ComplaintsforSanford Health

• Initial Complaint

  01/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I have money being transferred to an IRA from Principal to the Sanford Heath Savings Account. And so far my experience has been awful. They're telling me it may take up to 8 weeks for a simple transfer transaction to happen between these two companies. I've been waiting for several weeks already. And neither business will take the initiative to complete this simple transaction. Principal claims it only takes them up to 5 days and its been well over that. Sandford Health Plan says they have to be the ones to handle the transaction. Yet here I am weeks and weeks later and its still not completed. No one knows where my money is.

• Initial Complaint

  05/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had a ******* ******** on 11-29-22 with **** **** at Sanford Clinic ** ********. I was charged for 2 office visits for my ******* ********. I only had 1 appointment. I went in and out of the doctors office 1 time and was charged for 2 office visits. This is corrupt and dishonest. **** **** has a negotiated price contract with my insurance company and if she doesn't like the contract she should get out of the negotiated contract and not charge double or for extra appointments that never happened. I have never in ** years of ******* ********* been charged for 2 appointments. Sanford Health says you talked to the doctor about your health and that is why you are getting charged for two appointments. Sanford said you can't talk to the doctor about anything at your ******* ******** or else you will be charged for extra office visits. I said that is crazy I have always talked to my doctor about my health during my ******* ********* for the last ** years and never ever been charged for extra office visits. There was no warning of this malpractice at all I found out when I got the bill for my ******** ******* ********. You can verify this is 100% accurate by requesting the recordings of the call between myself and Sanford and *****. I asked them to preserve the phone recordings. The ******** on 11-29-22 was the shortest and most brief ******** I have had in ** years. I have never had a ******** as least thorough as this was. If **** **** doesn't like the negotiated rate then she should get out and not charge double office visits to compensate. That is dishonest and unethical. I want this second office visit reimbursed to myself and my insurance company. I also want an apology from Sanford Health and **** **** for up charging and charging for fictitious office visit that NEVER happened. I have numerous documents to submit to you. Thank You Joe *****

  Business response

  05/18/2023

  I am in receipt of your consumer complaint filed by Joseph *****.  I would like to thank Mr. ***** for choosing Sanford Health for their medical care.  Thank you also for bringing this issue to my attention allowing me the opportunity to work with him for resolution. 
  
  After receiving this notice, I am reviewing the account in great detail.  I will further respond to this complaint once I have had a chance to review it in full.
  
  It is the desire of Sanford to provide the optimal patient experience from the scheduling of the appointment to the patient of the final outstanding balance.  

  Customer response

  05/18/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  There is no resolution at this point they are only saying they will look at it. Also the complaint is not only against Sanford it is against doctor ***** **** as well. She is the one that is charging double for an office visit that did not happen. She is charging for 2 office visits and I only had 1 visit. If she doesn’t like the negotiated rate for being in the network then she should get out of the network and not charge double for an appointment that never took place to get paid double. That is fraud and criminal activity by ***** ****. 
  joseph *****
  Sincerely,
  
  Joseph *****

  Business response

  05/25/2023

  I have had a chance to review Joseph ******* account in detail.  Again, I would like to thank Joseph ***** for choosing Sanford Health for their medical care.  Thank you also for bringing this issue to my attention allowing me the opportunity to work with him for resolution. 
  
  I reviewed the account in great detail.  In general, a* ****** ******* ******** includes a complete ******* ******* ****** and examination. During a patient’s exam, the provider will evaluate the effect of any pre-existing, chronic conditions, and over-all health. New symptoms or concerns will be evaluated, diagnostic lab work and/or procedures may be ordered, management and or monitoring of medication(s) may be performed. The main reason for a* ****** ******* ******** is to evaluate and manage medical conditions and/or symptoms.
  
