Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Cleveland Clinic Foundation's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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• 

  Cleveland Clinic Foundation

  9500 Euclid Ave Cleveland, OH 44195-0001

  
• 

  Wooster Family Health Center

  1740 Cleveland Rd. Wooster, OH 44691

• 

  Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute

  1 Park West Blvd Suite 150 Akron, OH 44320

• 

  Akron General Partners Physician Group

  1 Akron General Ave Akron, OH 44307

• 

  Akron General Partners, Inc.

  33 North Ave Tallmadge, OH 44278

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:12/11/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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 made a payment to the Cleveland Clinic 11/2023 of 121.00. This made sense based on my recent EOB. I then received a bill in the mail for 42.76 for services 3/20/23. I had paid for 3/20/23 services on 6/12/23. I also received an EOB in June showing I owed 0.00 for services 3/20/23. When I called Cleveland Clinic billing to find out what was going on, I was told part of the 104.76 I paid in for 3/20/23 services (which was correct per EOB) had been applied to the 3/20/23 bill and part had been applied to services in June that had not yet been billed out. They also told me 42.76 of my November payment was then applied to the remaining 3/20/23 balance therefore I still owed on my account. My complaint is that I paid correct amounts for certain dates based on information from my EOBs. However, Cleveland Clinic's chaotic billing methods now leave me owning for bills I thought I had paid. At this point, it is nearly impossible to determine if I am paying correct amounts or over paying for services. A hospital should not bill in ways that make it extremely difficult to determine if you are being billed correctly.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/14/2023

  Dear Ms. *****,
  
  This letter is in response to the billing complaint filed by Ms. ***** to the Ohio Better Business on 12/12/2023 regarding how patient payments are applied at Cleveland Clinic. Please be advised that her complaint and payments have been reviewed.
  
  A thorough investigation has been completed based on Ms. ***** concern regarding how her payments have been posting verse how she had intended for them to be posted. Cleveland Clinic applies patient payments based on when Explanation of Benefits are received from the patient’s insurance and not necessarily in order of the date of service. The only way to have payments posted to a specific date is to call and make the payment over the phone with a Customer Service representative. However, we have manually corrected the payments to be reallocated to how she had intended. The balances for the date of service 03/20/2023 and 06/16/2023 have been paid in full and posted as the patient requested.
  
  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address concerns. If I can be of any further assistance, please feel free to contact me directly at ************.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  
  
  Emily ******
  Financial Ombudsman
  Revenue Cycle Management, CCHS

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/15/2023

  [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 made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ******** *****
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/08/2023

  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.

  Cleveland Clinic ****** FL, collected a fee for a CT Scan that my insurance would cover at 100% on August 30th, 2023. I have repeatedly asked them to submit the claim(s) to ****** *********** but they refuse. I have spent over 4 hours and 58 minutes on the phone with them and they sound like a broken record. They have used the money for other services as you will see from my letter to them. They need to submit to insurance or eat the charge. Thank you.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/13/2023

  November 13, 2023
  
  ****** ******** ****** **** ****** **** *** ** ********** **** ********** ***** ****** *******
  
  Complaint ID: ********
  
  Dear *** ********
  
  This letter is in response to the billing complaint filed by *** ******l to the Florida Better Business Bureau on November 8th, 2023, regarding billing for a visit *** ******* had on August 30th, 2023.
  
  A thorough investigation has been completed on *** ********* account. *** ******* had a Calcium Scoring Test completed on August 30th, 2023, in which he pre-paid $125.00 at the time of the visit. This pre-payment was taken by the office as this was a self-pay procedure. This charge is ineligible to be sent to *** ********* insurance company.
  
  There was an incorrect adjustment made on this date of service but has since been corrected to reflect $125.00 owed for this calcium scoring test. As of November 13, 2023, this has been paid in full by *** ******* and has been closed out.
  
