I was told numerous of times i was eligible to receive financial assistance with my er bills but when the time came i never did. I tried calling the financial billing dept. And they couldn't tell me whether or not or why or what happened. They told me to call a different department. So i did and they referred me back to billing department. One night stay er bill = $22,000 then was told $11,000 if paid in 30 days. Then final so called over the phone deal $5,000. I agreed to this and asked for this in writing and send new bill stating new price. They would not even agree to put this new amount in an email. They would never putt anything in writing except for $22,000 bill. = all lies that went on for at least ten times back and forth and i still never figured out up until all these medical bills are now in collections on my credit score that were suppose to be covered by the hospitals financial assistance programs, they have still not answered me and im very frustrated with there help and lies to customers. Smh is a den of thieves. There billing department is trained to scam and lie. And never put any special deal in writing ... Very slick hucksters ...
On 1/26/18 I was an overnight patient at SMH for the insertion of a pacemaker. I had all my meds with me, but on the evening of 1/26, I was administered these medications from the hospital pharmacy by a nurse At the same time I was offered an asthma inhaler, which a) I did not need and b) it was not the one I normally use, so I refused it. I did not touch the inhaler and it remained in its original packing. The nurse told me it would be returned to the hospital pharmacy.
Upon receipt of the hospital bill, most of the charges having being paid by Medicare and United Health, I was held responsible for the medication costs, including $315 for the inhaler, which I had refused. I called the billing dept and was told that this is what I had received and that if I disputed the charge, I should contact a patient advocate, whose contact details the agent gave me. I did this in writing and was told that according to the documentation on my chart, I had been administerd the inhaler and there was no notation that it had been returned to the pharmacy. I wrote a second letter with the same response.
I then wrote to the Better Business Bureau, who contacted the hospital, but received the SMH response.
In the meantime the SMH claim has been put into the hands of a collection agency. I have spoken to them and they tell me this claim will be reported as disputed. My view is that this amounts to extortion by Sarasota Memorial by their putting this matter into the hands of a collection agency and demanding payment for something I never received.
This is the first time in my 78 years that I have been accused of not paying a bill; my credit record is impeccable and I really resent this action by SMH, whose treatment and attention in the several previous times have been beyond reproach.
Below is the letter i sent to SMH about a visit that should have been refferred to a Urgent Care rather than misguiding/forcing me to be helped at a ER.
Please accept this letter as my intent to dispute the charges from my date of service of 08/06/2016.
To explain, let me start by saying I am new to Florida and am not familiar with Florida billing practices or locations of clinics. I suffered a bee sting and was experiencing tingling in my arm. I knew my condition was NOT an “emergency”. I entered your location (2345 Bobcat Village Center Road, North Port, FL 34288) and first and foremost asked if there was a clinic or Urgent Care Center close by, that would be able to deal with my issue. I was told “No” by the receptionist there and that “they would be the best place to handle my care”. I informed the women that my issue was a “non-emergency”. Again, she still insisted that this facility was the best place to have my non-emergency issue dealt with. I also asked if you bill separately for the Physician & Facility. The women said, “No”. After I asked all these questions, I then supplied my registration information. I am well aware that Clinic/Urgent Care Centers are cheaper than an emergency room visits, so I was not keen to nor intended to be treated at an ER, but feel I was completely misled by the answers I received.
I learned later that, in fact, you have a Urgent Care Center located at 997 U.S. 41 Bypass S, Venice, FL 34285, open 8am – 8pm 7 days a week, less than 22 miles away and was open at the time I was inquiring! Why was I not given this information?
The treatment I received while being cared for were the following…
Blood Pressure & Temp
Standard patient profile questions and data entry
Dr. only present for less than 10 minutes
Whole visit lasted less than 30 minutes
It seems that I, the patient, should be given honest answers so that I, the patient, can make informed decisions about where and when I get treatment for anything concerning my health and well-being. By getting the answers I did to my initial questions I feel I was misled to receive care where I didn’t need to, nor want too. It seemed you put your needs over mine, by not disclosing what I asked truthfully upfront. I could have got the same care for far less money at your non-emergency Urgent Care location located at 997 U.S. 41 Bypass S, Venice, FL 34285, open 8am – 8pm 7 days a week.
If your facility stands by the ‘values’ (ex. Trust, professionalism, ethical behavior) you claim to uphold, then they were completely disregarded and ignored during my initial encounter when I was simply trying to get information.
For a resolution, since an urgent care visit should have been what I was referred to and received at your institution, I would ask that the 99282 ER CPT code be changed to the equivalent 99211/99212 Non-ER CPT code and be resubmitted to my insurance for appropriate provider write off / coverage and a new bill sent to me after the requested is completed.
