Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/27/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My OBGYN doctor found a lump in my breast and she told me to get a mammogram and ultrasound done. November 9th 2024, in my panic at this news, I called Sarasota Memorial Hospital and I asked if I was able to walk in as a patient looking for a mammogram and an ultrasound. They said "yes absolutely come in and we can provide you with that care." I then checked in at the front desk and was admitted when I told the staff I needed a mammogram and an ultrasound due to the lump in my breast. I waited over three hours and then I was then taken into a room by a female employee of the hospital where she said "we cannot help you, we don't have anyone here on site to do mammograms for you." There was an alleged investigation into this and after Sarasota Memorial realized that I was never treated by or helped by anyone at the hospital. They are trying to bill me $500 for wasting my entire day and refusing to help me. Sarasota Memorial is guilty of fraud, negligence and harassment. The incompetent hospital staff allowed me to get through three stages of screening knowing that I would never be seen by a doctor or given any medical attention. I will be seeking legal action against you once I have given my story to the media for the pain and suffering that your hospital and billing department has caused me. The harassment alone is worth a lawsuit against Sarasota Memorial. Doctor ***** R. ****** is also guilty of negligence and insurance fraud as I never met him. The only interaction I had was with the staff who checked me in and gave me incorrect information and a female staff member who refused me aid in getting a mammogram and ultrasound. I will also be filing a complaint against Dr. ***** R. ******.P.S. The attachments below show the incompetence at Sarasota Memorial Hospital staff. I have received a minimum of three separate totals with zero itemization of exactly what they are attempting to charge for. Blatant proof of fraud at Sarasota Memorial Hospital.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/04/2025

  Ms Van ********************* am sorry to hear that your experience at Sarasota Memorial Health Care System did not meet your expectations.  It is always our goal to provide exemplary care and customer service to our patients and community,and I apologize if there was any miscommunication on our part.  Records state that you presented to our emergency department due to a lump in the breast your PCP diagnosed and were hoping to expedite receiving an ultrasound and mammogram.   You expressed to our emergency room provider that your physician had told you to schedule an outpatient mammogram and ultrasound,but instead chose to be seen in the ** anticipating you could receive immediate diagnostic testing.  We do sympathize with your situation and the stress you were undergoing, but we are not able to provide routine breast ultrasounds and mammograms in the emergency department.  You were provided the contact information for the Breast Health Center and provided an explanation as to why we could not provide the services you were requesting.  Notes state you verbalized you understood and agreed with the plan of care.  

  
  When you reached out to our billing department expressing your dissatisfaction with your experience at our emergency department, they reported your complaint promptly to our risk management team.  Your complaint was investigated by risk and a clinical manager from our emergency department.  It was found that services provided were appropriate for that department, and you were triaged, assessed by a qualified medical provider, and given discharge instructions based on your condition. The billing reflects a moderate level ** visit without procedure, which is supported by medical documentation. Your insurance was billed with your authorization, and insurance processed the claim and assigned you a $500.00 copay per your contract plan provisions with your carrier.  I understand that not receiving the care you deem appropriate can be frustrating, but we did provide the services appropriate for the emergency room based on your condition and only billed for those services. 

  
  You are always welcome to reach out to our patient advocate team for further explanation regarding your quality-of-care determination at ************, and for billing assistance you can contact a billing advocate at ************.  Thank you for taking the time to express your concerns with your recent visit to our facility, and we do appreciate all feedback. 

  Sincerely,

  ****

  Customer Service Supervisor

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

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/04/2025

   
  Complaint: 23121837
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Sarasota Memorial hospital staff should never have triaged me when they had full knowledge that I would not be cared for or treated by any medical staff. 
  

  why would you triage anyone that cannot get the service that they are required? You knew I would not get a mammogram or  ultrasound, so why triage me and waste my entire day? 
  

  The ineptitude is baffling to me. Why admit me when I am not going to be treated?
  