  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address *** ********* concerns. If I can be of any further assistance, please feel free to contact me directly at *************
  
  Respectfully,
  
  
  
  ******* ******
  Financial Ombudsman
  Revenue Cycle Management, CCHS
  
  
  CC: **** ******* 
  
  Need help paying your medical bills? Call ************ or go to ******************************* for information on our financial assistance policy.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/13/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  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 offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  The response is incorrect, my insurance has a managed care agreement with Cleveland Clinic and as such has repeatedly indicated the procedure is covered at 100%,  Sinc3 the provider is not applying to Thayer agreement with United Heathcare, they will have to provide documentation and Doctors’s notes to me in order for me to file insurance on my own.  My insurance will tell me what, if any amount was or is due Cleveland Clinic.  Until that happens, $125 needs to be applied to other billings.  No collection or detrimental remarks to my credit score are to be filed by Cleveland Clinic.  United Healthcare anecdotally, told me to pay nothing on this service until the claim has been processed, and since Cleveland Clinic is not filing it, it is going to take much longer to resolve.  Finally, I DO NOT ACCEPT THEIR RESPONSE.  This could all be resolved, by Cleveland Clinic simply filing the claim as contracted with UHC for the procedure code requested by my doctor (also a Cleveland Clinic associate).  Cleveland Clinic had originally applied the forced payment of $125 to outstanding claims on my account leaving a credit balance.  However, after I called there billing department, all was reversed and it doesn’t even show I paid $125.  Falsification of records is illegal.

  
  Regards
  
  **** *******
  
  
  
  
   

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/21/2023

  November 21, 2023
  
  ****** ******** ****** **** ****** **** *** ** ********** **** ********** ***** ****** *******
  
  Complaint ID: ********
  
  Dear *** ********
  
  This letter is in response to the rebuttal filed by *** ******* to the Florida Better Business Bureau on November 14th, 2023, regarding billing for a visit *** ******* had on August 30th, 2023.
  
  *** ******* had a Calcium Scoring Test completed on August 30th, 2023, in which he pre-paid $125.00 at the time of the visit as he elected to be self-pay for this service. This test is only covered by insurance when it’s associated with a medical diagnosis, *** ********* test was a screening exam which in this case would not be covered by *** ********* insurance. This has been paid in full by *** ******* and has been closed out.
  
  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address *** ********* concerns. If I can be of any further assistance, please feel free to contact me directly at *************
  
  Respectfully,
  
  
  
  ******* ******
  Financial Ombudsman
  Revenue Cycle Management, CCHS 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/21/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  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 offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  First and foremost, I did not pre-pay anything.  They used a card on my account without my approval.  Second, I have had spent several hours trying to get Cleveland Clinic to bill my insurance company for this service.  Before I even had the test, I contacted United HealthCare and provided the after visit summary from my doctor indicating the CPT code to be performed and there was an expected diagnosis as I have continuous pain in my chest.  Since I have submitted this complaint, Cleveland Clinic went in and fraudulently adjusted the original records to be in their favor.  According to United HealthCare, this CPT code is covered by my plan and billing still has not been sent by Cleveland Clinic to them to advise me what my portion of the payment should have been.  I'm expecting 0.00 per my conversations with United HealthCare.  If Cleveland Clinic does not want to push a button and send the doctor's notes and procedure results along with costs for this service, then they need to send me everything I would need to submit the claim on my own.  And NO, I am not paying for records when they created the problem.
  
  Regards,
  
  **** *******
  
  
  
  
   

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/29/2023

  November 29, 2023
  
  Better Business Bureau
  2800 Euclid Ave, 4th Fl
  Cleveland, Ohio 44115-2408
  Attn: ****** *******
  
  Complaint ID: ********
  
  Dear *** *******
  
  This letter is in response to the rebuttal filed by *** ******* to the Florida Better Business Bureau on November 22nd, 2023, regarding billing for a visit *** ******* had on August 30th, 2023.
  
  *** ******* had a screening calcium scoring test completed on August 30th in which there was no medical diagnosis associated with the screening. This is considered a self-pay procedure in which *** ******* paid in full at the time of his service. This is not eligible to be sent to his insurance company. I have requested an itemized statement be sent to *** ********* home address and email address if he wishes to submit this to his insurance company.
  
