ComplaintsforBuffalo Medical Group PC

• Initial Complaint

  07/24/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On 7/12/24, I had a Dermatology appointment at Buffalo Medical Group 425 Essjay Rd. Suite 130, Williamsville, NY 14221 at 10:15 a.m. Dr. Zoey G***** office. My husband and I used google maps on my phone for directions and unfortunately my maps took me to downtown Buffalo (wrong place) even though the address was correctly inputted for the appointment. Not sure how that went wrong. We had to back track to get to the right place. I panicked. Called the dermatology office 7 times from 10:12 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. to let the office know I was going to be late. No answer from anyone! The automated messaging system just kept repeating the list of options and still no answer from a medical professional. My husband and I arrive to the correct place 25 minutes late. I ran in and immediately apologized and tried to explain what happened. The receptionist was short and rude. She got up and walked away to speak with someone about my appointment. I'm the only patient there other than staff, so they were not booked. After a few minutes, the receptionist came back and told me I had to reschedule. I did say since I have an appointment already scheduled for next year, I'll be back then. I NEVER had a telephone encounter with Mary or anyone else from that office on 7/12/24. Also, NEVER missed 3 appointments. The appointment for June, I did reschedule. Made sure that it was at least 4 days in advance. Received a bill for $50 due to missed appointment. I should not be responsible for that bill. There is nothing in the waiting room or anything sent with my bill about fees. I don't appreciate them lying to justify the way I was treated and the false information I printed from my Buffalo Medical Group patient account. Attached are documents regarding this situation. Also attaching screenshots of calls on 7/12/24. No incoming calls from Dr. G***** office and my outgoing calls to try and get in touch with them.

  

  Business response

  07/31/2024

  We have received the patient's complaint. A careful review of the records indicates the patient missed or rescheduled several appointments. Despite the fact that the patient's documentation of text messages she received clearly show that late/no show fees can be charged, we have decided to remove the late fee from the patient's billing record.

  Customer response

  08/02/2024

  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. 
  
  Regards,
  ******** ******
  
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/19/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have had it with my Doctor at Buffalo Medical Group. He doesn't listen to me and doesn't care about my health. He keeps his face barried in the computer instead of examining me. I am not one to go to the doctor so when I say I am not feeling well and want to make an appointment then it's serious. So serious I had to Google my symptoms and ask my doctor to run the test. Sure enough I had RA. My doctor was clueless when I was telling him my symptoms. I have asked to switch doctors only to be told no. I can't. I even begged to see a non doctor. I was told no. I asked to have someone higher up call me back and no phone call ever came. But yet they send me reviews. Every review I send I tell them I am not happy with my doctor. So once again I an left to goggle my symptoms. And they match up to Interstitial lung disease. I asked the doctor what he though and he said we will discuss at my appointment. Which his office left me a voicemail saying he could keep the appointment. I didn't listen to the voicemail until I got home after showing up to my appointment 30 minutes early. I was able to see him but he never mentioned Interstitial lung disease. He asked me if I had COPD and something else. I said I was not diagnosed with it. Wouldn't he try to rule those conditions out? I am going to someone who supposedly has a medical degree. I am looking for medical help. All he wants to do is push pills which he knows I have allergies and refuse to take because of a fear of having an allergic reaction. I wont go into how he prescribed me a medication that was a known allergen. Thank GOD I didn't take it. Just total disregard for me and not reading my chart ever! I told him how I fall asleep while driving. He said let's order blood work you could have an autoimmune disease. I said dude I do. I have RA. Is that not in my chart. He was like oh ya. I love the convenience of Buffalo Medical Group. I hate my doctor. I hate that they will not let me switch and never call me.

  

  Business response

  07/08/2024

  Our operations staff has contacted the patient and was able to transfer her care to another provider to her satisfaction. 