  The insurance fraud alone by doctor ***** R. ****** is requires its own investigation. I never met with a doctor, yet one signed off on my bill. 
  

  I waited for four hours in a chair only to be told we cannot help you 

   

  The reception triage staff dont even know what services their hospital provides. I will not pay for your incompetence. You should have turned me away when I asked for a mammogram. 
  

  Charging my insurance company almost $3000 for services that I never received is fraud and you need to be *********************************************************************************

  Business Response

  Date: 04/17/2025

  Ms. ************,

  I am sorry you remain dissatisfied with the care provided at Sarasota Memorial Hospital's emergency department and with my explanation regarding your services.  You continue to use the term fraudulent, and it is legal and ethical to bill for the services you did receive.  When a patient presents to the emergency room for treatment it is law to triage and assess the patient regarding their condition and base treatment on those findings.  Our registration cannot determine what care or form of treatment will be provided, that decision making comes from a qualified clinician based on their findings.  According to our risk management team (a team of experienced healthcare providers) your assessment and treatment were deemed appropriate.  The medical decision making regarding your treatment comes post triage, so a triage provider would not be able to tell you the course of your treatment or services that will be provided.  Triage is to obtain a health history and the process of evaluating and prioritizing patients based on the urgency of their medical needs.  Your extended wait time in an ER can result from other patient's medical needs requiring more immediate care and assistance.

  In response to fraudulently billing your insurance, your insurance company processed our claim as a clean claim, and we adjusted the claim per the contracted rate and applied the appropriate patient responsibility based on the explanation of benefits provided by your insurance.  You and your insurance company are always welcome to contact our billing department ************* with any questions regarding your claim and our billing. You can also request a copy of your medical records to compare the documentation regarding your visit to the services that were billed.  Sarasota Memorial Health Care System makes it a priority to provide transparent and lawful billing practices.  We did perform the level of medical care that your condition deemed necessary while at our ER.  We have audited your account regarding both the billing and the care provided, and both audits' findings deemed care and billing correct.

  Thank you for expressing your concerns and allowing us the opportunity to respond.  Please don't hesitate to contact us with any further questions.

  Sincerely, 

  ****, **************** Supervisor

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

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/22/2025

   
  Complaint: 23121837
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  It is insurance fraud because I was never treated by any doctor, let alone the one that is listed on the bill I was given as the "attending physician." Doctor ***** R. ****** is committing fraud as is Sarasota Memorial. Sarasota Memorial sent me a bill of $2,491.00 to sit in a waiting room for hours and waste my day when I could have been finding someone who could help me. The Sarasota Memorial triage employees on the phone should never have said that the ** could help me and the same goes for the triage employees at the front desk. They are not capable of performing mammograms or ultrasounds for women. It took the hospital hours to discover that they don't have a mammogram machine. I explained my exact situation to at least three different employees which was difficult enough for me under the circumstances. Sarasota Memorial is trying to benefit financially from their own incompetence. They charged my insurance company over $800 for me to be refused treatment or help and have still refused to give me an itemized ******************************************************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/11/2025

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Husband needs eeg so we selected sarasota memorial because it is a good hospital. We have been told that we need to bring our own health care worker to place my wheelchair bound husband on the table, stay there in the hospital and take him off the table. This is going to be a large expense that will ot be covered by ********. A hospital this large does not have any workers who can do this? You have got to be kidding. The hospital said because he is an out patient. Again a hospital this size does not have enough qualified employees to perform this task?

  Business Response

  Date: 03/22/2025

  Dear Mrs. ***************** you for taking the time to present your concern to Sarasota Memorial Health Care System.  It is our mission to provide exemplary medical care and customer service to our community, and we truly appreciate that you and your husband were looking to us to provide those services.  I apologize that your experience did not meet the standard that our organization aims to provide each patient.  I know all of our departments, whether inpatient or outpatient services, adhere to policies that are in the best interest of the patient and staff's safety and wellbeing.  I do not know all the circumstances of your husband's healthcare needs or the specifics of the appointment you were intending to make, so I would welcome the opportunity to speak with you to obtain more information in order to provide you with a thorough and accurate answer to your concern.