  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address *** ********* concerns. If I can be of any further assistance, please feel free to contact me directly at *************
  
  Respectfully,
  
  
  
  ******* ******
  Financial Ombudsman
  Revenue Cycle Management, CCHS
  
  
  Need help paying your medical bills? Call ************ or go to ******************************* for information on our financial assistance policy.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/29/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  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 offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  UnitedHealthCare will not accept a statement.  They have requested Doctor’s orders with CPT Codes, Procedure Results and Doctor’s notes before and after Procedure.  Cleveland Clinic refuses to provide this documentation to me or my insurance company who has also called and told them what they need and that it is covered @100% .  Cleveland Clinic wants to charge me for any records.  I take offense to Cleveland Clinic stating that I authorized payment as I did not, they without my knowledge charged my credit card on file with them.  I asked them to bill my insurance and my insurance will tell me what is my responsibility which is zero dollars!  It amazes me how uneducated and obtuse these people are handling my healthcare.  It would seem to me by now it has cost them more to ignore my request and keep arguing with UHC, the BBB and me.  I’m sure this standoff will cost Cleveland Clinic way more than $125 and it simply could go away if they would fulfill my repeated requests.  I am going to dispute the charge on my credit card as unauthorized until this is resolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  **** *******
  
  
  
  
   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/05/2023

  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.

  May 31, 2023, my wife received an injection at ******** ********. When the claim was submitted to ******* **** it was under my name not the patient's name ***** ****. On July 17th ***** called the billing dept and spoke to ***** and explained that the claim was submitted with the sponsors name and not her name. That the billing dept needed to submit a corrected claim and to pay back the 1,394.76 that they received for me. They needed to submit a claim with ***** as the patient. ***** also told ***** that the Lab/Medical Care on Jun 14, 2023 should have been her as the patient and not me, and that was for 112.06 so total 1,506.82 dollars. About a month later ***** gets a bill from the Cleveland Clinic for 49.00 dtd Jul 24 2023. So, about Aug 16th I call ******* **** and the agent stated no claims received either for myself or wife. At this point I suspect that billing dept just did an inhouse move of records from my account to *****'s account to create the bill. Then agent called billing 3-way call and explained that the original claim had the wrong patient on it and that it needed to be corrected and paid back and that they needed to submit a claim for *****. On Aug 18th ***** called the billing dept and spoke with Jessica about the June 14th Lab work/Medical/Care of 112.06 dols and was told that the payment /EOB hadn't arrived to my account yet and they couldn't do anything. Aug 17 the billing dept submitted a claim with ***** as the patient and was paid the 1394.76 but no corrected claim to payback the 1394.76 erroneous claim under my name. About Sept 6th I called ******* **** after receiving *****'s EOB for the injection. The agent called billing 3 way and she explained 5/31 injection and about the lab/Medical Jun 14th. Billing stated that there wasn't anything under my account and she would take care of it. On Sept 8th they submitted a claim and was paid the 112.06 with no corrected claim to payback the previous 112.06.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/17/2023

  October 17, 2023
  Better Business Bureau
  2800 Euclid Ave, 4th FL
  Cleveland, Ohio 44115-2408
  ***** ****** *****          *** ********* *** ********* ********
  Dear *******
  This letter is in response to the billing complaint filed by ***** ****, husband of patient ***** ****, to the Better Business Bureau on 10/5/23. I would like to first offer my sincere apologies for any frustration this may have caused *** **** and **** ****.
  The root cause of the complaint was that the following claims had ***** **** listed as the patient, instead of ***** ****. A thorough investigation has been completed on *** ****’s account and below are my findings:
  May 31, 2023 hospital services (Reference # ***********): The Cleveland Clinic submitted a corrected claim to ******* **** with ***** **** listed as the patient in the amount of $5,518.80. ******* **** sent the Cleveland Clinic the explanation of benefits on August 28, 2023. Per explanation of benefits, ******* **** paid $1,394.76 and contractual adjustment of $4,075.04 leaving $49.00 towards coinsurance as patient responsibility.
  June 14, 2023 hospital services (Reference # ***********): The Cleveland Clinic submitted a corrected claim to ******* **** with ***** **** listed as the patient in the amount of $386.00. ******* **** sent the Cleveland Clinic the explanation of benefits on September 13, 2023. Per explanation of benefits, ******* **** paid $112.06 and contractual adjustment of $273.94 leaving $0.00 towards patient responsibility.
  June 14, 2023 professional services (Reference # ***********): The Cleveland Clinic submitted a corrected claim to ******* **** with ***** **** listed as the patient in the amount of $603.00. ******* **** sent the Cleveland Clinic the explanation of benefits on September 13, 2023. Per explanation of benefits, ******* **** paid $77.10 and contractual adjustment of $491.90 leaving $34.00 towards coinsurance as patient responsibility.
  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address *** ****’s concerns. If we can be of any further assistance, please feel free to contact me directly at ************.
  Respectfully,
  ****** ******* Financial Ombudsman
  Revenue Cycle Management, CCHS
  Cc: ***** ****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/17/2023

