ComplaintsforCentral Illinois Radiological Associates, Ltd.

• Initial Complaint

  07/16/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Medical Billing issues. Account for my daughter, ****** * ******** d.o.b. ********* 8/18/2022 CIRA performed radiological services for my daughter post-car accident. CIRA paid the auto insurance portion of the health insurance. CIRA did not bill the primary health insurance (******) or secondary health insurance (******** ********) but was not discovered until the writer studied her credit report and discovered winter of 2023 that a collections account pertaining to CIRA existed. All this time writer assumed all was well and all bills paid. Writer worked with BBB to obtain documents from collections agency and initial document received dated 4/16/2024. Writer checked out CIRA website and it stated third-party billing system trouble. Discussed with CIRA via phone call on 4/19/2024. No return phone call. 7/16/2024. Email communication sent to request billing be submitted to primary and secondary insurance. CIRA needs to pull account from collections and bill medical insurance properly.

  Customer response

  07/30/2024

  
  Please see the transcript from a voicemail left on my cell phone dated 7/29/2024. “

  Hello this message is for ***** ******* my name is **** and I'm calling from Central Illinois radiological associates I'm just following up on that email that you sent in regards to Bill for your daughter ****** so I did review her account and it looks like initially when we received the bill we were notified that it could've possibly been related to an auto accident so at that time we just go ahead and send out some bills and to you they were actually addressed to you as the responsible party due to no response as they did go to collection agency so with that being said now that I have the insurance information I'm gonna go ahead and submit it to the health insurance and you I'm sorry and then I will notify the collection agency to cancel and return this and it will be removed from your credit so there will be no further action from the collection agency and there's nothing that you need to do to follow up with them again I'm gonna go ahead and submit that bill to the insurance company today and then we'll wait to see if we can receive payment on it if you do have any additional questions or concerns about this please feel free to give me a call back my phone number is area code *********** again that area code ************ thank you…”

• Initial Complaint

  06/14/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I have been having issues with this company billing me. I have received bills from them and when I put my account number in online it says the bill is paid. I have 100% financial aid as my secondary insurance, so I assumed that it was billed and paid for by them. I keep receiving letters that say my bills have been sent to collections and I need to pay them. I have tried contacting the billing department and they put me on a list to be contacted once their phones start working. It's been 3 weeks and I haven't been contacted yet.

• Initial Complaint

  05/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Date of MRI scan July 11, 2023. MRI with & without contrast was ordered by my MD. Attached is that exact order Insurance covered 80% of bill from hospital for the scan itself. However the radiologist read the results of the MRI as an MRA instead. That is a completely different scan. This incorrect reading resulted in insurance declining to pay their portion and the total for the bill is $603. Central Illinois Radiological Associates (CIRA) sent me only 1 bill between August of 2023 and Feb. 2024. Then in Feb I received a letter from a collection agency wanting to collect the entire $603. I contacted CIRA and they said to just call back in 3 weeks to find out the final decision on what they plan to do. Now I’m unable to even contact them cause I was told by the collection agency that CIRA had a cyber attack and are still not able to review anything and that attack was in Feb. So it’s now almost June with no resolution. I think it’s criminal if companies like this are able to code incorrectly to insurance or perform an order that was never written by a physician and then when insurance denies the claim, That the full amount is charged to the patient. I will pay my copay but I don’t think I should be responsible for the full amount for this mistake done by Central Illinois Radiological Associates. There are very similar complaints on here and similar ****** reviews as well so I’m not the first this has happened to. Attached is the order from my physician along with prior auth approved by my insurance for test ordered.

• Initial Complaint

  11/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I received a bill for radiology. The procedure was supposed to be coded as preventative which my insurance would pay 100%. The same procedure on the same day was billed by the hospital correctly as preventive and my insurance paid in full. Because the radiology company did not code it the same way it was billed differently. I called twice to get them to recode it matching the hospital code. They said it was in review. I received a third bill threatening to turn it in to collections. I will pay under protest. All this information was confirmed by my insurance company that this company has miscoded it. I suspect they miscoded it so they could get more money from my insurance and I wonder how many times they have done this. Please look into this shady billing department so others do not get screwed.

• Initial Complaint

  10/27/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I received a bill from this provider and paid it right away on time only to find out they did not submit it to my insurance. Once they submitted it to my insurance I was supposed to get a refund of $644.02.. My FSA originally paid the 683. upon calling my FSA it cannot be refunded back to them. It has to be refunded back to me. I have explained this to them many times and they will not refund my money. They keep telling me 6 to 8 weeks I have been dealing with them since May. I am not sure how to go about getting my refund.

  Business response

  11/16/2023

  The billing company investigated the patient's complaint.  We reviewed the patient complaint and transactions detail with the billing company.  The billing company did send the initial refund back to the FSA plan.  The billing company issued a new refund that went in the mail on 10-13-23, and they received notification the check had been cashed on 11-9-23.  A billing company representative spoke with the patient on 11/16 and the patient confirmed they had received the check and the funds were in her account on 11/14/23.  The billing company representative apologized for the delay and misunderstanding, and asked if there was anything additional they could help the patient in this matter.  The patient stated no.  The billing company is reviewing their refund processes and making changes.  We believe per the patient's declination for additional assistance that their resolution (refund in the complaint) is completed.

