ComplaintsforOffice of Johns Hopkins Physicians

• Initial Complaint

  04/01/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I went to Johns Hopkins Hospital Emergency Room on 2.17.2024 per advice from a same day urgent care visit for a possible retina detachment. I waited over 10 hours and left without being seen for my concern. I then received a bill which I contested and was advised it could not be waived. It should also be noted that the conditions at that ER were horrendous, chaotic, unclean and I felt unsafe.

  Customer response

  04/02/2024

  Attached is the bill I received in my chart, which I can no longer find in my chart, as well as what was submitted to my insurance.  There appears to be two different bills.  The amount submitted to my insurance I have never received a bill for.  When I was checked in at front desk at the ER, I was told I already had a chart (which would be because I am an employee of ***** ******* ********* **********).  They asked for my ID but no one ever asked me for my insurance so I assumed they had it.  Apparently my insurance was not in my chart so they would have to have assumed I had no insurance.  There is a recent law stating heath care providers had to give a good faith estimate which I did not receive either.

  I was brought in the back a couple times as were others and always sent back out to the waiting room to be seen by a doctor for my possible retina detachment.  I provided the ER nurse a copy of the urgent care findings (attached as well) because I went there first and was told to go to ER. I was in the ER there for over 10 hours and then to the front desk and told staff that I could not wait any longer and left.

  It should also be said that the conditions there were harsh.  There appeared to be homeless people wondering in and out of the ER.  Some were picking up food off the floor and eating it, another was asking for cigarettes, another covered completely in a blanket sleeping, and one came in yelling profanity.  A bunch of security came at one point.  There were two security guys at the front with no guns at all times, and another I believe was a cop had a gun and on the first shift he appeared to be napping.  It was a bad experience for me to say the least.

  Customer response

  04/03/2024

  Just realized there were two claims sent to my insurance company. See attached.  I have only received a statement for the $185 charge. Never received the other one in my chart. Thank you

  Business response

  04/09/2024

  Dear Ms. *******,

  Thank you for contacting the Single Billing Office of Johns Hopkins, our goal is to ensure your visit is billed correctly and timely. The emergency room visit for date of service February 17,2024 is currently being billed to ***** ****** ********* on file. In your last communication with our customer service team via your MyChart on April 2,2024 an update was provided to you that a claim has been sent to your health insurance. The representative also provided you with a statement of the itemized charges. Johns Hopkins is not a credit reporting hospital and we have not placed your account with a collection agency. Emergency room charges are billed in two parts, the facility charge and the physician charge. ***** has processed the facility bill and adjudicated the claim to your ER copay based off your benefits. The physician charges are still pending processing from *****. Charges are billed for ER services based on the visit level and treatment, the charges are valid and will not be waived. Emergency room wait times can vary for many reasons, depending on the level of care needed, number of patients, life threatening conditions, number of physicians attending to patients. Johns Hopkins is committed to providing you and your loved ones a respectful and positive experience, our Patient Relations team can address issues of quality of care. Patient relations contact information is provided below if you would like them to address the concerns in reference to the conditions of the emergency room. If you need further assistance in reference to your bill, please contact the Single Billing Office at ###-###-####, Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm.

  Contact our patient relations team by choosing one of the following methods:
  Phone: ###-###-#### (patient relations)
  We strive to return your call within the day; all calls will be returned within the next business day.
  Online: fill out a form
  Email: *************************

   

  Best Regards,

   

  Mrs. Michelle ******
  Sr. Customer Service Coor.
  Billing Office/Customer Service **** ******* ***** ***** ******
  Baltimore, MD 21211

  Customer response

  04/11/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  When checked in with the front desk I was told I already had a chart. No insurance information was requested at that time even though there was none in my chart and no estimate of charges was presented. I just received via my chart another bill for $253.11 which is now what my chart says I owe in total. Originally I was notified of a bill for $182. My insurance which I added into my chart received 2 claims. One for 185 anothet for 253.11 which appear to be for the same thing. Charges and balances should obviously be clarified. Should my insurance have been charged twice. And due to my deductible nothing was covered or paid. But I have yet to understand why I am being billed. When speaking with the nurse I presented her with the summary that of my same day urgent care visit obviously stating my possible retina detachment concern. I was sent to waiting room and told I would be called back to see a provider for my eye. And after 10 hours of waiting I left without being seen by an appropriate provider for my concern and informed front desk of same. Why am I being charged for receiving no care or advice as to how to proceed. I have also filed a complaint with the States Attorneys Office and am awaiting response. 
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *******

  Business response

  04/16/2024

  Dear Ms. *******,

  In reference to the two charges billed for emergency services, ER charges are billed on a hospital level as well as physician level. The physician bill charge in the amount of $185.00 is still pending processing from *****. Hospital charges in the amount of $253.11 have already been adjudicated by your insurance, $253.11 was left as your patient responsibility. Emergency room services are billed at the time of triage, the charges for care provided are accurate. Please feel free to contact our Patient Relations department in reference to quality of care and conditions of the emergency room. 

