ComplaintsforFoundations Counseling and Wellness Center, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  06/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am a former patient of this office. I had a credit card on file for payment after each visit. In addition to them having that card on file, they would send a statement via the patient portal advising of the balance due on the account. I am no longer able to access that portal because I am no longer a patient. I was emailed a bill on today 6/20/24 advising I have a balance due of $84. $27 if this balance has been wrongfully charged to my account. I’ve tried speaking to the office and billing, but unable to get assistance or them to understand my complaint. I never received a bill or notice for the 5/16 charge of $100. The claim they ran my card on 5/16 for $57 but it declined. This caused a decline fee of $25 and $2 processing fee. I have reached out to the card issuer who confirmed no transactions were declined on 5/16. The card on file was reported lost on 5/29. Had the transaction been attempted on or after this date, it would be a valid charge. They are refusing to remove the additional charges and advised the account will be sent to collections if not paid. I should not be liable for these charges when they did not send a statement or notification of the charge as they have always done previously.

  Business response

  06/20/2024

  We are sorry you feel you were not notified. However we did in fact notify you on the date of 5/16 in which you called to late cancel your appt. You were reminded of the late cancellation fee and that it would be charged to your account. The card did not work or go through and that is why that charge was received as per all of the paperwork you signed when first starting services.  We are very sorry that you do not agree with the charges; however, we did give you over a month to make the payment that you were completely aware of. Please know you did call to cancel your next scheduled appt because you stated, “I do not agree with the cancellation charge I received last time so I want all of my sessions cancelled moving forward’”. We complied and cancelled all sessions however that did not mean you still did not owe for the previous late cancellation. Please know that we again are sorry you do not agree but it is in fact the agreement you signed upon entering services. We will send you at least 2 more statements via email reminding you of the amount still owed before we send it to collections. We are more than willing to work with you in a payment if you need one to pay the remaining amount. However we can not reverse the charges as your card did in fact decline on that date and that is why the $25 decline fee was charged as per the agreement you signed. Let us know if you have any further questions and we look forward to to setting up a payment arrangement with you. 

  Customer response

  06/21/2024

   I am rejecting this response because this is not a matter of my feelings. I was notified there would be a cancellation charge during the conversation, but never received a written statement of these charges as I have any other time there was a charge to my account. The most important fact-not a feeling- is that according to my card issuer there was no decline for this transaction. 
  
  Sincerely,
  Sharena C

  Business response

  06/21/2024

  Again we are very sorry that you reject our response. A statement is always provided in your patient portal as it always has been. However as you have admitted you were informed at that moment the card declined as well. When it declines it is immediately posted to the account. We can only go off of the declined/non sufficient funds message we receive through the EHR system at the time the card is ran. We can not account for what you are saying your bank is stating. But on our end it most definitely popped back as declined. Again the statement you received via email also indicates all that has been said to through these messages. We are most definitely willing to work with you on a payment plan. We waited a month to inform you again of the amounts from the late cancellation fee as well as the non sufficient charges fee. Again, we will send you another statement in 30 days.  And one more 30 days after that before the account is sent to collections. 

  Customer response

  06/24/2024

  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I never stated that I was advised the card was declined at the time of payment. I didn’t know anything about a declined card until 6/20 when I received the statement via email. I also made an attempt to pay on the account on Friday. I called to ensure there was not any fees associated with check payment when I was told that checks are not accepted. The statement clearly states that I can mail a check. 

  Sincerely,
  Sharena C

• Initial Complaint

  03/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Foundations Counseling charged me a missed appointment fee for an appointment that I never made. When I contacted them about requesting a refund they explained that they sent an email reminder for the appointment and they can see what time and day I opened the email. They stated that because I received the email that it was my responsibility to call and cancel the appointment. I have no email from them for this appointment in my inbox or my trash. However, the email is not the issue. They stated I cannot receive a refund because opening the email is confirmation of the appointment. I have read through the intake paperwork that I was required to sign and noted the first paragraph states ‘ Please be mindful that, when we schedule your appointment, we are reserving time for your specific needs. We do send email reminders for scheduled appointments; however occasionally, there are technological glitches. These reminders are COURTESY ONLY and cannot be used as an excuse in the event of a missed appointment.’ There is nothing in any of my intake forms stating that opening a reminder email confirms an appointment. My complaint is that I never made the appointment. I never saw this email and even if I did it is not considered confirmation of an appointment. I went on my patient portal and saw they also had me scheduled every week for the rest of the month for appointments. This is a mistake on their end. I do not work the same schedule every week and would have no way of knowing if I would be available for those days. This appointment was made on a recurring status that I did not make. I made my next appointments at the end of my sessions with my therapist. I understand that there was a mistake made. However, they insist I was the one who set up my appointments for recurring. This is not true in any way. I would not be able to confirm my schedule that way. This is only more confirmed by the fact that the ‘missed appointment’ they charged me for was a day I was working.