  We at Sarasota Memorial Hospital take all concerns and feedback seriously and hold ourselves accountable to providing the highest quality of care and services.  It is never our intent to impose additional outside expenses to our patients or not provide ample explanation to a concerning situation.  I look forward to working with you and the department involved in providing a more detailed answer to your complaint and improving our processes or communication if needed.  Please contact me directly at ************ at your earliest convenience, so I can obtain the appropriate information to better assist addressing/resolving your concern.

  Again, thank you for taking the time to reach out to Sarasota Memorial Hospital regarding your experience and allowing us the opportunity better serve you and our community. 

  Sincerely,

  Customer Service Supervisor

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/12/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am being denied medication for a surgery that I am supposed to have next Thursday by the board at Sarasota memorial, I was told Dr. ******* ***** on the board at Sarasota Memorial hospital was whom my ***************** had been speaking with.Theyre expecting me to take a medication that I had an allergic reaction to previously and just take premeds with us before hand IE: steroids and ********. My ** said it was all to save a **** why the hospital was doing this. I cannot believe that a ***** can determine what medication a patient gets and doesnt before surgery and can basically force a patient to take something that they had a reaction to or they cant have surgery.I expect this Dr. ***** to call me and my husband personally, as Im sure hes not going to reimburse my husband if I die from and allergic reaction.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/12/2025

  Dear Ms. ****************** style="font-size: 0.875rem;">Sarasota Memorial Health ************* mission is to provide exemplary care and customer service to our community, so I want to thank you for taking the time to present your concern.  I assure you that the quality of care you receive at Sarasota Memorial is of utmost importance to all our staff involved in your medical care, and I will make sure that your concern is reviewed and addressed promptly.  We want to ensure you are comfortable and confident with your future procedure, and that all your questions/concerns are resolved prior to your scheduled procedure date. 

  I am forwarding your complaint to the appropriate department for review, and one of our qualified patient advocates will be in contact with you regarding their findings.  You stated that your surgery date is next Thursday, so please know I am escalating your concerns for a prompt review by our expert team of clinicians, so you can have clarification and answers before your scheduled surgery.  If you have any questions during this review process, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Patient Advocacy team at ************.  Again, thank you for choosing Sarasota Memorial for your healthcare needs, and allowing us the opportunity to address your concerns.  

  Sincerely,

  **** ******

  Customer Service Supervisor

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

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/14/2025

   
  Complaint: 22928739
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  I have already spoken to patient advocacy. This is why I reached out to the Better Business Bureau. The doctor named ******* ***** and pharmacist Mrs ****** have denied me the medication that I need. It is not a practice of Sarasota Memorial to have ***** compassion and concern for their patients whatsoever. It is a do as I say or you dont get to have surgery.

   

  That woman from the Pharmacy wasted an hour of my time as well as my hematologist time on a conference call just two days ago.

   

  As well as that doctor and that pharmacist wasted an hour of my primary care time yesterday. She said she felt more confused and almost dizzy by the time she got off the phone with them yesterday because they were just going round and round and round in circles with her and were getting nowhere.

   

  I had an allergic reaction to the medication that they were expecting me to take and telling me to do premeds with it and giving an example that they do this all the time with people who are allergic to contrast. That is not the same comparison whatsoever I have to take this medication multiple times back to back from my bleeding disorder.

   

  I cannot believe how callous and uncaring this hospital is. Im beyond disgusted.

  My hematologist said he even tried one more time to tell them I needed a different medication they still would not budge.

   

  Who are your staff to tell somebody else what they can and cant do for their surgery when theyre allergic to something. Im gonna tell you what right now I will never do business with this hospital ever again. I will be getting rid of all of my doctors that are affiliated with this hospital on finding new doctors that are affiliated with Memorial doctor hospital and I will be filing a formal grievance with the state.