  I general, a* ****** ********** **** ** ********** ******** refers to services to promote health and early detection and prevention of disease(s) and injuries rather than treating them and/or curing them. ********** **** may include, but are not limited to, examinations and screening tests tailored to an individual's age, health, and family history. Documentation requirements for a preventive visit include an age- and gender-appropriate history and physical examination, counseling or anticipatory guidance, and risk factor reduction interventions.
  
  When a patient presents for ** ****** **** and the exam goes beyond the scope ** * ******* ****** *****, an additional Evaluation and Management services and charges will apply if there is supporting documentation that a chronic condition was treated or managed.
  
  In review of Joseph ****** care, physician documentation, coding and billing, billing was deemed appropriate.
  
  A Patient Complaint was filled out on behalf of Joseph ***** and be reviewed by Sanford’s Patient Relations department.  Patient Relations will review in detail and a final decision will be made. A letter will be sent to Joseph on the outcome of their review.  
  
  It is the desire of Sanford to provide the optimal patient experience from the scheduling of the appointment to the patient of the final outstanding balance.  

• Initial Complaint

  04/06/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have multiple complaints and have tried multiple times to contact patient relations at Sanford ******** to try and resolve them, so has my wife and so has my daughter. Patient relations at Sanford ******** is a joke. They might as well be non existent. They never contact you back. * ** *** *** **** *** **** **** ****** **** ******** **** * **** ****** ** ********** **** ***** ****** *** **** ******  This has been going on for years. Like I said, I have had multiple issues, a lot having to do with how people are treated with complex health problems and without being able to resolve them, yet still getting billed is not only wrong, but should be illegal.

  Business response

  04/07/2023

  I am in receipt of your consumer complaint filed by Craig **********.  I would like to thank Mr. ********** for choosing Sanford Health for his medical care.  Thank you also for bringing this issue to my attention allowing me the opportunity to work with him for resolution. 
  
  After receiving this notice, I reviewed the account in detail.  Sanford has no record of a care concern or billing complaint being filed by Mr. **********.  If Mr. ********** would like to file a formal care concern or complaint, he should call ***** ******** and ask that a care concern or a complaint be filed. 
  
  It is the desire of Sanford to provide the optimal patient experience from the scheduling of the appointment to the patient of the final outstanding balance.  

  Customer response

  04/07/2023

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

  I have made a complaint in the past, it was sometime around 2017 or 2018 and dealt with. A doctor concerning a workmens comp doctor.  When I made the complaint I dealt with patient relations - Samantha ****.  It was not resolved to my satisfaction but I was forced to accept it as I do other means to persue it further.  In the years since, myself, my wife and my daughter have tried to bring up other issues with absolutely 0 response.  Again, I ask for a person from Sanford health contact me.
  Sincerely,
  
  Craig **********

  Customer response

  04/10/2023

  Yes, being as all my doctors are at Sanford health, I go to the ******** ** locations on an average of at least once a week, often twice a week.  In the last 12 months I have probably had close to 100 appointments with doctors and tests if not more.

  Business response

  04/11/2023

  Thank you also for bringing this issue to my attention allowing me the opportunity to continue to work with Mr. ********** for resolution. 
  
  After receiving this notice of Mr. ************ rebuttal, I filed a Patient Concern on behalf of Mr. **********.  Patient Relations will review the concern and will continue further correspondence with Mr. **********.
  
  It is the desire of Sanford to provide the optimal patient experience from the scheduling of the appointment through to the final outstanding balance. 
  

  Customer response

  04/11/2023

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

  Until I actually meet with someone from Sanford that is willing to have a conversation with me and follow through, I will not consider this resolved.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  Craig **********

  Business response

  04/24/2023

  I am in receipt of your consumer refute filed by Mr. **********.  I would like to thank Mr. ********** for choosing Sanford Health for their medical care.  Thank you also for bringing this issue to my attention allowing me the opportunity to work with him for resolution. 
  