  Business response

  03/08/2024

  Unfortunately as we explained to Ms. T**** yesterday, her appts where scheduled by her as repeating appts. That she has been attending. It IS in the paperwork that she has to cancel the appts 48 hours in advance in order to not be charged the fee. She received an appt reminder email (as she has before) - it shows where she opened it and viewed it. However, she did not call to cancel this appt. If she did not want to attend this appt she had scheduled on repeating, then once she opened and read the email stating she had an appt, it was her responsibility as a grown adult to call and cancel this appt. However, she did not. Therefore, per all of the documentation she signed in the beginning of services she was charged the missed appt/late cancellation fee that she is in fact responsible for since she did not cancel the appt. We literally have ZERO issues with "fake appts" as this isn't something that is done. As let's be realistic, we would make far more money by her actually coming and attending the appts then if we were to "make fake appts" as she said. There would be absolutely no gain for us in that - she is simply trying to get out of paying a fee for her mistake of not cancelling the appt. The fee will remain. And we wish her the best in remembering to cancel her appts at future places of business. 

  Business response

  03/08/2024

  Furthermore....even if the appt wasn't a reoccurring appt (which is stated that way because most all of our pts make reoccurring appts) she clearly stated in her complaint that she schedules her future appts at the end of each session. She is also able to go on to her patient portal and review her scheduled sessions. She had multiple opportunities to cancel any appt she felt was not correct. However she chose not to do so. Again, it is her responsibility as an adult to cancel her appts in a timely manner. 

  Business response

  03/08/2024

  Attached is the screenshot showing when she received the reminder email, when she opened/read it. She opened it ...saw it...had every opportunity to cancel it and she chose not to.

• Initial Complaint

  06/06/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been going to this practice for three years. Three hours before my regular weekly appointment on Tuesday night last week I was told that my therapist is now an out of network provider and that I owed a deductible. I never received any notice that they weren't in network with Tricare anymore. Instead they billed my insurance company for appointments that have now been rejected rather than asking me if I wanted to continue treating with them. Then their billing department told me I only owed 107 dollars (as screenshotted below) and that I would have no copay going forward. An hour later she retracts what she said and provides new information for the third time after I made a payment. The owner the insinuated that I was not an adult because I don't know what my insurance company covers however for the last three years they covered all of my appointments. This office is rude and inconsiderate of its clients.

  Business response

  06/06/2023

  We informed this patient as soon as we were told from the insurance company. We could not inform her any earlier than when we ourselves were told. She has already been seen several times before we were informed. She then proceeded to berate our staff verbally. She is a patient who when doesn’t get her way she bullies people. Which may say a lot for why she is a patient in the first place. We don’t allow patients to bully us or our staff. We responded to her berating an bullying and she did not like it. We are not sorry for treating her in the same respect she was treating us!  As far as her amounts owed and insurance etc. We do not dictate that. Her insurance does. She does not like that we send her to collections if she does not pay her amounts owed. Unfortunately yes, part of being an adult is knowing your insurance coverage and knowing you have to pay your bills. We wish her the best and will be providing her amounts owed to the collections agency if she does not pay when due. 

• Initial Complaint

  02/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I went into the business because I wanted to start service with them. I asked the lady at the front desk if they accepted my insurance. She looked up the information and said yes! It was free counseling through my employers EAP program. I contacted them told them I needed an authorization number for the business my EAP services gave me the Authorization number and I gave it to the business before making an appointment. I was told that I would not be charged as the services would be through my employer. Scheduled appointment a week later and went to it. I noticed 2 days later I was charged for an amount of 106. I contacted the business and asked why and they gave me a couple of answers about not having the Authorization number. I gave it to them again and then they told me they don't accept my type of EAP insurance. I told them that was not told to me in the beginning when I made the appointment or nothing was said to me I came in for the appointment. Nobody told me there was an issue before charging me. I tried to speaking with a billing person by the name of Racheal and she was extremely rude and unprofessional. She hung up on me and told me if I called back she would report me for harassment. I ended calling back because I wanted the information of the owner and was not given it. I placed a review for the business and noticed that other people seem to run into the same issues with the business billing department. They rudely responded back to my review.

