ComplaintsforUPMC Pinnacle

• Initial Complaint

  11/04/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I'm trying to do a payment plan of $50 a month and if i don't pay more then they will send me to collections. At least i'm making an effort to pay my bill. I just set up this same payment plan with ******** and just paid off my bill and had no issues with them.

  Business response

  11/04/2022

  ************ wanted UPMC Central PA to send her monthly bills and she will make payments as she can. UPMC Central PA does not generate monthly bills; we generate 3 statements for patients to make a payment, set up a payment plan or apply for financial assistance.  

  UPMC Central Pa does offer 2 types of payment options. They include a three month payment plan which stays with the hospital.  The three month payment plan equally divides the balance into 3 monthly payments.  If a person is unable to accommodate the 3 month option, we also offer a longer term payment plan called ************ through ******** Bank and Trust Company.  With this payment option, it allows a longer time to pay on the balance assigned by a patient's insurance. This option also does not charge fees or interest to a patient. A third option available and noted on the patient statements is Financial Assistance.
  
  A financial aid application was mailed today, 11/4/22 to *** ****.  Financial Assistance is available for those who qualify.  *** **** may review the financial assistance letter and complete the financial assistance application to see if she qualifies. 
  

  Each hospital organization has a credit and collection policy; UPMC Central PA is not the same as Wellspan's policy.  
  

  I've attached our credit and collection policy.   

  I hope this resolves her concern.  

• Initial Complaint

  02/09/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I went to UPMC Express Care Hanover on 12/16/21 for a medical issue. My husband came with me. At the front desk we received a sheet (attached) with pricing and made a deposit of $101.40 and were told that the appointment would be "about $140, maybe a little bit more depending on what kinds of tests are done". During the appointment we told the provider, ******* *****-******, that we believe that it was an infection. She disputed our suggestion and recommended a fluid test and a swab test that she said was all in one. She said this was standard and that she didn't know the price but that it would just cost "a little bit more". We got the bill (attached - Acct# *********) and it was  $2,186.20. We note that the bill includes a significant number of tests - many more than what the provider suggested or what we guessed the issue was/complained about. The test results that I didn't want did not show anything useful to me. At no point did the provider indicate that the cost would significantly exceed the original quote, nor did she tell us all the tests that she was billing for. If they had done so, we would not have authorized the tests. UPMC customer service representative, *** on 12/22, confirmed that the tests were not necessary. I initially sent a complaint about the billing issue to [email protected] on 12/23/21, but only got a response on 1/10/22 (after following up with them on 1/9/22) that they don't have access to my account or bill. I sent a message on UPMCs internal patient portal on 1/12/22 about the billing error and saying we would agree to pay a total of $300 in order to settle this, which I think is more than fair. After I got no response, I followed up on 1/21/22 and got no response though it says it was viewed by the staff on 1/26/22 (attached).For resolution, I would like a response from the Provider and a correction to the bill for a reasonable amount.

  Business response

  03/07/2022

  We have reviewed **. ********'s complaint and hope the following information will help address her concerns.

  
  **. ********'s laboratory samples were collected at the Urgent Care location.  Urgent Care charged for the visit and for the collection of specimens.  Some of these charges are reflected on the price sheet attached to the compliant.
  

  The provider,******* *****-******, took a swab sample and ordered multiple tests from one swab sample to determine an accurate diagnosis to treat **. ********* condition.  In order to determine an appropriate diagnosis, multiple laboratory tests will be performed on one specimen to rule out or treat the patient. The statement of the provider indicating charges may be a little more would have applied to the collection at their site not the actual charges for the analysis of the laboratory tests sent to a lab.
  

  The samples collected were sent to a laboratory to be analyzed for an accurate diagnosis in order to treat her condition properly.  This results in two separate bills, one for the Urgent Care services and one for the analysis of the laboratory samples conducted by a lab.  

  We responded on February 16, 2022 to **. ********* inquiry dated January 21, 2022.  Our response on February 16th indicated we sent her concern to be reviewed by another department and we placed her accounts on hold.  We placed the accounts on hold to prevent additional billing statements being mailed during the review.     
  

  We reviewed the account and it is determined the charges are correct and accurate for the services provided. 