  October 17, 2023
  Better Business Bureau
  2800 Euclid Ave, 4th FL
  Cleveland, Ohio 44115-2408
  ***** ****** *****          *** ********* *** ********* ********
  Dear *******
  This letter is in response to the billing complaint filed by ***** ****, husband of patient ***** ****, to the Better Business Bureau on 10/5/23. I would like to first offer my sincere apologies for any frustration this may have caused *** **** and **** ****.
  The root cause of the complaint was that the following claims had ***** **** listed as the patient, instead of ***** ****. A thorough investigation has been completed on *** ****’s account and below are my findings:
  May 31, 2023 hospital services (Reference # ***********): The Cleveland Clinic submitted a corrected claim to ******* **** with ***** **** listed as the patient in the amount of $5,518.80. ******* **** sent the Cleveland Clinic the explanation of benefits on August 28, 2023. Per explanation of benefits, ******* **** paid $1,394.76 and contractual adjustment of $4,075.04 leaving $49.00 towards coinsurance as patient responsibility.
  June 14, 2023 hospital services (Reference # ***********): The Cleveland Clinic submitted a corrected claim to ******* **** with ***** **** listed as the patient in the amount of $386.00. ******* **** sent the Cleveland Clinic the explanation of benefits on September 13, 2023. Per explanation of benefits, ******* **** paid $112.06 and contractual adjustment of $273.94 leaving $0.00 towards patient responsibility.
  June 14, 2023 professional services (Reference # ***********): The Cleveland Clinic submitted a corrected claim to ******* **** with ***** **** listed as the patient in the amount of $603.00. ******* **** sent the Cleveland Clinic the explanation of benefits on September 13, 2023. Per explanation of benefits, ******* **** paid $77.10 and contractual adjustment of $491.90 leaving $34.00 towards coinsurance as patient responsibility.
  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address *** ****’s concerns. If we can be of any further assistance, please feel free to contact me directly at ************.
  Respectfully,
  ****** ******* Financial Ombudsman
  Revenue Cycle Management, CCHS
  Cc: ***** ****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/17/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  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 offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  As with the prior complaint this is about MY NAME as the patient on 6/14/23 for the ******* **** and the Lab/Medical work instead of the actual patient that's ***** ****.   Billing never submitted a corrected claim removing my name on either 6/14/23 and 5/31/23 to remove the charges that total over 1,506 and change.  That would mean sending money back to Tricare East. 

       If the corrected claims were submitted CORRECTLY and money returned then ******* **** would issue out corrected EOB's for 5/31/23 and 6/14/23 removing the erroneous charges.  This hasn't happened, so that means the 5/31 and 6/14 claims that were originally submitted under my name wasn't done correctly.  According to the Tricare agent in Sept 2023, 2 claims needed to be done.  One that would remove the erroneous charges from my Tricare account and one that was submitted under ***** **** name.  So when billing submitted the corrected claims under ***** **** that didn't have anything to do with the erroneous claims that was submitted under my name.  The corrected claims would need to be under my name not ***** ****.  That is how it would work, since you can't correct a erroneous charge on the wrong person just by submitting the correct patients name.  The insurance company in this case ******* **** thought it was a new patient claim.

  So billing needs to submitted corrected claims under my name to remove the charges and pay back Tricare East.

   

  Regards,

  
  ***** ****
  
  
  
  
   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/17/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  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 offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  As with the prior complaint this is about MY NAME as the patient on 6/14/23 for the ******* **** and the Lab/Medical work instead of the actual patient that's ***** ****.   Billing never submitted a corrected claim removing my name on either 6/14/23 and 5/31/23 to remove the charges that total over 1,506 and change.  That would mean sending money back to Tricare East. 

       If the corrected claims were submitted CORRECTLY and money returned then ******* **** would issue out corrected EOB's for 5/31/23 and 6/14/23 removing the erroneous charges.  This hasn't happened, so that means the 5/31 and 6/14 claims that were originally submitted under my name wasn't done correctly.  According to the Tricare agent in Sept 2023, 2 claims needed to be done.  One that would remove the erroneous charges from my Tricare account and one that was submitted under ***** **** name.  So when billing submitted the corrected claims under ***** **** that didn't have anything to do with the erroneous claims that was submitted under my name.  The corrected claims would need to be under my name not ***** ****.  That is how it would work, since you can't correct a erroneous charge on the wrong person just by submitting the correct patients name.  The insurance company in this case ******* **** thought it was a new patient claim.

