ComplaintsforMount Auburn Hospital

• Initial Complaint

  07/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was sent a bill through the mail for $664 even though I had never stepped into the building. I've never even heard of mount auburn hostpital until today when I randomly got a huge medical bill from them. The only time in the past 5 years I've went to go for any reason at the hostpital was for 2 different skin care check *** at ****** Wellesley hostpital, both having been paid off at a $45 CO pay fee. Now why am I getting a random bill in the mail with no itemized prices saying I now owe another $664 to a hostpital I've never seen in person.

  

  Business response

  09/20/2023

  Good Afternoon,
  This letter is in response to your inquiry dated 7/31/23 for a complaint that was filed by patient *******************************, Complaint#: #********
  
  Mr. ******** complaint was reviewed by our Billing Department Leadership, Laboratory Leadership, as well as Mr. ******** physicians office. Mr. ******** physician ordered a variety of laboratory tests and all lab services for his physicians office are provided by Mount Auburn Laboratories. The balance of $644 is for Mr. ******** lab services ordered by his physician. This balance was applied towards his deductible. It his is contractual obligation with his insurance company. He is responsible for the bill. If he wishes to dispute this balance further he must contact his insurance provider directly.
  If you have any additional questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me at ************.
  
  Thank you,
  
  Patient Relations Department
  Mount Auburn Hospital

• Initial Complaint

  12/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On 8/26/22 I was seen for irregular menstrual bleeding, and without explaining what tests would be done beforehand, issued a ********************* lab test. According to Blue Book and *********** Consumer, the usual and customary charge for this lab is $200-$400. Mt Auburn Hospital charged me $984. I filed an appeal with my insurance, but they said that they "cannot interfere with the financial negotiations between the provider and the member." So I contacted Mt Auburn's billing department to review the charge. They said they opened a case but weeks went by and I didn't hear from them. Eventually I called them to ask the status, and a (quite rude) staff member informed me that they HAD reviewed the case but maintained the original charge. I then spoke to the manager, who could only say that the charge was applied towards my deductible but could not or would not even attempt to explain the $984 charge for a $200-400 service in the first place. She told me to go back to my insurance, which was fruitless because they again told me to contact Mt Auburn because they were the ones who issued the overcharge in the first place. But Mt Auburn refuses to address the issue with any sincerity.

  Customer response

  12/19/2022

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint. All I have received is a past due notice and a threat to take the bill to collections.

• Initial Complaint

  11/24/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Mt. Auburn hospital mis billed me - by a HUGE amount - in august, to the point where I needed to make multiple phone calls to get them to correct a three thousand dollar charge back to a more correct 3 hundred dollar charge.They said I did an overnight sleep study, when I simply took the sleep kit home and returned it. They admitted their mistake and in one of my many phone calls to correct this, ***** @ their sleep center told me "call me if anyone tells you you're late with this payment: it's going to take a while to correct this but our system might expect you to pay by the original date, even though you can't pay anything yet b/c we don't know the corrected fee."Well, here we are. And now, because of their error, my credit is suddenly at risk.Mt auburn hospital sent a collection agency after me a week ago thru the mail: I immediately went to their website to file a reply, I don't recall the website or company name but have not heard back.Mt auburn has been calling me almost weekly for a 'late payment' but despite 20 minute explanations that I give them each time they call, they continue to call again & again - then finally stopped when they got the collection agency involved. Clearly they are not listening to **** told Mt Auburn, and gave screenshots to the collection agency, of a check I sent to them in early October, received Oct 17 according to ******* ****** / my bank, for the full amount. I really don't know what else to do.Please call ***** or **** in Mt. Auburn's sleep center @ ************ or ************. Please call them first.You can also call their billing department ************.

  Customer response

  12/05/2022

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint.

  

  Business response

  12/06/2022

  This letter is in response to your inquiry dated,11/25/22, for a complaint that was filed by patient *************************************,Complaint#: ******** on 11/24/22.

  
  We have reviewed the details of this patients complaint with the ***** Clinic Supervisor, as well as the Billing Department. The ***** Clinic Supervisor spoke with ************************** on 11/30/22 about this complaint and it was escalated to our Billing Department. A Billing Department Representative contacted ************************** on 12/6/22 with a request for information. ************************** will need to contact the Billing Department directly at ********************* to resolve.

