ComplaintsforMagruder Eye Institute

• Initial Complaint

  01/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In Oct. '23 my wife decided to have the $2,000 cataract surgery at Macgruder Eye Institute with *****************. We then met with coordinator and scheduled it for Nov 30th. On November 14th my wife decided to do the simple cataract surgery that was only a $150 copay. She asked about the $2000 and was told a check would be mailed to us. I called on Nov 17th to confirm she only wanted the simple cataract procedure and to verify a check had been or would be sent for the surgery that was not performed. I was assured a check would be sent. She had the simple surgery and things with her vision seem fine in that eye. On Dec 4th I called and asked when I would be receiving a refund and was told I "needed to make a request" to which I responded - "we made a request twice in November." They said they would put in the request and it could take 4-6 weeks. Every Monday in December other than Christmas week I called to see where in the process the refund was and I was tossed from billing to coordinator and had to either leave a message and NOT ONE call back was received or that a request needed to be made and would take 4-6 weeks. (Which obviously we already had done multiple times). I finally spoke to someone in billing that seemed to know a little about what was happening and told me that my provider had not paid for the simple surgery yet. ( I had already talked to UHC and they told me That the simple procedure had been paid for already by them) I asked to speak to the manager - I was told it would be a woman named ****** - no answer. I left a Voicemail - no response. I have called 3 more times and asked for ****** and have left messages with no response. I called again today, Monday Jan 29th, and was told a refund was approved but would take another 4-6 weeks. This, to me, is elder abuse and deceptive practices. $2000 is A LOT of money to my wife and I who are both in our mid 80s on a fixed income.

  Business response

  02/05/2024

  Unfortunately, I am not able to locate the patients account due to the complaint being in the spouses name.  I will need to obtain the patients name/DOB in order to investigate and confirm that we have a signature allowing us to disclose information to the spouse.  I was unable to locate the ***** form they signed with you.  

  Business response

  02/07/2024

  Good Morning!  The refund check was cut last week, and you should be receiving it soon.  Check #*****

• Initial Complaint

  12/31/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This is going to be difficult to explain because I am the one who has repeatedly sought an explanation from Magruder Eye Institute to no avail so I suspect that the doctors may not even know what their incompetent staff has been doing. I got new ******************* this year in order to get a much-needed insulin pump because the paramedics were coming about once a week for my low blood sugars. This change of insurance from United Healthcare caused me to call Magruder like Care Plus said because the wonderful doctor who brought me back from blindness does not take Care Plus. Magruder refused to schedule me, not because they weren't taking new patients but because they allege that I owe them money from nine years ago for surgery which they admit I never had. I was never treated there. They refused after I was sent there from the ** at ORMC in hopes of avoiding permanent blindness from what I originally thought was a stroke but turned out to be glaucoma. Now here is the most astonishing part. They not only wanted payment for services never rendered after NINE YEARS which is illegal in itself, but didn't even know how much they claim I owed. There is nothing in my credit report about this, and I never got a bill either. They could have been making money off me and my insurance but instead refused that money to demand an unknown sum no one other than them says I ever owed and which they can't legally collect anyway. I am probably lucky that they turned me away. No place staffed by such incompetent people can be trusted with anything as precious as people's eyesight!

  Business response

  02/05/2024

  ****, 

  I have completed a full billing audit of your account, and you have only been charged for two visits in December 2012.  The balances are not coming from surgery, as you did not have surgery with us because you did not want to set up a payment plan for it, but rather consultations you had with two of our physicians.  Unfortunately, neither of those visits were ever paid, which resulted in the hold on your account.  I have mailed a copy of your account ledger to the address on file.  At this time, in order to schedule an appointment, the balance must be paid in full.  We are happy to set up a payment plan for you, but we will not be able to schedule you an appointment until the balance has been cleared.  

  Customer response

  02/06/2024

   
  Complaint: 21070867
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  It was not just that I didn't get surgery and was allowed to go blind.  As I explained in my original complaint, I was sent to ******** from the emergency room at **************** ************* where ** ***** had told me that ******** was expecting me.  This may not have been the truth, but ** ***** were so frantic that I go to ******** that they called a taxi to get me there. 

   

  It's true that I was uninsured at that time, but I had been taken to the ** at **** by ***** of ****************** where I was covered by Orange County.  I was immediately told by receptionist at ******** that they would not help low-lifes like me in the most don't-give-a-damn manner.  That came as no surprise to me because that's just how life is for the low-wage workers in America, which is why I wouldn't have gone to ** in the first place if the Grace ***** hadn't been so insistent that they drove me a distance short enough that I could easily have walked.

   

  Not only did ******** refuse to treat me knowing that I would lose vision, I heard nothing about payment until I called them nine years later while fully insured under Care Plus in March of 2023.  Then ******** started demanding money and yapping about my owing for services never rendered and refusing to schedule me for glaucoma care despite ******** being under contract with Care Plus to treat people like me.

