ComplaintsforCerebral

• Initial Complaint

  07/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I've been with Cerebral since 2021, they didn't accept my insurance for some time so I paid $85 a month out of pocket. Every few months I'd check if they updated insurance providers. One day in September 2023 I learned on my own they finally accepted it. I asked if we could start the new payment that I was told was $30 a month. That's my copay amount with insurance so I assumed I've been fine since then paying this. Mind you, I let it slide with the fact they owed me for months of over paying and no one finally adding my insurance I had saved on my account prior, which is like really? I also DID NOT get all my services I paid for monthly and they still said they can't do anything about owing me. So fast forward, today. I had a little over $100 in my account and they charged me over $200 individual payments cause my insurance finally told them I owed? They wait 11 months to process my insurance? I'm overdrawn in my account and they won't fix it. I offered another payment method and they refused. It's unethical. And feels absolutely illegal to charge people out of nowhere. I wasn't offered help or a payment plan or assistance. It was abrupt and they take no accountability. I have paid out of pocket when they accepted my insurance for lord knows how long, there were months I didn't get my treatments and I was still paying full amount and I was polite about things. Until now. They say I also owe almost $500 still and won't help me with what they already took without permission or a way to make this easier. They are thieves and do not care about mental health. I wouldn't be so persistent if I didn't feel they did wrong. I see another complaint they did the same thing. They have ruined my experience with them. I want my money back and don't use the excuse that insurance said I owed it so it's valid to take it. Cause we don't have to pay medical debt or hospital bills immediately and can make arrangements. I want and need help. Stop hurting consumers.

  Business response

  07/03/2024

  
  
  Thank you for reaching out to us. We would like to do what we can to help you and ensure that we are being receptive to your needs. 
  We apologize for any confusion you have faced with our billing structure. For in-network insurance clients, our subscription fee is $30 per month + applicable copays/coinsurance to be later billed by your insurance provider. We have reviewed these charges and see that your insurance provider has issued a copay or coinsurance charge. We are unable to adjust or refund cost-share charges from your insurance provider. We do apologize for the delay in insurance billing, as it can take time for the claim to finalize between your insurance provider and Cerebral. Below is a list of each recent insurance cost-share charges and the reason/date of service. 
  

  Insurance determined a financial responsibility a possible copay or 
  coinsurance for date of services: 11/8/2023, 11/14/2023, 11/20/2023, 11/22/2023, 11/28/2023, 12/5/2023, 12/12/2023, and 12/19/2023.
  

  If you have additional questions about these charges, please feel free to reach out to your insurance provider for a detailed breakdown of the charges or a copy of your Explanation of Benefits. Our team has reached out to you directly via the phone and email address provided in the complaint. We look forward to assisting you.
  

  
  

  Customer response

  07/03/2024

   
  Complaint: 21934955
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  This is unacceptable business practices. I am asking for accountability and to make changes with how you deal with patients. You hurt me financially and no one tried to offer real help. Not one person contacted me, nor sent a letter, or an email, or a text advising i owed so much money at once. Not even payment assistance. Owing insurance copayments is not the issue, it's that you charged me out of nowhere and overdrawn my account by taking a couple hundred in separate transactions in one day. I disagree and stand firm in the fact it was wrong. I have a pre paid medical card for these things and you took from my checking account. I did not sign a document that this is okay to do, i would never sign anything that says go ahead and **** me hundreds without telling me. It's okay to charge people for an entire month and they don't even meet with a doctor or therapist, but you want your money. It's okay we don't get our full money's worth. If there was a chance I'd owe more, the person who helped me finally get my insurance processed in September should have provided documentation. And you guys should reach out when insurance contacts you late or at all. Because now it's on Cerebral. Not me. I do not accept.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************************

  Business response

  07/08/2024

  Thank you for reaching out to us.We would like to do what we can to help you and ensure that we are being receptive to your needs. 
  We apologize for any confusion you have faced with our billing structure. For in-network insurance clients, our subscription fee is $30 per month + applicable copays/coinsurance to be later billed after submitting claims with your insurance provider. It is also outlined in our Terms & Conditions and Billing policy, when you sign up and agree to our terms. Unfortunately, We are unable to adjust or refund cost-share charges from your insurance provider. If you have additional questions about these charges, please feel free to reach out to your insurance provider for a detailed breakdown of the charges or a copy of your Explanation of Benefits.
  