   

  I am very sick and need surgery and now I cant because your doctors are not allowing me to have surgery unless I do what they say.

   

  It is my body, and it is my choice and I should have to be able to make a choice. And all they have done is causing an exorbitant amount of stress this week and I now cannot have surgery because of them what selfish individuals you have employed at your hospital.

  
  Regretfully,
  
  ***** *****

  Business Response

  Date: 02/24/2025

  Dear Ms.****** 

  It is always Sarasota Memorial Hospital's mission to provide the best care and services possible to our patients.  I apologize you do not feel that your care concerns were addressed to your satisfaction.  Please know I did forward your medication dispute to our patient advocacy manager and our risk management team.  I was advised that our teams were in contact with you and made every attempt to provide you with their medical explanation regarding the medication in question, and that your care was always their utmost concern.  It was relayed to me that there were multiple discussions with the pharmacy, Dr. ****** and multiple providers, which all recommended proceeding with a certain medication per their medical expertise.  It appears you still disagree with their decision and explanation.  

  Again, I apologize you do not find the determination made by our medical team satisfactory in your opinion, but I can tell you that our hospital protocol was followed, and your medical needs were the priority of all our staff involved in this review.   I was informed that you were made aware of all the final findings and determination regarding your medication dispute, but please always feel free to reach out to our patient advocacy team if you feel any further explanation is required.  We do care about your concerns and appreciate all feedback.  Thank you for the time and consideration you took to express your concerns.  

  Sincerely, 

  **** ***************************************************************************** Supervisor

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/25/2025

   
  Complaint: 22928739
  
  I am rejecting this response because my care was not made a priority by any means, telling someone they cannot have a different medication because the allergic reaction they had to the previous medication wasn't enough to warrant providing an alternative is not acceptable. Nor was it putting my health nor safety first, it was an ego thing to say the least and "I know more than you, because I'm a doctor type of thing" as far as my and my family are concerned you all should be ashamed of yourselves, I am sick and you all denied me care because I wouldn't do WHAT YOU ALL WANTED ME TO DO. This is not care, it is bureaucracy to say the least. Forcing a patient to take a medication they're allergic to is bad medical practice, nor does it instill faith in a patient. The fact that no one here care about how I, the patient felt, and chose their ego over my health and safety and there there of mine and my families comfort level is beyond obsered. I will never recommend this hospital to anyone, I will make sure I share my story to help other patients in the future, I will never use this hospital, nor any of my doctors affiliated with SMH ever again.
  
  Regrettably,
  
  ***** *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/18/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I went to the ** at Sarasota Memorial in ************** on 3/12/24. I had an extremely bad cold and was treated for sinusitis. I received one dose of an oral antibiotic and nasal spray. I have since received multiple bills and have been back and forth with billing and medical records. The ** doctor billed me for IVs, IV antibiotic, and even they said they gave me insulin. I am a healthy ******************************************* ** over spring break visiting my grandparents and now Sarasota Medical is going to report me to a collection agency for a $10,000 visit to the ** for sinusitis.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/30/2024

  Ms. ******,

  Thank you for taking the time to present your concerns regarding the billing you received at Sarasota Memorial Health Care System.  We at Sarasota Memorial are devoted to providing exemplary care and accurate billing for services.  I do see you presented for care at our emergency department in ***********  I understand that you are questioning some of the services performed at this visit, and an initial audit deemed them correct.  I would like to offer placing the account on hold while me perform and second audit on your behalf.  We understand emergency department visits can be costly, and we want to ensure you understand the care you received, and the billing related to that care.  I will have a clinical and charge audit conducted regarding the disputed charges, and you will be provided a detailed letter of determination.   While your account is being reviewed, we will place it on hold status so it will not continue to proceed any further in the collections process until a determination is made.