  Business response

  02/21/2023

  Unfortunately this person gave us the wrong insurance information upon entering services. She stated that she had ****** ********** EAP which we do in fact accept. However after receiving the services and billing the insurance, we were informed by that insurance that she was not insured by them. When she was informed of this she told us she had ***** EAP which we do not accept. Therefore she had to be billed for the services she received, as ultimately it is her responsibility to pay for the services she received. She was extremely rude to all staff when she called. She was cursing and screaming and even though it was not the businesses fault that she was the one who gave the wrong insurance information. We do not tolerate any bullying of any kind from any patient. Therefore after several attempts to redirect her and for her to calm down, we ultimately had to hang up due to her inappropriate and childish behaviors. She then took to ****** to post a very inaccurate review, much like this one to which we responded back honestly. We as a business have 500 patients all of whom have zero issues with their billing. We have had a total of 7 people who have not liked our policies and have not wanted to pay their bills. It is all in the intake paperwork she signed that states her card on file will be billed for any services she receives if insurance does not cover it. It plainly states that we do not have to notify her before charging her card. She signed this paperwork before starting services. Maybe she should go back and read what she signed. And take responsibility for her own mistakes. We hope she has a lovely day!

  Customer response

  02/21/2023

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

• Initial Complaint

  01/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I called the client “Foundation Counseling and Wellness Center, LLC” days prior to my scheduled appointment (November 30, 2022) and asked if I could have a Teleconference and what I needed to do. I was told that would be okay. I asked them if I had to do anything to confirm the teleconference. I was told that “I was put on their list and that was all that needed to be done. I said thank you. I have had multiple teleconferences with other medical offices before. All of the medical offices (I.e. Dr. N*****; Dr. D*******; etc; ….) would send me an email or text reminding me of the teleconference date and time as well as a button on the email for connection to a PATIENT PORTAL to test or start the teleconference. I received no communications of any kind from Foundation Counseling and Wellness Center, LLC. I waited in front of my computer and iPhone the day of the appointment (November 30, 2022) until after the appointed time. I called my therapist and got no response. I called again later and explained what I experienced and requested a reschedule. I was given December 14, 2022. A day or two before my 12/14/22 appointment, I received an email reminding me of my schedule. It contained a button that would connect me to their Patient Portal. I tested the patient portal and it worked. On December 14, I had my scheduled teleconference, and all went well. I advised my therapist of the lack of communications I incurred with my previous scheduled teleconference. He said that he was quite sure the difficulties were not caused by me. There is no record of an email reminding me of my teleconference schedule containing “a button that would connect me to their Patient Portal” for my teleconference appointment on November 30, 2022. I was billed $116.99 for the missed appointment (November 30, 2022). I dispute this charge because Foundation Counseling and Wellness Center, LLC’s is at fault for the missed conference.

  Business response

  01/17/2023

  I have attached proof of Mr. ******* having received email reminders for the appt on 11/30/22; as well as it showing he opened the emails/read them. His appt was clearly marked telehealth as the screenshot indicates. Unfortunately Mr. ******* did not show in the portal even though it was provided and therefore he was put as a no show as clearly indicated in our policies he signed upon starting services. The clinician was online and waited patiently as he didn't show despite having read his email reminders. However, even if he had not opened any email reminder, businesses are not required to send reminders to adults to adhere to their scheduled appointments. Also, the clinician states that he never had a conversation with Mr. ******* in which he told him that it was not his fault he missed his own appt. We are very sorry that he does not like our missed appointment policy and did not want to pay the missed appointment fee; however, as you can see he was clearly aware of the appointment, it was clearly scheduled as a telehealth, and he clearly did not attend. The missed appointment fee was $95 and the total charge included $21.99 for his copayment of a previous appt to which insurance stated he owed $21.99.  If you would like us to also send you the intake paperwork to which he signed agreeing to him being charged late cancellation or missed appt fees please let me know. 

  Customer response

  01/18/2023

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

  I received no Emails from the business regarding the teleconference scheduled on 11/30/22. The only email I received was for the 12/14/22 appointment which I responded to as requested.
  
  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. ↩