  

  Customer response

  07/08/2024

   
  Complaint: 21934955
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I never said I didn't owe. I never denied anything and keep getting the same answers. You are unethical at the end of the day,when you don't offer help and just take. I also offered to charge a medical account with what you took from me, and you're refusing. You took all I had and then some without notifying me of the massive charge or offering a payment plan. You claim it's because of insurance, no it's not, it's the way cerebral explained things when my insurance finally got set up. You wiped my account clean, and I offered a payment method that didn't financially hurt my bank account, and you all refuse to acknowledge it saying you can't refund. I never said REFUND like that. I was asking to put it back in my ACCOUNT AND CHARGE ONE FOR MEDICAL purchases. I pay every check into this medical account and you all think you have a right to do what you did. My relationship with cerebral is done after this. It was nothing but hassle during my time, but this takes the cake. The therapists and doctors, are great. But service, and then the handling of financial matters. I do not agree with. I stand firm, this was handled wrong.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************************

• Initial Complaint

  06/26/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This company is supposed to be a mental healthcare service that I get my medications from. They have been stringing me along for over 15 days while I try to get my meds refilled. I keep being told that someone is going to get back to me and then I never hear from someone. *** made multiple attempts to get my medication and I get nothing but canned responses and that my request is being escalated. Now on day 15 Im getting no response at all. I have no other way to get my meds at this time and have been forced to go cold turkey off of my anti psychotic and sleeping meds. I also got an email saying they leaked my personal medical information which I thought was super illegal. I pay them $85 a month to ensure my mental health is taken care of and they cant even make sure Im getting my meds.

  Business response

  06/26/2024

  Hello ******,
  Thank you for sharing your concerns about your medication. We empathize with your concerns and understand the importance of getting a medication that is right for you. Your well-being is our top priority. We have reached out to you directly via the email address provided in your complaint. We look forward to assisting you. Your health and peace of mind are important to us, and we are here to help in any way we can. We value customer privacy, and regrets the potential disclosure incident first reported to account holders in March 2023. Cerebral has since enhanced our information security and technology vetting processes to mitigate the risk of similar incidents, and recently resolved the FTCs investigation into the incident.  For additional information, please contact ********************************
  Warm regards,
  Customer Engagement Team, **********************
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/25/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Cerebral sold my private personal and heath *********** to TikTok and other social medias

  Business response

  06/27/2024

  Hi *******, Cerebral values customer privacy and regrets the potential disclosure incident reported in Mar. 2023. Cerebral has since enhanced our information security and technology vetting processes to mitigate the risk of similar incidents and recently resolved the ***s related investigation. Pursuant to the ***'s order in this matter, affected consumers will receive restitution administered by the *** using funds reserved from Cerebral's settlement payment in the coming months. Please contact ******************************** for additional information.

  Customer response

  06/27/2024

   
  Complaint: 21897639
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************************

  Customer response

  06/27/2024

  I would like to receive compensation for the lack of confidentiality about my mental health. This was an extreme violation of privacy.

  Business response

  07/01/2024

  Cerebral values customer privacy and regrets the potential disclosure incident reported in Mar. 2023. Cerebral has since enhanced our information security and technology vetting processes to mitigate the risk of similar incidents and recently resolved the ***s related investigation. Pursuant to the ***'s order in this matter, the *** will be administering restitution using funds reserved from Cerebral's settlement payment in the coming months.Please contact ******************************** for additional information.
  

  Customer response

  07/01/2024

   
  Complaint: 21897639
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  It does not fix the error that has effected my health care and ability to trust my privacy is upheld by cerebral.
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************************

  Business response

  07/01/2024

  Cerebral values customer privacy and regrets the potential disclosure incident reported in Mar. 2023. Cerebral has since enhanced our information security and technology vetting processes to mitigate the risk of similar incidents and recently resolved the ***s related investigation. Pursuant to the ***'s order in this matter, the *** will be administering restitution using funds reserved from Cerebral's settlement payment in the coming months. Please contact ******************************** for additional information

  Customer response

  07/02/2024

   
  Complaint: 21897639
  
  I am rejecting this response because: they just keep replying with the same generic message.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************************

• Initial Complaint

  05/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Used this service for three months. There is zero customer service. You are tossed around to a different agent every hour. That goes for chat and email. The doctor to patient relationship is garbage. Dogs barking in the *************, appointments last no longer than 10 mins. I was not given the services that I was told would be provided. So I disputed the charges on my card, but ceribral said they provided the services since I obtained a prescription the doctor wrote, which is laughable. Clearly a company not in it for mental health but for $$$$

  Business response

  05/30/2024

  Hello ****, thank you for reaching out to us.