  After receiving the refute to my previous response, I filed a formal Patient Care Concern on behalf of Mr. **********.  Sanford Patient Relations department will reach out to Mr. ********** on his concern. Sanford Health considers this complaint closed.
  
  It is the desire of Sanford to provide the optimal patient experience from the scheduling of the appointment to the patient of the final outstanding balance.  

• Initial Complaint

  03/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  1/27/2023 I went to the acute care clinic and saw a Nurse Practioner who ordered X-Rays. The way Sanford is billing or per the new "policy" (what my insurance told me) they have to order the X-Rays under a DR (who I never saw). By Sanford billing it this way I am now having to pay 2 deductibles because my insurance is seeing this as 2 separate office visits and it was only one. I have tried multiple times to talk to the billing office with no help to discuss this issue.

  Business response

  03/31/2023

  Thank you for allowing us to respond to your concern.

   

  The xray on 1/27/2023 was billed under the MD because it is the MD at the acute care locations,  that supervises of the technical radiology staff at those locations.    So the technical charges and professional charges do bill separately because two different providers are involved in the xray service.   The supervising physician at the clinic where the xray is ordered is associated with the technical charge BUT the read is actually done by a Radiologist at a different location so they have to bill separate for the technical and facility portions of the tests.  This is standard billing practice for two different providers involved in performing and reading an xray service. 
  
  The patient did however see a Nurse Practitioner for her office visit at acute care and that office visit charge was billed under the Nurse Practitioner, which again is appropriate for billing.

  Customer response

  04/03/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  I have contacted my insurance and they have fought with Sanford on this. They stated NPs can't order x-rays my insurance is seeing the 2 charges as I saw 2 separate doctors which I did not. I have had previous x-rays completed my NPs who ordered the x-ray as well. This is a money grab for extra money from me as well as my insurance company which is fraud as I didn't see the additional Dr that ordered the x-ray. 
  Sincerely,
  
  Kaitlin ********

• Initial Complaint

  05/12/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  ************************************************************ There is a 30 month coordination of benefits period that meant my insurance, Sanford Health Plan was primary, ******** secondary. Bills should have been covered 100% if billed correctly. Not until recently did I begin to notice that they had ******** as primary on many of the bills and I started contacting them to correct it. I have had to contact them every month since then to continue to ask them to bill correctly. During one of those contacts they informed me that numerous visits that had been billed incorrectly and had gone to collections. They told me I needed to work with the collection company to fix this. That is not my problem. They billed them wrong. They refused to try to fix the problem. Now as of April 1st ******** is primary and I already noticed some of the visits are billed incorrectly. Help. They just won't listen.

  Business response

  06/09/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/05/17) */ Contact Name and Title: Brian, Manager Contact Phone: ************ Contact Email: ******************************** Called patient and left voicemail with direct line and customer service number to discuss complaint.

• Initial Complaint

  05/04/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I have been working to try to come to a solution for having our bills paid through Sanford Health. My son was born and we were put onto a payment plan, and had the bill for both him and I during the birth process. This occurred on 4/12/2021. He then had to have ear tubes placed in February of 2022. This had led up to a bill we cannot simply afford with no leniency from Sanford stating that they cannot lower payments any further. We are currently paying $*** a month but we are unable to afford that much per month. I'm not sure what can be done, but they say that there is nothing they can do to lower the payments without it going to collections. We are struggling to adequately provide for our children at home due to this large bill, but do not qualify for any state assistance at the same time.