  So billing needs to submitted corrected claims under my name to remove the charges and pay back Tricare East.

   

  Regards,

  
  ***** ****
  
  
  
  
   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/04/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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.

  Since 3/8/23, I have been incorrectly charged $200 of copays by Cleveland Clinic on my credit card. I have been working with Cleveland Clinic since 8/18/23 to remove my credit card from automatic payments in their system and I have yet to receive full reimbursement for the incorrect charges. I have spoke with the billing department and the department ombudsman multiple times. I have been mislead multiple times regarding the amounts of money I expect to get back and the forms of payment return (credit card vs. check). Today they told me to call my credit card company since I never received the $100 back on my credit card that they claimed was submitted on 9/7/23. I spoke with my credit card company and they said to file a complaint with the BBB since there is nothing that they can do for that. Cleveland Clinic claims that a check for $100 was mailed yesterday 10/4/23 and should take 2-4 weeks to arrive at my address. I have been waiting for a check in the mail since 8/13/23 and never received one. My credit card company has been able to dispute most of the charges except $20 from 3/31/23.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/10/2023

  Dear ****** *****,
  
  This letter is in response to the billing complaint filed by, ***** ***** to the Ohio Better Business Bureau on 10/04/2023. This complaint was received in the Financial Ombudsman office for review on behalf of the Cleveland Clinic.
  
  I would first like to offer my sincere apology for any frustration this may have caused Ms. *****. I have undertaken a full review of the concerns mentioned and I am satisfied that all issues raised have been researched and addressed appropriately.
  Upon thorough review of Ms. ***** payment history from February 2023-August 2023, it has been confirmed that an overpayment of $220 was indeed made during this period. I have included Ms. ***** payment history and how it was refunded or applied.
  Payment made on 02/07/23($20) --applied to reference# ***********
  Payment made on 03/08/23($40) --refunded by check
  Payment made on 3/30/2023($40)-- $20 applied to reference# *********** and $20 was refunded by check.
  Payment made on 4/11/2023($40)-- $20 applied to reference# *********** and $20 was refunded by check
  Payment made on 6/12/2023($40)-- $20 applied to reference# *********** and $20 was a chargeback
  Payment made on 6/14/2023($40) --$20 was a chargeback and $20 was refunded by check
  Payment made on 7/26/2023($40)-- $40 was a chargeback
  Payment made on 8/14/2023($40)-- $20 was a chargeback and $20 was refunded by check
  Ms. ***** initially requested a refund on August 18, 2023, through our Customer Service Department. Subsequently, the refund request was approved, and we scheduled to send the refund via a check on August 21, 2023. Please be advised that our refund process takes roughly around 4-6 weeks to be completed. Regrettably, our system automatically canceled this refund on August 30, 2023, due to the receipt of a chargeback notification in the amount of $100.
  The chargeback was initiated with Ms. *****’s bank, and as a result, the original refund request was voided.
  When Ms. ***** contacted our Ombudsman Department on September 29, 2023, the financial ombudsman promptly initiated a new refund request on her behalf, and I am pleased to inform that a check was issued on October 4, 2023.
  We kindly request that Ms. ***** direct her concerns and inquiries to her bank, regarding the chargebacks of $100 that was requested on August 30,2023 and completed on September 7, 2023, as the amount of $100 was reversed to the card.
  
  I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and thank you for bringing these concerns to our attention. If we can be of any further assistance, don't hesitate to contact me directly at ************.
  
  Respectfully,
  Ruth ****** 
  Financial Ombudsman 
  Revenue Cycle Management

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/16/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  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 offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  My credit card company stated that they will not accept chargebacks. I have not received a refund check from Cleveland Clinic still. Please keep this complaint open. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *****
  
  
  
  
   

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/26/2023

  Dear ****** *****,
  
  This letter is in response to the rebuttal filed by, ***** ***** to the Ohio Better Business Bureau on 10/16/2023. This complaint was received in the Financial Ombudsman office for review on behalf of the Cleveland Clinic.
  
  After a comprehensive review, the charges related to your account have been thoroughly investigated. We have confirmed that the funds were withdrawn from our payment processing application, as previously mentioned in our correspondence dated October 10, 2023.
  