  I know that you have already spoken to a member of our client support team regarding this request, but after further review, we regret to inform you once again that your account is currently ineligible for a refund. I can confirm that your Cerebral subscription is now canceled, but because you did utilize services at Cerebral, including completing six sessions with your prescriber (Feb 7, 2024, Feb 19, 2024, Feb 29, 2024, Mar 5, 2024, Mar 18, 2024, Apr 22, 2024) and receiving medication, your account is not eligible for a refund at this time. At Cerebral, we operate on a subscription-style billing model, where clients agree to our Terms & Conditions upon registration. This policy applies uniformly to all our clients. You can feel free to review in more detail here: *************************************************************;

  We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and we want to assure you that we are still here to support you. If you have any further questions, concerns, or need assistance with anything else, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We are committed to providing the best care and support to our clients.

• Initial Complaint

  05/28/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My card was overdrafted because they charged 48 dollars when it said .99 for one iq test.

  Business response

  05/28/2024

  Hello ****, 
  
  Thank you for reaching out to **. We would like to do what we can to help you and ensure that we are being receptive to your needs. 
  
  Unfortunately, we were unable to locate a Cerebral account that was ever active, or any paid invoices, with the contact information you provided. Additionally, Cerebral is a mental health, telehealth platform and we do not offer IQ tests for .99 as you mentioned. Is it possible that you used a different business/provider such as Cerebrum IQ for this service? It appears this business does offer an online IQ test. If so, I encourage you to reach out to Cerebrum IQ directly for further assistance with a potential refund, as we are not associated with Cerebrum IQ whatsoever.
  
  We have also reached out to you directly via the email address provided in your complaint for additional information, should further support from Cerebral be required. We look forward to assisting you.

• Initial Complaint

  05/21/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been using cerebral since 2022. I switched from paying out of pocket (only $80/month) to using my insurance in November 2023. (Which made it $30/month) I was unaware that cerebral would then be filing each visit there after (3 total) as CLAIMS. This was not noted or discussed when I had switched via cerebral app. I emailed the insurance department at cerebral and they stated that due to This discrepancy stemmed from a procedural oversight in our billing process. I dont believe I should have to pay this due to not being told about this when switching. I would have paid $80 out of pocket! It would have been cheaper!! Im asking for $116 x 3 = $348 to pay off these 3 invoices.

  Business response

  05/22/2024

  Hello *******,

  Thank you for reaching out to us. We would like to do what we can to help you and ensure that we are being receptive to your needs. 
  We apologize for any confusion you have faced with our billing structure. For in-network insurance clients, our subscription fee is $30 per month + applicable copays/coinsurance to be later billed by your insurance provider. We have reviewed these charges and see that your insurance provider has issued a copay or coinsurance charge. We are unable to adjust or refund cost-share charges from your insurance provider. We do apologize for the delay in insurance billing, as it can take time for the claim to finalize between your insurance provider and Cerebral.

  Below is a list of each recent insurance cost-share charges and the reason/date of service:
  February 24, 2024 Visit: $116 was applied to your deductible for this visit. This amount is required to be paid out-of-pocket as per your insurance plan's terms.
  November 10, 2023 Visit: This visit is still pending insurance processing, and we will notify you of any amount due once the claim is processed.
  May 6, 2024 Visit: We have yet to submit the claim for this visit, but it will be done within the next few business days.

  The billing error that you referenced was not a billing error as it relates to our policy or the amount being billed for the visits. Instead, the visits you completed since moving to an in-network insurance plan had not been billed to your insurance until recently. Again, I'm truly sorry for any added confusion or frustrations this may have caused. To further assist you in understanding your insurance coverage, we recommend accessing our FAQs on insurance by following the link below. This resource outlines important information as outlined by your insurance provider as well: *******************************************************************;

  If you have additional questions about these charges, please feel free to reach out to your insurance provider for a detailed breakdown of the charges or a copy of your Explanation of Benefits.
  

  Please feel free to let us know if you have any additional questions or concerns. We are happy to support you.
  

  Customer response

  05/22/2024

   
  Complaint: 21736715
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  this is the same email generated response I have been receiving over and over when I tried to solve this issue without BBB involved. It was cerebrals error that occurred. Not mine, NOTHING was disclosed with me prior to switching. My original wish to be refunded still stands. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

  Business response

  05/22/2024

  *******,

  Thank you for reaching out once again. I apologize if you feel that you are receiving the same information here as you previously received from our Client Support Team via email, but we are bound by our policies and therefore our responses regarding this situation in particular will be similar. Once again, the error you're referencing is not an error that changes the amount your insurance company determined you were responsible for paying. The referenced error was regarding the timing of when your insurance company was billed, as there was a delay. Any specific questions regarding any copays/deductibles/etc. can be directed to your insurance provider directly. 