• Initial Complaint

  09/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The attached messaging illustrates the events, multiple calls which were not returned.  The office did not respond to a serious medical concern (*******'s Disease can be fatal in minutes).  I had witnesses ( my husband and my brother) and I have phone records showing calls out, no return calls.  The office said Marina, my PA, told me to follow up with my endocrinologist, however, this was never relayed to me.   Additionally, I did not have an endocrinologist at that time as he had moved to a different city, and my primary was aware of this. I was told I could schedule with another primary care doctor, Dr Jacquelin J*****, and when I expressed, I was upset over losing my doctor when I had multiple medical issues, I was told I was then dismissed from primary care altogether. I couldn't believe they were with holding me from a significant number of doctors in the community. I thought I could schedule with family medicine and attempted to do so. I also tried to contact my other specialists in the group, medical records and the imaging department and was disconnected multiple times throughout the week. I would make calls and as soon as I stated my DOB, I was disconnected. I felt isolated and have never been treated so horribly by a business. My brother, *** visited the OP location on 1/13 and I relayed to the front desk all of my calls, to different departments were being disconnected or transferred to a comment line. A friend, ***, was also a witness. The front desk had 2 people from Operations come down and I stated my concerns. They stated they would relay the info. I had to deliver some paperwork that was requested to my specialist and the 2 women followed me into the doctor’s office and listened to me discuss my personal health information. I was eventually told I was doing wrong by trying to contact my doctors and get medical care when I was in renal failure and very sick and unable to eat. My husband had also been recently dismissed from Dr N*****’s office about the same time as I was which was a year ago. I had brought some ethical concerns to their attention, and they were not addressed. To state there was a disconnect between the pt and the doctor rather than look into patients concerns is wrong and misleading.

  

  Business response

  10/18/2023

  Upon research of this complaint, it was determined that this patient had multiple interactions with providers that lead to the Buffalo Medical Group discharging her. A discharge from the Group is no small matter. The criteria that go into whether a patient gets discharged from the Group is vast with significant review and oversight. Typically, Discharges are a result of continued behavior that fails the meet the professionalism required between a provider and patient. Our notes show however that the patient is still being treated by our endoscopy department. Sometimes exceptions are made to allow doctors to continue to treat the patient where the absence of treatment could cause harm to the patient's health.  

  Customer response

  11/13/2023

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the response I reviewed appear below.  I brought an ethical concern to my doctor’s attention during November 2021 who was also the medical director. I also sent a letter in November. Early Dec 21, this doctor stated he was discharging both my husband and I from his care (we were patients of his for over 25 yrs) because I was not having an “objective“ view of the situation. I was still a pt until 1/31/22 and after I was dismissed, I unfortunately became very sick and my health concerns stopped being addressed mid January . I could not establish care with another primary doctor in the group until March. I then wrote a letter during November 2022 asking if the ethical issue could be addressed. I was then suddenly dismissed from a new primary doctor early January of 2023 without having had any contact with him for several months. I had received a dismissal letter stating I was still a patient until the end of January 2023.  I also had other specialists at the facility when the emergent issue on 1/9 as described occurred. BMG should address patients ethical and medical concerns without retaliation. Treating people well is their motto. A few of their doctors do follow it. My husband and I were both traumatized by their operations department, their lawyer, the medical director and my doctor having no regard or concern for our welfare. My husband also became ill from the stress. Their lawyer stated she would continue to have my calls misdirected if I tried to reestablish care with another primary MD. BMG knew they could take advantage since they are a private entity. Responding to ethical concerns should be the norm. In addition, there is an error in their response. It should have read the pt is still being treated by our Endocrinology dept, (not Endoscopy) and other specialists.   Regards,  ***** ******  

• Initial Complaint

  08/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I went to Buffalo Medical Group in Williamsville on 7/11/23 for a stress test. My primary doctor had the test pre-approved and sent them an order for the test. The order that she sent to BMG stated I was having this particular test because my COPD made it impossible to do a stress test using the treadmill method. When I went for the test, they did not check my breathing until after the test was partially done, and because of my COPD wheezing, they would not complete the test. The technician claimed she asked the doctor (I never saw the doctor) and she said his instruction was not to proceed with the test. When registering, I was charged a $175 copay for the procedure. Because they did not do the test, I requested and got a refund on my copay on 7/24/23. A month later, on 8/29/23, I got an email portal bill for $175 for the copay. I inquired about this bill, telling them I had already received a refund from them, so why were they billing me again. The next day they called me back to tell me that they did part of the test, so I was liable for the copay. MY DOCTOR CLEARLY STATED ON HER ORDER WHY I WAS GETTING THAT PARTICULAR TEST. ************ ****** APPROVED THE TEST FOR THE SAME REASON. BMG SHOULD HAVE CHECKED THE WHEEZING BEFORE STARTING THE TEST AND THIS WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED! I had the same test done three weeks later at ******* ***** ******** ******* ****** ***** ****, still wheezing as bad as ever. Why should I have to pay the copay for the test at BMG they never should have started? Why is it that they could do the same test at the ******* ***** ******** ******* ****** ***** **** with me wheezing as bad as ever?