  Please feel free to call our B****** Advocate Department for updates or questions regarding the review.  We want to make every attempt to provide you with options regarding your balance and ensure that you understand the services you received.  You can reach our billing department Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5:00pm at ************ with any further questions or updates on your account.

  Sincerely,

  Sarasota Memorial Health Care System

  Customer Service Department

   

   

   

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/11/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I went to *** ER twice and was admitted to the hospital on the second visit. Although I had labs on what was going on and what the next steps should be the hospital visit turned into a guessing game by hospitalists sending me for unneeded extra testing over and over and no one could help. So each day a new one cane in orders more tests ignoring that the problem was already given to them by the first dr. **** day I asked why am I being kept here and no one could answer they just kept running more tests and running up a very large bill. I filed multiple complaints with the patient advocate department which led to months of ignored emails and calls with no resolution, I wanted an accounting of this unethical and egregious charging by drs to be resolved. I went over this with the ************************ stating *** filed the complaint and they denied receiving anything. I will be consulting legal counsel regarding this experience and malpractice by this facility. This bill must be reversed and investigated fully.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/14/2024

  Ms. **********,

  I am sorry to hear that you feel the care you were provided at Sarasota Memorial Hospital did not meet your standards and your concerns were not addressed timely.  We at Sarasota Memorial strive to provide a highly rated patient experience based on quality of care and exemplary customer service.   We intend to thoroughly investigate your concerns while receiving medical care at Sarasota Memorial Hospital and provide you with a detailed report of our findings once the investigation is completed. 

  We also have an experienced team of billing advocates to address all of your billing questions and assist with any concerns pertaining to your billing.  Please know that we take all concerns seriously and thank you for giving us the opportunity to address yours.  Please feel free to reach out to our billing advocacy team at ************** for updates regarding your review or any further questions.  Our team of professionals are available Monday - Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm and look forward to assisting you. 

  Sincerely,

  Customer Service Supervisor

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/21/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I fractured my hip on the day that hurricane ****** made landfall on the west coast of ******** specifically ****** *******. I was taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, at approximately 2:00 a.m. in the morning. This is where the story becomes very distorted, as I was told that I had reparative surgery on my hip. I was then transferred at that morning to ************* Hospital about an hour and a half north of my location. I was transported in a van type ambulance, no one seated in the back of the vehicle with me, and while I was hollering out to the drivers where they were taking me, I did not receive a response. It was an horrific experience. Not only was it a horrible experience, nobody informed me nor my husband about why I was being transferred or even when I was transferred to Tampa Hospital from Sarasota Memorial Hospital. After arriving at ***** Hospital, and being there about 2 days, I was then transferred back to Sarasota Memorial Hospital. Please understand that none of these incidents the transportation, the operation, the reasoning why I was transferred back and forth, the lack of communication with my husband and immediate family; none of the aforementioned occurred. When I got back to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, I was visited by my surgeon/doctor Dr ******** and a doctor ********** the latter allegedly on the board of Sarasota Memorial Hospital. My doctor ******* was in total shock when he learned that his patient, me, was was transferred without his knowledge or without reasoning. Dr ********** for his part, was totally apologetic as to what happened to me, and actually use the quote, quotes you must have fallen through the cracks, end of quote. No further explanation was offered by Dr ********** I am now at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, October 18th 2024, and now the staff is insisting that my stay ends today, that my ******** coverage has expired, and I can't even understand what the heck they are talking about. ******** does not expire.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/29/2024

  Dear Ms. ******************************************* mission is to provide exemplary care and services.  We would like the opportunity to review and address your concerns in further detail.  Sarasota Memorial takes all concerns seriously, and our patient advocacy team and billing department would appreciate if you could contact our offices, so we could provide the attention required to resolve your concerns.  We strive to provide a great patient experience from admission to discharge, and through the billing process.  Our team is here and eager to assist, so please contact our ************************* *************) at your earliest convenience, so we can start the process to address all your concerns with the attention and care you deserve.  