  Business response

  06/06/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/05/06) */ Hello, Thank you for allowing us to address your concern. At Sanford we can be flexible beyond our initial criteria for setting up payment plans. However, we require you apply for financial assistance through Sanford first. As a courtesy we will be sending you a financial assistance application, which would be due back in 30 days from the date on the application. During this time your account will be on hold. It may take a few days for the application to come through the mail. You can also go to the below link to print a financial assistance application yourself, or learn more about the financial assistance process, or call us at ************. https://www.sanfordhealth.org/patients-and-visitors/billing-and-insurance/financial-assistance-policy Even if you are denied for financial assistance through Sanford you can appeal for an extended payment arrangement. Once we receive your application your payment plan may be deactivated while we process your application. Your account is also on hold while we are processing. Consumer Response /* (2000, 7, 2022/05/09) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

• Initial Complaint

  05/02/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Our medical ins. deductible was $******* and ****** was our provider. I paid every bill I received promptly as I was concerned to not fall behind on this matter. One day a couple months after Debs death I received a call from a collections agency out of **************. The man from collections was ************* explaining that I owed a large sum of money to sanford medical ***********. I apologized and told him I'd send a check that day. He demanded I give my checking account information to him at once and asked if I had the money in my account. At this point in time I didn't know what our deductible was and fully cooperated with him. The total that day was about $*******. A couple weeks went by and I did the same thing again for about $*******. I then contacted my insurance agent and asked what my deductible was. $******* he said. I told him that I added up what I've paid so far and it was $******** over the deductible. After multiple phone conference calls with ******,**********,and sanford by my estate lawyer & I explaining to them my situation there was never a resolution. On our end we finally discovered the problem. The person that signed the death certificate put the wrong date on it. They recorded March 23rd not the 22nd. So what I paid over my deductible should have been billed to **********. We explained this to sanford and **********. I've got all the check copies proving this as well as bank statements. My insurance agent called both places and told them to send all bill statements. They said they would. Sanford sent nothing. I need help

  Business response

  05/31/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/05/03) */ I am in receipt of your consumer response filed by Mr. Timothy **********. I would like to thank Mr. ********** for choosing Sanford Health for their medical care and allowing me the opportunity to work with him for resolution. We have researched the payments that Mr. ********** has inquired about. We do not find the payment amounts that he is referring to. Sanford does not owe a refund on this account.

• Initial Complaint

  11/26/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On 11/26/21 I contact the Sanford Health business office because I received a notice from *************** that my account balance was sent over to them. I informed Sanford business office that I had a payment plan with them to which I was still making payments on and did not understand the issue. The representative I spoke with informed me that I had made a late payment in September and they tried to contact me several times and left messages. Turns out the phone number for me was incorrect in their system it was listed as ************, which my phone number is ************. I explained I never received the messages nor did I get anything in my mailbox or email regarding this matter. I also brought it to the representative's attention that my last name was spelled wrong in their system, spelled as *******, not ******. I asked if the rep could take my information out of collections and allow me to pay Sanford directly so that my credit wouldn't be affected. To this I was told there was no way they could do this. I asked to speak to a manager. Who informed me I had an NSF payment in March. To which I disputed that I had no information regarding this from my bank or any paper statements/ emails. I again asked her to please pull this from the credit agency and I would pay Sanford directly. She informed me this was impossible. That I would have to call *************** and pay them. I stated that paying the collection agency would be me admitting i had been delinquent which I had not. She eventually did let me know I could pay Sanford in full and she would report it to the collections company. I am frustrated that they had so much of my information wrong and did not make attempts to contact on this matter. I am also frustrated they sent it to collections even though they could see I was continuing to make the specified payments. I feel I was treated unfairly by Sanford who made no attempt to right a wrong. I want to ensure my credit is not affected by this matter.

  Business response

  12/10/2021

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2021/11/29) */ I am in receipt of your consumer complaint filed by Ms. Michelle ******. I would like to thank Ms. ****** for choosing Sanford Health for her medical care. Thank you also for bringing this to my attention allowing me the opportunity to work with her for resolution. After receiving this notice, I reviewed the account in detail. Payment was made directly to Sanford. With payment made, I want to assure her there will be no negative impact on her credit report. It is the desire of Sanford to provide the optimal patient experience from the scheduling of the appointment to the patient of the final outstanding balance. Consumer Response /* (2000, 7, 2021/11/30) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

*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. ↩