Sarasota Memorial Hospital Reviews
I was told numerous of times i was eligible to receive financial assistance with my er bills but when the time came i never did. I tried calling the financial billing dept. And they couldn't tell me whether or not or why or what happened. They told me to call a different department. So i did and they referred me back to billing department. One night stay er bill = $22,000 then was told $11,000 if paid in 30 days. Then final so called over the phone deal $5,000. I agreed to this and asked for this in writing and send new bill stating new price. They would not even agree to put this new amount in an email. They would never putt anything in writing except for $22,000 bill. = all lies that went on for at least ten times back and forth and i still never figured out up until all these medical bills are now in collections on my credit score that were suppose to be covered by the hospitals financial assistance programs, they have still not answered me and im very frustrated with there help and lies to customers. Smh is a den of thieves. There billing department is trained to scam and lie. And never put any special deal in writing ... Very slick hucksters ...
On 1/26/18 I was an overnight patient at SMH for the insertion of a pacemaker. I had all my meds with me, but on the evening of 1/26, I was administered these medications from the hospital pharmacy by a nurse At the same time I was offered an asthma inhaler, which a) I did not need and b) it was not the one I normally use, so I refused it. I did not touch the inhaler and it remained in its original packing. The nurse told me it would be returned to the hospital pharmacy.
Upon receipt of the hospital bill, most of the charges having being paid by Medicare and United Health, I was held responsible for the medication costs, including $315 for the inhaler, which I had refused. I called the billing dept and was told that this is what I had received and that if I disputed the charge, I should contact a patient advocate, whose contact details the agent gave me. I did this in writing and was told that according to the documentation on my chart, I had been administerd the inhaler and there was no notation that it had been returned to the pharmacy. I wrote a second letter with the same response.
I then wrote to the Better Business Bureau, who contacted the hospital, but received the SMH response.
In the meantime the SMH claim has been put into the hands of a collection agency. I have spoken to them and they tell me this claim will be reported as disputed. My view is that this amounts to extortion by Sarasota Memorial by their putting this matter into the hands of a collection agency and demanding payment for something I never received.
This is the first time in my 78 years that I have been accused of not paying a bill; my credit record is impeccable and I really resent this action by SMH, whose treatment and attention in the several previous times have been beyond reproach.
Below is the letter i sent to SMH about a visit that should have been refferred to a Urgent Care rather than misguiding/forcing me to be helped at a ER.
12-22-2016
Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Attn: Billing Department
1700 South Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34239
[email protected]
To whom it may concern,
Please accept this letter as my intent to dispute the charges from my date of service of 08/06/2016.
To explain, let me start by saying I am new to Florida and am not familiar with Florida billing practices or locations of clinics. I suffered a bee sting and was experiencing tingling in my arm. I knew my condition was NOT an “emergency”. I entered your location (2345 Bobcat Village Center Road, North Port, FL 34288) and first and foremost asked if there was a clinic or Urgent Care Center close by, that would be able to deal with my issue. I was told “No” by the receptionist there and that “they would be the best place to handle my care”. I informed the women that my issue was a “non-emergency”. Again, she still insisted that this facility was the best place to have my non-emergency issue dealt with. I also asked if you bill separately for the Physician & Facility. The women said, “No”. After I asked all these questions, I then supplied my registration information. I am well aware that Clinic/Urgent Care Centers are cheaper than an emergency room visits, so I was not keen to nor intended to be treated at an ER, but feel I was completely misled by the answers I received.
I learned later that, in fact, you have a Urgent Care Center located at 997 U.S. 41 Bypass S, Venice, FL 34285, open 8am – 8pm 7 days a week, less than 22 miles away and was open at the time I was inquiring! Why was I not given this information?
The treatment I received while being cared for were the following…
Blood Pressure & Temp
Standard patient profile questions and data entry
Dr. only present for less than 10 minutes
Whole visit lasted less than 30 minutes
It seems that I, the patient, should be given honest answers so that I, the patient, can make informed decisions about where and when I get treatment for anything concerning my health and well-being. By getting the answers I did to my initial questions I feel I was misled to receive care where I didn’t need to, nor want too. It seemed you put your needs over mine, by not disclosing what I asked truthfully upfront. I could have got the same care for far less money at your non-emergency Urgent Care location located at 997 U.S. 41 Bypass S, Venice, FL 34285, open 8am – 8pm 7 days a week.
If your facility stands by the ‘values’ (ex. Trust, professionalism, ethical behavior) you claim to uphold, then they were completely disregarded and ignored during my initial encounter when I was simply trying to get information.
For a resolution, since an urgent care visit should have been what I was referred to and received at your institution, I would ask that the 99282 ER CPT code be changed to the equivalent 99211/99212 Non-ER CPT code and be resubmitted to my insurance for appropriate provider write off / coverage and a new bill sent to me after the requested is completed.
Sincerely,