  This is information you have already received, so apologies to be repetitive, but our in-network plans are priced at $30 per month. This renewal fee covers Cerebral services, while your insurance is utilized for billing consultations with your clinicians. Insurance policies differ in their coverages and limitations, which can sometimes lead to misunderstandings. We bill your insurer for your consultations, and these charges undergo a screening process with your insurer, which may take up to ***** days depending on their process and review. Any amount not covered by your insurance will become your copay or coinsurance. This is a financial responsibility of the client as outlined by your insurance policies and is a standard practice for medical billing in telehealth services, hospitals, and other institutions where insurance is used.

  Below are the additional resources that were previously shared with you regarding using insurance at Cerebral, Cerebral's terms and conditions and Cigna's FAQs:

  Cerebral FAQs (*************************************************************) 
  Cerebral Terms and Conditions (*******************************************************)
  Cigna FAQs (*********************************************************************)

  We are unable to provide a refund of any kind for any insurance-related fees, as your insurance provider has determined that you are responsible for these amounts owed. I do apologize for being unable to meet this specific request.

  While you will need to reach out to your insurance provider directly regarding any additional questions surrounding any copays/deductibles owed, please feel free to reach back out to Cerebral if you have any remaining questions. 

• Initial Complaint

  03/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Cerebral has only refunded me 3 months of service for a total of 255 usd i canceled my account in 2021 and as of december 2021- march 2024 they charged me a total of $85x 28 months = 2380 and only refuneded me 3 monhts of service so subtract that from 2380 gets me $2125 they are still oweing me. they illegally were stil chargine me even though i had canclled my account.

• Initial Complaint

  02/26/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On the 24th of each month, my credit card is charged $85.00 for services from cerebral. I have had ************* my card carrier ) try to have this charge stopped. I have also emailed them twice. The problem is, the account is my estranged daughter and she doesn't have any contact with me at all. They claim HIPPA but she is not a authorized user of my card. They have given both me and *********** the run around. I only want the charge to stop. I also do not have access to her account and am not aware if she even uses it. I have saved my correspondence with Cerebral and can send it to you.

  Business response

  02/27/2024

  Thank you for reaching out to us. We would like to do what we can to help you and ensure that we are being receptive to your needs. We sincerely apologize for any confusion you have faced. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide any information without a HIPAA release form. I understand that you stated you have already done so, but if you believe the charge is unauthorized, the next step that we encourage you to take is to please report the transaction to your financial institution. If you have additional questions, please feel free to email ********************************** and we would be happy to support you however we are able.

  Customer response

  02/27/2024

   
  Complaint: 21343139
  
  I am rejecting this response because: as I have stated I have contacted your company twice with my credit card company representative. I am not asking for information about the account, I just want my credit card removed from this account which is not mine. I don't authorize any more charges from you. Your customer service representative stated that they would get in touch with the account holder but apparently that did not work out. I do not have a contact number for her. The credit card I own has nothing to do with the ***** for your account holder.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

  Business response

  02/28/2024

  Hello again, thank you for your additional response. Unfortunately, at this point we are unable to move forward with your request with the information provided. We encourage you to continue the communication with your financial institution directly in order for you to report these charges that you explained are unauthorized. We truly apologize that there is nothing else that can be done on our end to support you with this specific request and our hope is that your financial institution is able to reach a satisfactory resolution with you. Again, should you have additional questions in the future, please feel free to email ********************************** and we would be happy to support you however we are able. 

• Initial Complaint

  02/26/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I signed up for Cerebral in July 2023 and I found the service to be absolutely abhorent. The doctor was on the phone for just a few minutes, prescriped a random medication, and that was it. I tried to cancel but the website keeps saying I don't have an account. I've called and left messages at least monthly since August to ask them to cancel and no one answers or calls back. I have emailed them, and they say they can't because I don't have access to the account in question. They've charged me $99 per month for seven months that I have been trying to cancel.

  Business response

  02/26/2024

  Thank you for reaching out to us. We would like to do what we can to help you and ensure that we are being receptive to your needs. 
  

  We sincerely apologize for any confusion you have faced. We have reviewed these charges and have issued you a refund for $693. Please allow between 5 - 10 business days for the refund to fully process.

  If you have additional questions, please feel free to email ********************************** and we would be happy to support you however we are able.
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  02/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I wrote in to cancel my subscription and was told by "****" that even though I have not used any appointments in February nor plan to continue I MUST pay for a full month of services because I didn't write in with 1 business day's notice. That is ******** and I demand this company to stop attempting to charge my card.

  Business response

  02/23/2024

  Thank you for reaching out to us. We would like to do what we can to help you and ensure that we are being receptive to your needs.

  We have canceled your account as of February 23rd, 2024. You should not receive any future attempts to charge the subscription plan fee. If you have additional questions or concerns, please feel free to email ********************************** and we would be happy to support you however we are able.

*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. ↩