  
  If you have any additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at ************.

  Customer response

  12/07/2022

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********.

   

   

  Mt. Auburn's response must have been provided in the 30 mins between their voicemail to me and my returning their call.  I spoke to a *******, provided her with clear evidence from my bank that Mt. Auburn has had my money since Oct 18, cashing my check for $360 on that date.

   

  This matter is still very much open as Mt, Auburn tries to correct several of their own problems that led to them mistakenly engaging a credit agency in mid November to warn me about a nonpayment of a bill whose check they cashed on Oct 18.

  I will consider this matter closed when the credit agency issues me a statement saying as much.

  At each step, I have fully complied with Mt. Auburn and look forward to them resolving their problems shortly.  Regards, ****

• Initial Complaint

  11/09/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I paid in full for a plastic surgery procedure. I had a mandatory appointment for lab work my surgeon made. I now have a bill for almost $800 because no one told me I had to pay for this out of pocket. This is crooked and evil to make an appointment mandatory for surgery but never mention it is a separate cost. I'm trying to cancel my surgery and get a refund, even though it's in less than a week!

  

  Business response

  11/15/2022

  Tell us why here...This letter is in response to your inquiry dated,11/9/22, for a complaint that was filed by patient ******************, Complaint#: 18382230 on 11/9/22.

  
  We have reviewed the details of this patients complaint with the Practice Manager, Surgeon, and Practice Coordinator. Patient signed cosmetic surgery quote in practice that includes the cost of lab work.Patient Relations staff contacted patient to explain, and patient wishes to proceed with scheduled surgery date.

  
  If you have any additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at ************.

• Initial Complaint

  10/16/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On 8/11, I received a legitimate bill from Mt. Auburn in the amount of $75.64. I immediately paid that bill by mail using a check that was cashed by the hospital on 8/17. The hospital billed me again for the same amount in September. I faxed them a copy of the cancelled check - both front and back - and this cost me around $6 at the *** store. On October 4, they sent me a bill again, and no matter how many times I call or show documentation of payment, they keep billing me again for the same amount.

  

  Business response

  11/10/2022

  This letter is in response to your inquiry dated 10/17/22 for a complaint that was filed by patient ***********************, Complaint #: ********, on 10/16/22.
  After a thorough review by our Billing Department *********** Ms. ****** check was received and her account reflects a $0 balance. This was communicated to the patient on 11/2/22.

  
  If you have any additional questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me at ************.

  Customer response

  11/16/2022

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  08/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Went to an Mount Auburn affiliated clinician (***************************) for my annual checkup in September of 2021. The care provided was good. The problem came with the billing. As stipulated by the **** my insurance covers certain routine procedures. Not all of the procedures from my visit was covered. Fine with me. However, the ones that were covered were not coded correctly. After discussion with my insurance provider (***** Carelink), I was able to find a list of accepted codes that should help reduce my bill. Called billing at Mount Auburn multiple times, and after being brushed off multiple times by the representative (they all seem to assume I had no idea what I'm talking about. Extremely rude.), I finally had to bother the clinician's office, who then had to contact billing themselves, only to learn that the billing department just refused to recode the items as stipulated by the insurance and the **** This whole ordeal cost me a ton of time doing research, all for a yearly routine visit to the doctor. The *** has been law of the land for over a decade now, and the fact that the hospital still doesn't know how to code routine procedures properly is beyond laughable. While I thought the care providers were professional and pleasant, I will unfortunately be looking for a new PCP just to avoid working with billing at Mount Auburn.

  

  Business response

  09/29/2022

  Good Afternoon,
   This letter is in response to your inquiry dated 9/8/22 for a complaint that was filed by patient ANG TU, Complaint #:17733238, on 8/18/22.

  
  After a thorough review by our Billing Department Leadership, the bill that Mr. ** received for his visit with **************** has been adjusted appropriately with a $0 patient responsibility.

  
  If you have any additional questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me at ************. 

  Sincerely, 

  *****************************
  Patient Relations Coordinator
  E: ***************************
  P: ************

  Customer response

  10/03/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I guess the hospital decided to bulk refund the entire bill, which is fine, but I still wish the billing disputes could have been handled properly with each line item resolved with the insurance. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  Ang Tu

*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. ↩