  The Johns Hopkins Hospital
  Contact our patient relations team by choosing one of the following methods:
  Phone: ###-###-#### (patient relations)
  We strive to return your call within the day; all calls will be returned within the next business day.
  Email: *************************

  Customer response

  04/18/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  I fail to understand how a person can be billed for having a nurse basically take your blood pressure. Please also explain why I am being billed by a provider when in fact I received no care, no diagnosis, no treatment plan, and no discharge summary. I was told to wait to see the appropriate provider for my concern and after 10 plus hours of waiting could take no more. For over 10 hours I sat and waited in a very unsanitary and unsafe main waiting area where people were eating food from the floor, covered in blankets sleeping in chairs, asking for cigarettes and food, some even yelling profane language. Security was called a couple of times. One of the security guards, the only one with a gun was napping at one point. And after this horrendous experience I am being billed for not receiving appropriate care. At this point I may need to seek counseling for my traumatic experience spent at the Johns Hopkins Hospital emergency room. 
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *******

  Customer response

  04/26/2024

  Thank you very much. 

• Initial Complaint

  04/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On April 20, 2023 I arrived at Bayview for care. I came in with stroke-like symptoms. Staff were negligent in their efficiency of care along with long wait times (6+ hours) and some patients reported wait times. Staff were disrespectful and unprofessional to other patients in waiting who required emergency care for breathing issues.

  Business response

  04/24/2023

  Good morning,

  Thank you for contacting the billing office for Johns Hopkins and we appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns. The information provided in the complaint are quality of care concerns, not billing related, your concerns will have to be addressed to our Patient Relations department at Bayview Medical Center. The Office of Patient Experience at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center is here to help you navigate medical encounters and to provide an opportunity for you or your family members to report specific concerns. I am providing the contact information below for you to reach out directly. 

  Phone: ###-###-####
  Calls will be returned within the next business day.
  

  Email: [email protected]
  

  Mail:
  Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
  Office of Patient Experience
  **** ******* ****** ********** ** *****
  In-person:
  Patients and family members can call to schedule an appointment to visit our office and speak with a patient experience coordinator Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

  Customer response

  04/24/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Dana *******

• Initial Complaint

  02/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I called my primary care facility at John’s Hopkins Healthcare at Riverside . On three different occasions I called & requested an appointment (November 10, 21, & 29). I was referred to the emergency room or an urgent care facility. I haven’t been able to obtain an appointment with my primary care doctor in a year, except for a physical. Doctors are supposed to treat patients not turn them away.

  Business response

  02/28/2023

  Good morning,

  Thank you for contacting Johns Hopkins billing office in reference to your concerns. Scheduling concerns are not billing related so I will provide you with the contact information for our patient relations department. Patient relations can assist you with your quality-of-care concerns. Our patient relations assistants can help facilitate a formal review and follow-up to your concerns. Information shared with Patient Relations is reported to all executive levels of the hospital. Contact our patient relations team by choosing one of the following methods:
  Phone: ###-###-#### (patient relations)
  We strive to return your call within the day; all calls will be returned within the next business day. Email* ************************** 

   

  Best Regards,
  
  Mrs. Michelle ******
  Sr. Customer Service Coor.
  Billing Office/Customer Service
  **** ******* ***** ***** ****** ********** ** *****
  

  Business response

  03/02/2023

  Good morning,

  A response for this complaint was sent by Michelle ****** on 02/28/2023.

• Initial Complaint

  11/30/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Being seen by, Urology, Gastroenterology, interventional radiology, neuro, Neuro spine, vascular, and Pain Medicine. I have a mass that presses on my nerves and makes it severely difficult/hard to work. The nerve presses on my left t******* so the issue is debilitating. However, since no doctor can resolve the problem yet a doctor has pulled me off work citing I can't work with this pain. Yet no doctor will fill out any paperwork FMLA, or medical disability forms. This leaves my employer questioning the validity of my illness. I can't return to work as no one will even fill out any forms. If nothing can be done then a doctor can put me on disability but to just leave me with no recourse is not how things are done I believe. I am on the verge of losing my job and no one cares.