  In accordance with the request from your banking institution, the withdrawal was successfully done, and no discrepancies or errors have been identified with the transaction. We stand by our initial assessment that your concerns should be directed to your banking institution. Please be advised that the chargeback was initiated by Ms. *****’s bank on August 30,2023 and completed on September 7, 2023, as the amount of $100 was reversed to the card. The outcome of our review will remain unchanged, and we regret that we cannot continue to address this matter.
  
  We understand that this situation may have been a source of frustration, and we appreciate your patience and cooperation throughout the process. If we can be of any further assistance, don't hesitate to contact me directly at ************.
  
  Respectfully,
  Ruth ****** 
  Financial Ombudsman 
  Revenue Cycle Management
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/29/2023

  [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 made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 

  I received the check and cashed it. 

  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *****
  
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/03/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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 called the billing department of Cleveland Clinic 9 times since July of 2022 requesting a refund for the amount I paid over the copayment for the procedure. Each time I called the agent I spoke with told me I should receive a refund. Several of them apparently didn’t forward my claim to the proper department. The last 3 calls I was told that the claim would be sent to the department that issues refunds. I still have not received any refund. I

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/13/2023

  Dear Sandra,
  This letter is in response to the billing complaint filed by ****** ***** to the Better Business Bureau on 10/3/23. I would like to first offer my sincere apologies for any frustration this may have caused Mr. *****.
  The root cause of the complaint was that Mr. ***** states he has called the Cleveland Clinic many times requesting a refund for an overpayment. A thorough investigation has been completed and upon review, a refund check in the amount $2,603.79 has been sent to Mr. ***** as of 10/4/23.
  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address Mr. *****’s concerns. If we can be of any further assistance, please feel free to contact me directly at ************.
  
  Respectfully,
  Rachel ******,
  Financial Ombudsman
  Revenue Cycle Management, CCHS
  Cc: ****** *****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/16/2023

  [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 made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** *****
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/23/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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 May 27, 2023, I utilized the ER at Cleveland Clinic. I have a $450 copay per my plan. When CC billed the visit, they billed the doctor charges separately and my insurance company assigned the responsibility to me in the amount of $188.92. I called my insurance company and explained that I have only a $450 copay for emergency room visits and should not have been responsible for the doctor charges. After they reviewed this, they agreed. They sent me a new explanation of benefits showing I am responsible for $0.00 and they paid Cleveland Clinic. The new EOB AND a copy of the check showing the claim was paid by ****** has been provided to them, but they will not remove this charge from my account. I have made several phone calls and even asked for it to be escalated. I have received two calls from the escalation request, but still the charge remains. I am told this can take months to resolve! This is ridiculous. They make sure you know that you have four billing cycles to get an account paid or they will turn it over to collections. but they are in no hurry to resolve issues! They have all they need to correct my account. The incompetence of the Cleveland Clinic billing department is astounding. They seem unwilling to take the steps necessary to get my account accurate. One can only hope the care team doesn’t mirror the apathy shown by the billing team. If you go to CC for care, watch your billing statements and double check EVERYTHING. In my family, we have had two encounters with CC and both instances where a complete mess.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/06/2023

  Dear ******,
  This letter is in response to the billing complaint filed by ****** ***********, to the Better Business Bureau on 9/25/2023. I would first like to offer my sincere apology for any frustration this may have caused Ms. ***********.
  A thorough investigation has been completed on Ms. ***********’s account. I reviewed the account in conjunction with the medical records associated with the services rendered from May 27, 2023 to May 28, 2023 below are my findings:
  May 27, 2023 to May 28, 2023 Professional services (Reference # ***********): The Cleveland Clinic has removed the $188.92 from patient responsibility while our Cash Control Department locates the insurance payment and applies it to the account correctly. Please allow time for this process to be completed.  
  I apologize for any frustration this may have caused Ms. *********** and thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address her concerns. If I can be of any further assistance, please feel free to contact me directly at ************.
  Respectfully,
  Brendan *******,
  
  Financial Ombudsman
  Revenue Cycle Management, CCHS
  Cc: ****** ***********

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/06/2023

  [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 made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ***********
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/28/2023

  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.

