a statement dated 03/14/2023 for services provided on 07/23/21. How could I be billed for a doctor's *********** that happened so long ago that I barely remember it? After an hour and fifteen minutes of finger-pointing and the blame being passed from the billing department at Torrance Memorial Physician Network to my prior insurance company and back again, TMPN agreed to adjust the bill to zero. At one point a representative told me that they had sent a statement every single month since July 2021 regarding this balance. When I asked her about the mailing practices and why I had not received a single one until March 2023, she then put me on hold. When she came back on the line she said that the bill would be adjusted to zero.My hope is that TMPN changes their either purposefully predatory or grossly incompetent billing practices. I have not used their services in over two years and I should not be receiving bills from them. TMPN should cease contacting me and cease billing me.

• Initial Complaint

  12/28/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  11/1/2021: Made appointment for annual FREE visit because of new health insurance. Issue 1: Was asked to get blood test even though I had a two months old blood test from ****** Permanente (old health insurance). Therefore, I had to pay $55.54 even though this blood test is routinely done once a year and there is no reason to assume that ****** Permanente can't do a blood test. My assumption is that this particular doctor gets some kick back from the lab.Issue 2: I received a bill for the visit as it was not coded as the annual free visit but something else. The bill stated that $70.80 was paid by insurance and I have to pay $169.20. I paid to avoid any drama but also contacted the medical office several time to correct the billing and to be refunded. I was given contradictory information of what they claimed happened at the doctor visit, ranging from depression check (ridiculous) to exams of either my heel or my elbow - depending on what day I called. I repeatedly ask for a "diagnosis" as they claimed they examined my elbow/heel - so they should have some conclusion on that but I was NEVER given any diagnosis or result. They can't as these "exams" are made up.Issue 3: As retaliation of my request to correct their billing codes, the codes were changed and now I owe them an additional $70.80. I was never given any information of what they now claim to have happened. I never received a bill for the $70.80 but ONLY a letter from the collection agency in October 2022. A year after the actual visit they just went ahead and changed their billing codes. What is next? In 6 months they charge for something else that never occurred? It is obvious that Torrance Memorial just makes up charges as they feel like and bill whatever they want without providing any evidence (results) of their made-up claims. Sadly, my health insurance ************* care has called the, didn't get an answer, and otherwise could not be bothered to follow up on it.

• Initial Complaint

  05/31/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  During my Wellness visit which is covered by Medicare, doctor asked if I was still having neck pain, and refilled my prescription as a result. I then received a bill for $143.61, the remainder of the $231 billed to Medicare for that question and answer. Complaint is twofold: 1. Patient should have been informed that this inquiry and response by physician was outside of the scope of that appointment. 2. When I called their billing department to request to speak to someone about this issue, ***** told me she could not give me any other persons name or contact information. Surely, there must be someone in a supervisory capacity I could speak with. Very frustrating, and shows a lack of empathy.

  Business response

  07/11/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/06/22) */ To ensure patient privacy and compliance with HIPPA, Torrance Memorial Physician Network cannot confirm whether or not this individual is a Torrance Memorial Physician Network patient. However, Torrance Memorial Physician Network encourages those who have questions/concerns to reach out directly so we may address any questions/concerns via the following number: **************.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