• Initial Complaint

  10/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  10/20/2023 - I called into their billing services, They had sent my account to collections, upon talking to their bill service they refused to share the information of their debt collector. They cited comapny policy, when asked to provide proof that they can not share this information they failed to do so. They refused to escalate the situation and provide a manager. They can not be allowed to withhold their collections agency information. This act prevents customers from paying past due bills and hurts their credit. The service rep took joy in refusing to assist, refusing to bring on a manager, and then hung up on me after saying he is not allowed to hang up if I am complying with him. This practice is absurd and hurtful to consumers who wish to pay their accounts.

  Business response

  10/27/2023

  The billing company we use is researching and will provide the information on this patient's billing history and contact with them as part of our investigation.  I will be out for medical reasons myself but will be back in the office and able to respond to the complaint by 11/10/23.

  Business response

  11/16/2023

  We reviewed the billing and engagement information with the billing company.  There were points of failure in the billing and subsequent call center interaction which the guarantor noted in his statement to BBB.  Both the billing company and I separately spoke with the guarantor and resolved the matter to what we believe is to the satisfaction of the guarantor.

• Initial Complaint

  07/03/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Here we are July 3rd 2023 and I’m getting billed from CIRA from December 1 2022. According to **** ***** CIRA has billed this as workers compensation which it is not. Trying to get CIRA’s phone center to resolve this has not worked. This was billed incorrectly and I am stuck with a bill. I am insured Please Please Please give me someone who knows what they are doing.

• Initial Complaint

  05/31/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I am a Veteran's Administration Patient and this company consistently bills my private insurance for payment and then bills me for the unpaid balance even when they have been notified it was a community care case and that the VA's insurance (Optum is responsible. I have called the company but I have been told by their representative who stated his name was *** that nothing could be done about the situation. Thank you, ** ******* 

• Initial Complaint

  04/06/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I have been 3 bills. The first 2 I provided the primary and secondary insurance along with photo copies of the card. They refuse to bill our insurance companies. I received a final notice today, they have not filed a claim to either primary or secondary insurance but are demanding payment. The patient is ***** *****, dos 01/16/2023. All information was provided at the time of service AND via mail twice. This company is demanding payment before billing insurance. They are an in network provider with **** IL which is primary and with ******* which secondary. Now a 10 year old patient has a final notice because they won't bill correctly.

• Initial Complaint

  01/23/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  After no less than 15 phone calls to this Company CIRA, who was a contracted provider by the facility used for a service. I have been unsuccessful in helping these people collect payment for services provided for me. My same insurance was provided to the facility, who received payment, as to them. They continue to tell me my ins Company says I can't be identified. I have conference called with all 3 of us involved. Called the facility, ** *********** in O Fallon. I continue to be billed from these people. I ask to speak to a supervisor on the number provided, they tell me they can't do that, they are a billing agency for them only. This company is either fraudulent or incompetent. Any patient having to call and resolve an issue 15 times is unacceptable. Someone from CIRA needs to do their job and find out where the missing link is that is causing the claim to not go through. The last time I called, they were even going to try to fax the claim. We have had the same insurance company for 4 years, and many claims are processed. No one has ever had this issue but this company. I am in hopes you can get a supervisor or someone who will follow through and figure this out. My hands are tied and I'm beyond frustrated.

  Business response

  02/03/2023

  Hello and thank you for your correspondence.

  A review has been conducted on the account in question.  Clarification to the original complaint as well as subsequent action is listed below:

  - The billing company notes all correspondence with patients, and many times records the calls for quality and training purposes.  A request for any recorded calls has been made to the billing company for further audit of the conversations.

  - The billing company notes closer to 5 phone calls.  We will believe the 15 call reference in the original complaint is either a typographical error or possibly a liberal estimate.

  - After reviewing the matter with the patient's insurance, further review of the data forwarded by *** *********** to the billing company identified that the insurance information forwarded to the billing company was inaccurate and the claim has been refiled.

  - The billing company has made contact attempts to the patients during this review process (following the original complaint) and subsequent refiling, and the patient has not answered the calls or replied.  Some of the calls were for additional information that would have helped speed the resolution process.

  - The claim is in process with the patient's insurance with the correct insurance information.

  Customer response

  02/06/2023

  I am rejecting this response because:

  The information I gave them was not a liberal estimate of phone calls, nor was it inaccurate. I have been trying to get this resolved for over a year. I have also contacted the Administrative office and ** *********** and spoke to them regarding this oversight and inacuracy in CIRA's filing. I made 5 phone calls in one day getting run around to different representatives and departments. Not one single call or message was ever received to any of our phone numbers. 

  I do know the proper numbers are on file because we get appointment reminders.  As of last week, I was assured by a rep from billing someone would call. I assure you they didn't.  The lady I spoke to last week was helpful. In the future, not regarding your clients complaints as excessive might be helpful to your level of care that to are trying to exhibit.
  

*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. ↩