  Every time I call for any reason or any location, I always have to wait at least 20 minutes for anyone to pick up the phone. then it takes 15 minutes to make an appointment for a simple PCP visit. on the phone with them waiting over 2 hours of my calling, i get angry. I calm myself down and try again. All day. no one knew what to do so they would transfer me up to 5 times and i would still end up with orthopedics. I am so tired of your mistakes. my doctor appts and billing are comical. all i wanted to do is schedule urology test. instead i spent most of my day frustrated and angry. finally got the number for urology. It was a fax number. AAAAAGGGGGGG!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/16/2023

  Business reached out to complainant twice by phone, (once on August 1, 2023 and once on August 2, 2023), and once by mail, (on August 3, 2023), with no response from complainant until August 15, 2023.  Business will reach out to complainant again.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/28/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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 COLE EYE INSITUTE DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH VALET WORKERS. THE WAIT TIME FOR YOUR CAR IS REDICULOUS

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/03/2023

  I talked with the person who filed the complaint and got the date, time and make of the car that was valet. We took that information and looked at the cameras. From the time that the patient paid for his car until it arrived to him was 11 mins. We apologized for the wait time and sent him some parking validations for the next time he visits the Clinic. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/03/2023

  [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 made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  **** *********
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/20/2023

  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 had an appt with Dr. ****** on February 27 for an RLE consultation, which is free, stated on your website. ************************************************************************************************  I have received a large bill for this consultation. I am being told that this was a keratoconus evaluation and RLE consultations are not free. I believe there was miscommunication regarding the appt. When I first arrived, the medical assistant (?) was confused and told us RLE consultations are not done on main campus, only Westlake office. She then checked and said they actually did have the necessary equipment to complete it. Dr ****** was very helpful and competent and helped me reach a decision regarding RLE. However, it would seem this was not noted as an RLE consultation in her notes and therefore we have been billed. I have reached out to her office numerous times and to billing without getting this resolved. Many messages have been sent to Jen, her secretary, with no attempt by Jen to follow up with me. Very unprofessional. I have had a few RLE consultations done, due to wanting a few opinions due to this eye condition that I may or may not have, and we have had zero issues like this. Billing has essentially said they've done all that they could. Where does this leave us, with an appointment that was supposed to be complimentary? There are many places to go to receive this kind of consultation without the headache of a massive bill. This is an error on Cleveland Clinic's side. We told staff we were here for an RLE consultation. At no time were we told this was no longer an RLE appointment and we would be billed. PT Account # ************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/27/2023

  Dear ******, 

  This letter is in response to the billing complaint filed by **** ****** to the Ohio Better Business Bureau on 4/20/23. The complaint was sent to the Financial Ombudsman department to review and respond back to you. 
  I would first like to offer my sincere apology for any frustration this may have caused Mr. ******. The root cause of his complaint is he believes RLE Consultation is free. A thorough investigation has been completed into **** ******’s account. As part of the investigation, the account was sent to our coding department, where an audit on the charges was performed. It was determined that the charges on the account for date of service, February 27, 2023, are correct and there were no financial errors. The patient came in with a known medical condition and that he has KCN(Keratoconus). This is not considered a free Lasik screening. 
  However, if Mr. ****** would like to contact me, I would be willing to offer him the $150.00 self-pay healthy routine eye exam.  
  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address Mr. ******’s concerns. If we can be of any further assistance, please feel free to contact me directly at ************. 
  
  Respectfully, 
  
  Brendan *******,  
  
  Financial Ombudsman  
  Revenue Cycle Management, CCHS  
  Cc: **** ****** 
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/21/2023

  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.

  In August I scheduled some yearly well visits for my kids. My oldest had the appointment in late August. It was billed as a well visit and was 100% covered by our insurance. My youngest had the appointment September 15th. She had been sick with an ear infection the week before her appointment, so I took her to a walk-in clinic and she got some antibiotics. She was better by the next day. Then at the well check the doctor checked her height, weight, milestones, I requested her vaccination records & health form for school, etc. The doctor checked the chart, said, "Oh, I see she was seen last week for an ear infection. How is she doing?" I said she was fine & that was the end of the visit. Weeks later I get a bill for my youngest's visit. Her pediatrician coded the visit as a "follow-up visit" to her walk-in visit for her ear infection, not as a well check. This follow up wasn't covered by our insurance. Additionally, the well check had been scheduled (then rescheduled as we were on a waitlist to get in sooner) in August, way before we were ever dealing with an ear infection! How could I schedule a follow up for something I didn't know existed yet? I called the office & was told that because my youngest went to the walk-in clinic, the doctor had to bill the visit as a follow up. Her pediatrician refused to change the coding. I've talked to the front desk, billing department, customer service, & my insurance. All say there is nothing they can do because the doctor only mentioned the ear infection in her notes. She didn't include all the development questions, vitals, request for school forms, or anything else we spoke about. I had been under the impression that we were at a well visit, as that is what I scheduled, and no one informed me that they were changing the nature of the visit. Now I worry about taking my kids to the doctor when they are sick, because I don't understand how walk-in visits might interfere with future scheduled visits.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/03/2023