  Thank you for taking the time to express your experience and we look forward hearing from you.

  Sincerely, 

  **** ******, **************** Supervisor

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

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

   

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/01/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  The ****************** is absolutely terrible. Last time, I had an experience where they stopped sending me bills. When I called to request them, they promised to send them but stopped again. I missed two payments, and the next thing I knew, they sent me to collections. I posted a review about this recently on Google.I tried to reach a manager, but ***** denied me access, saying that managers only talk to clients when it's urgent. Now, I had a payment plan with Memorial, and I received a letter stating that my account is at the collection agency AGAIN! I checked, and the payments are being taken every month automatically.I called, and they apologized, saying I don't need to do anything. I was concerned they might report to the credit bureau, but ***** assured me they do not report. However, when I called the collection agency, they said they would report in 30 days if I didn't pay. But I am making monthly payments automatically! They suggested switching the payments to them.This department needs a competent manager. It is shocking that sick people going through tough times have to deal with such unprofessional behavior.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/05/2024

  ********************,

  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address your billing concerns at Sarasota Memorial Health Services.  It is always our mission to provide a positive, informative, and accurate billing experience, and I am sorry you do not feel we achieved our set standard.  Upon reviewing your account, I do see a balance for date of service February 22, 2024.  It appears your insurance processed the claim and applied a portion to your deductible, which we generated a patient statement for and sent via mail on March 11, 2024.  I see that on March 27, 2024, an itemized bill was sent per your request via email regarding the balance on your account.  On April 17, 2024, our billing office was contacted by you and made known that you did not receive your itemized bill, so we resent the itemization that very same day.  It is also noted in your file that a twelve-month budget plan was set up with one of our billing advocates to start on May 15, 2024, and be automatically debited from the account provided on the 15th of each month for a twelve-month term.   I show record that the appropriate amount has been deducted on May 15th, June 15th, and July 15th this year meeting the terms of your budget plan.  I do apologize if you have been contacted by one of our pre-collection vendors regarding a balance.  I see a notation that a billing advocate reached out to our pre-collection vendor on August 1, 2024, to address the collection concerns you presented, and to verify that you are on a budget plan and no further contact is needed regarding your balance.  

  I have verified that no collection action has been taken regarding your account, and there has been no adverse impact to your credit.  I also apologize if you did not receive the customer service experience you desired, as it also our goal to make sure you find your questions and concerns addressed promptly and to satisfaction.  Please know that we appreciate you bringing your experience with our billing department/s to our attention, and we use this feedback to continue to improve and grow our processes.  Please do not hesitate to contact our billing department if you have any further questions or concern at ************.  

  Sincerely,

  Sarasota Memorial Health ******************************* Manager

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

  Sarasota, FL.  34326

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/26/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On October 6th 2022 at around 11pm I went to Sarasota Memorial Hospital ************** Facility due to COVID. Upon registration I gave them my driver license and told them I was a veteran; all the information on my driving license including address was accurate (THIS IS WHERE THE ISSUE/PROBLEM ORIGINATED). I get discharged from the hospital the following day at around 7am... A year and half later I started receiving calls from an collection agency (STATE COLLECTION) regarding a medical debt. I thouhght this was some sort of a scam since I get full medical benefits from the **. I started disregarding the continues phone calls from this collection agency upon until I received a letter/bill over the mail. I immediately contact the collection agency and told them that this was a mistake that any medical bills "if any" are covered by the VA. The collection agency suggested to call the Sarasota Memorial Hospital billing department so I did... On December 19 2023 I called the Sarasota Memorial Hospital billing department , a representative by the name of ***** took my call and told me that after attempting (via phone and mail) several times they have decided to sent me to collections. I asked where they were sending the bills because I've never received any and the representative "*****" mentioned an address I have no knowledge of, I told him ***** that was not my address. ***** inmmediately ask for the right address and I gave it to him so he inmmediately updated it on the system. After knowing this I called the VA so that they could settle de debt, however the VA told me that it was way past the deadline. I appealed the VA's decision trying to get this debt paid however they are telling there is nothing they can do becaused it is way passed their deadline. I am not sure if what the hospital did is right? Sending me to collection without me knowing of this debt.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/05/2024