  

  Business response

  10/13/2023

  The outcome is that an exception was granted to this patient and their copay will be credited. Without going into too much clinical detail on the patient, contrary to the patient's claim that BMG knew of their COPD condition, our documentation shows otherwise-- both from the referral paperwork and insurance company's authorization paperwork. There is no documentation that the patient was being evaluated for COPD, or that the patient had COPD. The test that was ordered was for other medical conditions. Therefore, when the condition of wheezing occurred, the safest thing for the patient was to stop the test and to prevent the patient from going into respiratory distress. This test has 2 parts. part 1 was completed, part 2 was not completed because of the complication. In most cases, a refund, based on unexpected complications, is not refundable. As mentioned before, a trauma center, such as a hospital, is better equipped to handle any emergencies, and I'm sure the hospital was informed of the COPD prior to their conducting the test. Therefore, the patient's comparison of medical facilities will not be addressed in this response.  I hope this helps. Sincerely,Mike

  Customer response

  10/18/2023

  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.  I just wanted them to stop billing me for the copay that they had already refunded and accept the payment that Independent Health sent to them on my behalf.Regards, **** ****

• Initial Complaint

  02/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  2/13/2023 The nature of this dispute is Dr. ********** charging me $580. for service I believe he did not provide. This transaction started back July1,2022 to this present. I believe I do not owe Dr. ********** anything to due to non service. I have uploaded documents ,receipts, etic.

  

  Business response

  02/14/2023

  Mr. ******* ********* Our operations staff has reviewed the information that you shared with us and will remove the charges from your account. Heather B*****, a BMG Operations Specialist, left you a voice mail regarding this response. Please call her if you have any questions, at *** * *********.  

  Customer response

  02/14/2023

  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.   Regards,  ******* ******** 

• Initial Complaint

  09/02/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On August 28,2021 I received a past due notice from ******* health group. Since I've never heard of them I contacted them to see what I was being billed for. They informed me that Bonita at Dr. K***'s office at Buffalo Medical Group called in a prescription for me for ******* on September 22, 2020. Not only have I never taken this medication, I've never seen Dr. K***. I called Buffalo medical group and was told by Bonita "it must have been for the OTHER ******* ************ " I have multiple issues with this, IF in fact they do have another patient by the same name, they violated HIPPA by revealing that. I've now received two bills for a drug I've never heard of and someone's insurance is being billed $17,762 37 for this. I am disgusted at the lack of help in resolving this issue. For some reason I am unable to upload the bills but I am happy to provide them.

  

  Business response

  10/28/2021

  While awaiting the Better Business Bureau response to her complaint, Ms. ******* M. ************ also contacted Buffalo Medical Group (BMG) to express her concerns.  After an immediate and complete investigation, BMG determined that an expensive medication was mistakenly ordered in her name.  Ms. ******* M. ************, the complainant, has never seen the physician who ordered the medication and does not suffer from the medical condition for which the medication was ordered.  The medication was intended for another patient with the same name (they have a different middle initial).   BMG corrected this mistake in the following ways.  Ms. ******* M. ************’s BMG medical and billing records were examined and all references to the medication along with all of the billing that was under the control of Buffalo Medical Group were corrected.  The medication was ordered from *******, a specialty pharmacy.  They directly billed Ms. ******* M. ************ for the medication.  BMG asked Ms. ************ to send copies of the ******* bills so BMG could assist in correcting this matter with *******. BMG contacted ******* on Ms. ******* M. ************’s behalf to explain the mistake and arrange for it to be corrected by *******.  ******* corrected their records and the billing.  BMG reached out to Ms. ************ to advise her that the matter has also been corrected by ******* and she should not be receiving any more bills.  Ms.  ************ was provided with contact information for the ******* representative to confirm the conversation, if she felt the need to do so.  Ms. ************ Is aware that if there was a ******* bill pending while this matter was being corrected that could not be stopped, she could reach out to ******* at any time to confirm her balance due was zero.

  
  Ms. ************ was informed that the other patient, for whom the medication was intended, was contacted and notified about this mistake.  ******* M. ************ was also informed that the BMG employee who made the error has been retrained on the proper workflows.

  
  All of this occurred before BMG received notification of the BBB complaint.  It is my understanding that Ms. ************ understands the human error and is satisfied with this resolution.
  
  Karen D. T**********
  General Counsel
  
  ###-###-####

*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. ↩