  Business response

  02/14/2023

  Good afternoon,

  Thank you for contacting Johns Hopkins billing office and we apologize for the delayed response. The concerns listed in the complaint are not billing related, please contact our Patient ******************** to have the quality-of-care concerns addressed. Contact our patient relations team by choosing one of the following methods:
  Phone: ************ or Email: *************************. 

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  11/05/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  BBB unable to locate business

  More info

  It's not a problem it's an issue regarding hospital treatment. An ER should be a hospital where you get treatment no matter what ethnicity you are. I brought my daughter to the Er at John Hopkins Bay view. she came with extremely chest pain ... in tears seeking help. They told me she has to wait an hour for X-rays 3 hours to get a room n up to 32 hours to see a doctor. Are you serious what if she was having a heart attack. This could be a life-threatening issue. I asked if there's anything it could be done my daughter couldn't breathe and she was in pain... n sadly to say they wanted to know what race my daughter was. She asked if she was Latina ... I said she is mixed Hispanic n white out whatever race you want. Anyways not much help was given ... I drove 1/2 to Columbia Howard County hospital n withing 15 minutes she was having an X-ray done ... blood work done and the biggest thing a Covid test done. Something that Hopkin Bayview hospital didn't bother doing even though she had a cold. I demand an apology n expect for something to be done. People shouldn't have to wait like that ... it's taxpayers' money who pay their salary. They should get attention immediately no later what race you are.

• Initial Complaint

  10/05/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My wife has been trying to get an appointment at Hopkins Bayview since last year. Every time she calls (which includes a phone call today 10-5-22), they tell her to call back because there are no available appointments and there is no waiting list. She also has called the other Hopkins locations and no appointments can be scheduled in the community psychiatry department. This has been happening since LAST YEAR and it is completely unacceptable, unethical and it should be illegal for a medical facility to do this to patients! What is even more upsetting, is the fact that Hopkins has indeed seen new patients in the past year. However, because they refuse to operate under the fair system of using a waiting list, it is a random luck operation.... if you call when a rare appointment slot is open then anyone calling at that unpredicted time can get it. Hopkins says it's a "first come" system, however this is very untrue because my wife was there FIRST last year and not the people randomly calling after she did. Hopkins is not taking patients' problems seriously and this is very upsetting to my family. We have trusted Hopkins for generations and this is where all of our medical records are located. Also, this is where our insurance coverage is located so going elsewhere is not possible. Additionally, every time my wife calls for an appointment they require she spell her name, provide her date of birth, her full address, and put her on hold, and then come back to say there are no appointments available. Why didn't they just say that before taking all of her personal information? Why would you continue to give patients false hope over and over again? What a terribly cruel thing to do to someone! My wife has a referral from her primary Hopkins doctor issued recently as well as the same referral issued last year for this same matter. Why is Hopkins being so neglectful?

  Business response

  12/19/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2022/10/14) */ Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to respond. As you are aware, the pandemic has brought the need for mental health care to the forefront in our society. Over the last two years, the volume of patients that are seeking mental health care, has grown substantially. At this time, the volume of patients seeking care, currently exceeds the number of providers that we currently have to see new patients. We are diligently working to staff additional mental health providers, however. we know that this is a process in itself. I have shared the recommendation of maintaining a "waitlist" with the leadership team for our mental health department and they are considering that recommendation. If there is any additional information that you require, please do not hesitate to contact us. Tracy ** ******** Patient Relations Specialist Patient Relations Department The Johns Hopkins Hospital Nelson *** ********** ** XXXXX Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX Fax: XXX-XXX-XXXX Email: ********@jhmi.edu Consumer Response /* (3000, 12, 2022/10/17) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Johns Hopkins has not made any attempt to help me! I need an appointment for my wife immediately! We have waited for almost an entire year! Please email me directly so an appt can be setup!

• Initial Complaint

  08/24/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I filled out papers to get my mother medical records the lady in that department is very nasty and smart for no reason she will not give me her manager information and he papers i received is not accurate to My mothers death

  Business response

  10/24/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2022/09/01) */ Hi Ms. *******, Unfortunately, my department does not handle medical record requests. However, if you could provide the name and/or phone number where you had the unfavorable encounter, I can escalate this to management. Please use the following link to request medical records online: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/patient_care/patients-visitors/patient-rights-records/medical-records.html Rudeness is never acceptable so I apologize for the experience you had. Thank you for contacting the Johns Hopkins Single Billing Office.

