ComplaintsforPediatric Ophthalmology Consultants, LLC.

• Initial Complaint

  12/06/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My child who is experiencing developmental delays is a patient here.. after making his appointment I wasn’t given any information regarding a balance due. When i called to cancel our appointment due to my family all having the flu which my son was hospitalized for they told me my child could no longer be a patient due to missing the appointment for an unforeseen medical issue. Once I spoke with ****** she told me it was because of a balance of $74 on the account in which I never received any notice of and no one mentioned until I told them we were sick and unable to make it to the appointment. Now my child has to go longer without this examination to help with his developmental delay due to unprofessional staff at this establishment with no compassion. I have great insurance and they confirmed they paid the statements in full.

  Business response

  12/12/2022

  [BBB Transcription via Attachment]

  This is a response to complaint #********. The parent that filed the complaint has four children that
  have been discharged from our practice. One child was scheduled with our office on November 29,
  2022. Mom called an hour AFTER the appointment time, to state that the entire family was sick with the
  flu and one child was hospitalized and needed to reschedule the appointment. I explained to mom that
  there is an office policy, that if an appointment is considered a no show, there would be a $30.00 fee,
  but since she mentioned there was a child that was hospitalized, I told her that I would adjust the fee off
  as a courtesy. I began to tell her about the balance on the entire family’s account that had been sent to
  collections before rescheduling the child’s appointment, however she then said, “I am not dealing with
  this, and I will just find another doctor” then preceded to hang up. Mom called the office back on
  December 5, 2022, to reschedule the child’s appointment, she was then told again that there was a
  balance sent to collections, and unfortunately, we could not schedule any future appointments. The
  patient she had tried to reschedule was seen as a new patient with our office on December 2, 2021. He
  needed to be followed every three months and had not been scheduled again until his November 29,
  2022, appointment (missing 4 total appts). Also, the family has a total balance of $209.84 that was
  turned over to collections. Altogether there were 48 statements sent out, none of which were returned
  to our office (which would indicate they received all of them). Even after mom was made aware of the
  balance, she refused to pay, stated she was going to report us to the BBB and hung up the phone again.

  Customer response

  12/12/2022

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The information is not correct. I called the office 10 minutes after the start time which was within the 15 minute grace period. The office never scheduled follow up appointments after Dec 2021, didn’t tell me we needed to come back every 3 months or ever reached out to me for an appointment or this said balance. I still haven’t seen a statement for this balance either in which this child is apart of the BCMH (children with medical handicaps) who pays for any and all cost not covered by insurance which if I would have been given a chance to resolve the balance they would have been paid. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ******

  Business response

  12/20/2022

  [BBB Transcription via Fax]

  
  Thls Is a second response for complaint #********. I have attached a document from our system that indicates the appointment status that was changed from booked to a no show at 9:46a.m. (15 minutes after the appointment.) We do not, and have never had, a 15 mlnute grace perlod for people to call and cancel appointments AFTER they are already missed. This Is minute courtesy 1s only granted for people who are showing up for their appointments. We are always happy to reschedule for people who call BEFORE their appointment tlma. Once I spoke with mom on the phone at 10:34a.m. the appointment status was changed from a no show to a cancellation, as an additional counesy. At the patient's InltIaI visit with our office, December 2, 2021, the doctor stated the patient neaded to return in 4-6 weeks with the new glasses. Mom scheduled a follow-up appointment on Detember 29, 2021 and scheduled three new patient appointments for her other children on the sama day. Mom showed up to the offlce on December 29, 2021, with the three new patients but not with the patient that needed to be seen for a follow-up, she mentioned that she didn't know he was on the schedule. Regarding the stataments, I have attached documents that show a total of 48 statements (which moM Claims were navar sent) that have been mailed. Our office Is not In contract wlth the BcMH program; therefore, we would have never submitted any Information to them. Mom signed In the new patient paperwork that she understands she \s finantlally responsible for any balance not covered by her insurance carrier.
  
  At this point, our office has discharged the entlre family and the accounts were sent over to collections. Mom can contact the collection agenty to pay the balance on the accounts. Also, there is another pediatric ophthalmologlst In Sylvanla, Ohio that mom can contact to schedule an appointment. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the offlte.
  
  Thank you,
  
  
  ****** ********
  Pedlatric Ophthalmology Consultants
  

  
  

  Customer response

  12/28/2022

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The information is false. It’s very clear and obvious that this office is unprofessional and lacks communication with patients. No follow up visits were ever confirmed or scheduled. No statements. The office is a representation of ****** which speaks for itself. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ******

*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. ↩