  ********************,

  Thank you allowing Sarasota Memorial Health Services the opportunity to address your billing concern.  We strive at SMH patient financial services to provide accurate and timely billing according to the information provided to us by the patient.  I do see you received services at our emergency department on October 6, 2022.  I do not see that any insurance information was provided to registration upon admission to our ** department on October 6, 2022.  It appears we did validate your personal information on file and scanned in a driver's license and general consent to treat, but there was no VA information provided.  On October 27. 2022 a patient statement generated and was mailed, as we did not have any insurance on file, so you were billed as a self-pay patient.  SMH also followed up with a phone call on November 1, 2022, to attempt to obtain insurance information or set up payment arrangements if you did not have insurance at the time.  A total of five additional calls were made in November of 2022 in regard to your billing and balance owed.  ***'s extended billing office made numerous attempts to contact you via phone and mail from November 13, 2022, through September 13, 2023, which we never did receive any correspondence back from you.  Your bill did proceed through our normal collections process.  You did contact our office on December ******* after you stated you received a collection letter.  We did make you aware at that time of the numerous attempts to contact you regarding your billing, and that at this point we would be past our timely filing to bill the Veteran's Administration.  We agreed to rebill with the understanding that the claim would most likely be denied and patient responsibility.  On February 7, 2024, representative **** from the VA requested we provide an explanation of what had occurred with billing, and that we attempted to bill you the patient timely, which we did provide the requested information.  On February 16, 2024, we placed the account on a 30 day hold per the VA's request, so they could review the claim for processing.  The VA did end up denying the claim, and on June 6, 2024, the VA (representative *****) advised that you appeal the decision on your own behalf as the insured.  To date we have received no payment on your claim.

  It is our policy at SMH to insure we make every attempt to bill claims to the appropriate party, which we did.  If no insurance information is provided timely the balance is determined to be patient responsibility.  We do make it a priority to work with all our patients regarding their billing, so I would advise you to contact our billing advocacy department to address any concerns at **************.  Our billing advocates our knowledgeable with all billing practices and can offer various payment options.  Please know we made every attempt to contact you and obtain billing information timely.

  Sincerely,

  Sarasota Memorial Health ******************************* Supervisor

  ************* 

  Sarasota, Fl.  34236

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/22/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have many malpractice issues with Sarasota Memorial Health Care Behavioral Health Pavilon. The treatment in the Cornell Center was a literal nightmare. I was denied my medications and health care while in a psychiatric hold under the ***** Act.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/30/2024

   

  Dear ****************,

  Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention, feedback is important to improve our services. We have attempted to contact you to discuss this further and can be reached at ************.

  Sincerely,

  ***************************, RN MS

  Executive Director Quality and Risk Management

  Sarasota Memorial Health Care System

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/03/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am not liable for this debt with Sarasota Memorial Hospital. I do not have a contract with Gulf ************************ they did not provide me with the original contract as I requested.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/07/2024

  Good day **************,

  Sarasota Memorial Hospital's goal is to always provide exemplary service and address any concerns or questions that you may have.  In order to address your concern, I am requesting you provide me with additional information to ensure I am addressing the correct patient account.  If you could provide me with an account number, date of service in question, or your date of birth, that would allow me to appropriately verify the account.  I do look forward to assisting you with your concern, and once I'm provided the requested information I will promptly respond to your dispute.

  Again, thank you for your correspondence and allowing us the opportunity to assist you in this matter.  You may also contact our billing advocacy line at ************ Monday - Friday from 8:00am - 5:00pm to discuss account concerns with a qualified billing representative.  

  Sincerely,

  Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Customer Service