   

  Dear *******
  
  This letter is in response to the billing complaint filed by Mrs. ********* ***** to the Ohio Better Business Bureau on 3/21/23.
  
  A thorough investigation has been completed on Mrs. *****’s daughter, ******’s account. Per my review, it was determined that per the medical record, the type of visit that took place on 9/15/22, was clarified with the family during the visit because the family declined the Well Care child visit since they had one on 1/25/22. They opted to wait to have the well care child visit in January 2023. The family agreed with doing a follow up from the Urgent Care visit with Dr. ******** on 9/15/22. The diagnosis coding is correct as billed since this visit was not related to a well check and documentation in the medical record supports the follow up for ear pain. The COVID vaccination was given, but billed separately, which is also accurate. However, the CPT code used was for an Established Patient visit, but was not correct because ****** was a new patient being seen by Dr. ********. The CPT code was updated from Established Patient to New Patient visit type and a corrected claim will be sent to ****** overnight.
  
  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address Mrs. *****’s concerns. If we can be of any further assistance regarding this matter, please feel free to contact me directly at *************
  
  Best Regards,
  
  
  
  
  Tiffany Bracken
  Financial Ombudsman
  Revenue Cycle Management, CCHS

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/03/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  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 offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
  
  Regards,
  
  ********* *****
  
  
  
  Contrary to what is mentioned in this response, I was not notified that the visit would not be a well visit. No one explained that to me at any point prior or at the appointment. I did not decline a well check as we were eligible for one.

  Yes, my daughter had a well visit in January 2022 through ****** **********, but that was in ******** and we had since moved to Ohio, my husband had a new employer, and we were on a new insurance plan starting July 2022. Therefore, we were eligible for another well visit for 2022 under our new insurance plan. My older daughter had also had her well visit in ******** in January of 2022 under our old insurance and her August visit at Cleveland Clinic was coded as a well visit and was completely covered by our insurance with no issue. 

  (My husband had another job change and we got another new insurance November 1, 2022, which is why we were eligible again for a well visit in January 2023.) The purpose of that doctor visit on September 15, 2022 was not to check on ******'s ear infection, as I no longer had any concerns about it. She was back to normal, had gone back to school, and was feeling fine as she took her antibiotics. The only reason I scheduled and kept the visit on September 15, 2022 was for a well check/physical to get ******'s school forms filled out so she could continue to attend school for the 2022-2023 school year. (The school would only temporarily accept our ******** vaccine and wellness forms until 9/30/22.) I only needed her forms filled out and since ****** was a new patient, I was told that she had to have a well check before the doctor could fill out her forms, which made sense.

  My older daughter's visit was a well visit and was coded as such, but ******'s was not. The only difference in their appointments is that ****** had gone to the walk-in clinic a few days prior, but I still fail to see how that makes her ineligible for a well visit. The insurance wasn't an issue since it was a new plan and I had contacted them prior to the appointments to ensure we were eligible for well checks and got the all-clear. The issue is that the doctor apparently coded the visit as a follow-up, but I don't know her reasoning for this. I didn't want or need a follow-up and literally only needed a physical to get ******'s school forms filled out.

  My concern is that I will never feel comfortable taking my children to the walk-in clinic when they are sick because it may cause billing issues with future appointments. I don't know what else I could have done in this situation - force my daughter to suffer through an ear infection until after her well check? Or cancel the well check and then she would get unenrolled from school? I feel like I was left with impossible choices where there really should have been no issue. ****** was sick, I took her in to get antibiotics, then she had a well check for her school forms - why can't both of these be true?
   

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/09/2023

  Response received by BBB Staff via email

   

  Hello *******
  
   
  
  The new issue relating to care in the rebuttal has been forwarded to the Medical Ombudsmen’s office for them to review and respond back to the patient’s mother.
  
   
  
  Thanks