• Initial Complaint

  06/27/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I suffered a grand mal seizure in Ecuador on 16 June 2022. Returned to United States on 25 June 2022 and contacted Johns Hopkins Neurology to schedule a visit regarding my neurological condition on 27 June 2022. I was informed by JH Neurology that the earliest in person appointment is 30 January 2023, over 6 months, (SIX months!) from today. If I were lying in an Johns Hopkins Emergency Room in the state of Maryland suffering a grand mal seizure I am certain I would see a JH neurologist and have appropriate tests within 24-36 hours, not six months! What could happen during those six months? Simply stated, my request of BBB is to ensure Johns Hopkins neurology healthcare is accountable to provide timely specialist care.

  Business response

  09/01/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 15, 2022/07/27) */ From: PatientRelations Sent: Wednesday, July 20, XXXX X:XX PM To: SHARON ******* <********@jhmi.edu> Cc: PatientRelations <****************@jhmi.edu> Subject: RE: BBB Complaint Form - XXXXXXXX Good Afternoon, Sharon. I spoke with Mr. ******* who states that he was concerned that no other option was offered to him regarding scheduling and appointment with a neurologist. I explained that the volume of patients that are seeking neurological care exceed the number of providers that are available. He expressed understanding. The patient was also confused as to why his PCP was able to obtain and appointment with Dr. Merrill Ansher of DR. MERRIL ANSHER Neurology Consultants (neurophysiciansmd.com) for a time sooner than 6 months. He feels that the option to see a provider affiliated with JHH was should have been offered to him. I explained that our scheduling department works off the information provided by the referring provider and that we would shared this information with the scheduling department to determine if this is an option. After the conversation, he was appreciative for the clarification and did not need to proceed with anything formal. Please let me know if there is anything else we can do to assist. Best, Tracy ** ******** **************************** Patient Relations Department The Johns Hopkins Hospital ********** Baltimore, MD XXXXX Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX Fax: XXX-XXX-XXXX Email: ********@jhmi.edu

• Initial Complaint

  06/25/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I visited the emergency department on April 12th. My insurance covers all emergency visits and the remaining amount I should've been left to pay was $50. I contacted customer service billing 3 times about applying my insurance: once on June 1st and twice on June 9th. I have still not received any response. At the hospital, I gave the front desk my insurance information, not to mention this is the SECOND time this has happened to me. So, Hopkins should have had my insurance on file. The first time this exact situation happened to me, customer service got back to me somewhat quickly and fixed the error. However, the lack of response this month is absolutely unacceptable especially considering this bill has already been sent to collections! It's outrageous that you all refuse to apply my insurance or get back to me, and instead have debt collectors go after to me for an amount that I am not meant to pay. The amount of $2400+ is also crazy considering the fact most of the tests administered to me I had denied but doctors told me I had no choice in the matter. Please fix this.

  Business response

  08/05/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/06/30) */ Contact Name and Title: Michelle ******,Team Lead Contact Phone: XXXXXXXXXX Contact Email: ********@jhmi.edu Good morning, Here at Johns Hopkins Health Systems we take pride in providing quality service experience to our patients. Billing is major part of that service and we appreciate the opportunity to review your concerns. I have reviewed your chart from the visit on April 12,2022 and was unable to locate any insurance information. I attempted to contact you via phone to your primary phone number on the account on June 28th, 2022 and left a voicemail to my direct extension to obtain your health insurance information. On June 29th,2022 I sent a email to your JHU email address requesting a front and back copy of your insurance card or to respond with your insurance information. Once I have this information I will update your chart so that your insurance can be billed. We apologized for any inconvenience that may have caused you and look forward to a complete resolution.

• Initial Complaint

  05/28/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I requested medical records from John Hopkins Community Physicians and the third-party company they use Ciox to retrieve the medical records is giving me issues. my DOB is ********** phone number is XXX XXX XXXX and my address is **** Wellspring Drive in Aberdeen MD. I need ALL medical records from 11/01/2018 to the present (Nikita and Kimberly) are the customer service representatives that answered my calls at the XXX XXX-XXXX

  Business response

  09/01/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 15, 2022/07/25) */ Good morning, Thank you for contacting Johns Hopkins billing office and we appreciate the opportunity to review your concerns. Medical Records are not provided by the billing office, Ciox or customer service can only provide the itemized bills. Medical Records can be requested by contacting the Medical Records office at 410-955-6262. Medical records can also be obtained by visiting the location and requesting the documents in person with proper identification. I hope this helps you resolve your concerns, if you need additional help with this matter please contact me directly.

*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. ↩