   

  I never got a bill from *****************  There is nothing in my credit report showing that this was ever turned over to collections so the claim by ******** that it was is indicative of a lie on their part.  They can't legally even *** me for this, and they know it.  They just want some free money so their story keeps changing.

   

  I have found another new doctor under my current insurance and I am now scheduled for eye surgery to see whether I can get any sight back.  I will make sure the doctor who has agreed to try to help me gets paid, but I'm sure not wasting any money on *****************  I don't know if they have my current address, but the address I had when ******** denied me the care I needed is not going to get them anything but a return to sender if they have carried out their threat to bill me there.  In fact, billing me anywhere after all of these years is illegal even if they had helped me instead of thinking their time is so valuable that.they deserve payment from anyone walking through the door.

   

  If a bill does find me at this late date after all of these years, I will just call the media and tell my story.  I'm not trying to become a ******** patient because I could never trust them.  

  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

  Business response

  02/07/2024

  ****, we wish you the best of luck in your treatment.  

• Initial Complaint

  09/12/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I made an appointment months in advance, I called a week out due to my insurance info changing and they told me I was good to go. I took the day off work, drove an hour and half one way to the appointment and arrived 20 minutes early and they couldn’t verify they had received my insurance information. They then made me call my insurance which took 40 min and then they told me it took so long that they were going to reschedule me when it wasn’t my fault. And began changing their story about having received my info. This was my second bad experience, the first the employee didn’t even know how to do any of her job requirements to do my vision field test. She actually asked me how to do certain things. I was wronged two times by this company. I feel like they fraudulently make you come knowing they won’t be able to see you, or help you just to get money from insurance. I don’t believe my first visit was accurate due to the employees and the second time I was wrongly turned away.

  Business response

  11/14/2023

  ********  Please accept my apologies that you had this experience with Magruder Eye Institute.  Though no facility can be perfect 100% of the time, we do pride ourselves on providing high quality care to our patients.  I have reviewed your account and believe some of the confusion was due to multiple insurance changes and having two slightly different phone numbers on the account.  I also reviewed your billed charges, and can assure you the only billing that was done, reflects the services you had done while seen at the original appointment.  There is no fraudulent activity on your account.  If there is anything we can do for you in the future, please feel free to reach out.  

• Initial Complaint

  12/01/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had my first ******** surgery by Dr. Jeffrey G***** at Magruder Eye Institute on 9/22/21 and the second surgery was scheduled for 10/27/21. That surgery was paid for in advance as requested by Magruder. Two days before my scheduled surgery the office called my home phone and left a message canceling my surgery because Dr. G**** was ill. I didn't hear anything back for three weeks and started calling about getting my surgery rescheduled. I've called several times but have yet spoken to a live person. I've left several messages and still have not heard anything back. My husband called again and spoke with someone who said Dr. G****'s scheduling person was not in but that she would send her an email about the situation. We still have not been contacted by G****'s office or anyone at Magruder. It has now been over a month so I contacted the billing department for Magruder and left a message stating I want a refund of the almost $2,000 I paid for surgery I have not had. There still has been no response. I have scheduled an appointment to see another eye surgeon and after telling my story they said they have heard the same thing from other patients whose surgeries were canceled and they have received no response from G****'s office or Magruder. I am shocked at such ineptitude, unprofessionalism, and unethical behavior on the part of Dr. G****'s office and the Magruder Eye Institute. This behavior and attitude is inexcusable.

  Business response

  12/06/2021

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2021/12/06) */ I apologize for the inconvenience. Dr. G**** was out sick for a period of time and we have been unable to get all of his surgeries rescheduled. Since the patient has an appointment with another ophthalmologist, we will absolutely refund her for the balance on her account since we were unable to perform the surgery. It typically takes a couple of weeks to fill out the appropriate paperwork by the billing office and get it to accounts payable to have a check cut and signed by the appropriate person. Consumer Response /* (3000, 12, 2022/01/10) */ I filed my original complaint about canceled surgery and no communication or response to my messages from Magruder for over a month about the status of my surgery or my request for a refund of the close to $2,000 already paid for the canceled surgery. Original case number XXXXXXXX. The business responded that a refund would be made in a typical two week period. As of this date, one month later I have yet to receive a refund or hear anything from Magruder. I uploaded the receipt for funds paid with my original complaint file. Thank you. Business Response /* (4000, 14, 2022/01/11) */ I am so sorry for the delay in check processing. It is the end of our fiscal year and we have been backed up. I did confirm that a check has been cut. You should have it by weeks end. Thank you again for your patience. Consumer Response /* (4200, 16, 2022/01/12) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) At this time I will need to will need to wait to see if the refund is delivered this week as promised. In addition, In reviewing our records my husband and I found receipts for other monies that were paid to Magruder at the time of my first surgery that were to cover the second surgery which never happened. I will attempt to contact Magruder about that this week. Thank you. Business Response /* (4000, 18, 2022/01/13) */ The other testing that was performed is not refundable. However your check has already been mailed. We wish you the best moving forward.

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