  As a one-time courtesy, we reduced the balance $2,040.00 to $300.00 for the laboratory services on account ********, which in **. ********* letter she states she would agree to pay $300.00 to settle this account. 
  ******************** is also responsible to pay the $146.20 balance on account ******** for services she received at Urgent Care.    
  

  I have released the holds on her accounts which reflect the balances for her two accounts.
  

  I hope this satisfies your complaint and explains the billing of the laboratory charges.

  Customer response

  03/10/2022

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  01/26/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My mother was admitted to UPMC Pinnacle HARRISBURG Hospital on 1/11/22. She collapsed IN the hospital while accompanying a friend to an appointment at the Heart and Vascular Center.  She was immediately admitted to the ER department, in respiratory failure and later diagnosed with bacterial pneumonia. It is INCREDULOUS that she was sent home without oxygen (this was remedied a day later by her SHOCKED primary care physician). However, my point of contention in this complaint is that the ER nurse explained to me that my mother could not HEAR me on the telephone because she (THE NURSE) knocked her hearing aid out when she put a ***** mask on her head. She told me she was going to look for it, as my mother was clearly incapacitated, but she did NOT look for it and now my disabled mother is facing the harrowing dilemma of either taking a high interest loan (that she will never get out from under on a fixed income) to get new hearing aids (they work in tandem so one replacement is not possible at this juncture) OR STAY DEAF. In my detailed complaint letter to the hospital, we were met with a FORM LETTER telling us SORRY, we aren't responsible for "personal belongings". YET, their nurse knocked the hearing aid across the room, failed to look for or find it, and this was NOT my mother's fault, as she lay incapacitated on breathing assistance in a hospital bed.. Further, SINCE WHEN are medical devices lumped in the same category as lost t-shirts? This is a MEDICAL DEVICE and UPMC's policy on this matter and their perceived liability is just WRONG and clearly based on bottom-line decision making. Bad policy, bad ethics, bad for patients (customers!), bad for the community, bad for their reputation. Mostly, bad for my 74 year old mother who know cannot even hear her television, who we have to scream to to have a discussion, including HEALTH MATTERS. We are pursuing her content insurance carrier who might cover, but there would still be a big deductible.

  Business response

  01/31/2022

  Thank you for contacting UPMC Pinnacle.  This complaint was also filed with ***, in which our Compliance department submitted the attached documents as response. 

  Business response

  02/17/2022

  UPMC Harrisburg Patient Relations and Regulatory reviewed this complaint which was also filed with ********************.  Patient Relations investigated the concern following their standard procedure and has a signed Consent by the patient which acknowledges the facility is not responsible for missing items.  Regulatory also had a telephone call with ******************** regarding this complaint and they were satisfied with UPMC Harrisburg's determination to not replace the hearing aid.  

  There is also an OAG complaint to which Compliance will be responding with the same information.  

  This is our final response to the complaint.  

  Customer response

  02/17/2022

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  SAME OLD SAME OLD.  So basically,  "We lost your medical device and had you sign a form saying we weren't responsible for it many hours later while you were sick with pneumonia and barely able to breathe..."  (verifiable on documentation the hospital actually submitted - can't make this up!).  NO SCRUPLES whatsoever.  We loose your MEDICAL DEVICES, TOO BAD.  Tough luck.  We'll lie and deceive our way out of liability.  Sickening.  
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************** & *********************

• Initial Complaint

  12/16/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Went in for a routine work physical had some labs done for pre existing isssues from the previous year ******* **** Virus and Low ***********. According to UPMC these tests are routine to them and not preventative medicine which i'm covered at 100 percent my deductible is only 200 dollars which was met already for the year however they are trying to charge me 598 dollars because insurance denied their claim i'm not responsible for figure out the bill i’m not paying a single dollar to these people

  Business response

  01/07/2022

  Dear *******, 

  We've contacted the provider's office to review if the patient's lab tests had the correct diagnosis codes on the claim when submitted to insurance.  The provider's office has left several messages for the patient to return a call to their office as they need to obtain additional information from the patient for a lab test.  To date, the patient has not returned their calls.  I've placed his account on hold for 30 days to see if he will return their call in order to resolve his complaint.   

  Please reach out to me if you need any additional information.   

*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. ↩