Patient
I had the unfortunate pleasure of having the cardiologist come see me while I was in the hospital. While I honestly cannot remember him during my hospital stay I did receive a very high bill. Now I've been in the healthcare industry for 16+years. I myself ran a very successful urology practice with multiple locations. When a patient is sent to collections and they have to deal with the incompetence of the third party company, it is my job to ensure I provide the best patient care. Now some of you may say well you didn't pay your bill you were sent to collections, that's the process. Yes, I know the process. But I also know how the system works and sometimes one, as the patient, needs to do their due diligence. I would tell you that at first I made an attempt to call my insurance to see why I was being charged, as I had my doubts. I did what every knowledgeable patient should and communicated that to the doctor's billing department. After several months, I received one phone call from their billing department saying your insurance has not responded to which I said ok send me the bill via email or mail and I will gladly see how I can pay. At this time, I couldn't remember who they were. Never got either of those requests done, which they would blatantly said that they did. It wasn't until last month when to my surprise, I got multiple emails from their wonderful collections company threatening to report me to the credit bureau so again I had no idea what they were talking about so I called and spoke to the most rude and condescending representative there was. He was unable for 20 minutes to tell me which company had sent my information to them until he finally magically found it and provided me with their contact info. Elena, the billing manager, answered the call. Of course she went back and forth arguing about the multiple attempts to reach me to which I to this day will say never have received. Tired of the back and forth I agree to make a payment and refused to contact their collection agency. I requested to be immediately removed from collections which she claims that she couldn't do. Again as a healthcare manager, I know collection agencies work for the company and not the other way around. You can tell them to remove someone from their files. She continued to say she couldn't do it, however agreed to find out and that she will call me back. It's been a month since that call, just like the letters she claimed were sent to me and I am yet to receive her call back. I called today again to get it over with and pay my bill and I was informed I couldn't do it I needed to call the collection agency. Which I refuse and will refuse to do because one Elena had already taken a payment so I know that was lie and 2 I will not deal with the abuse their agency puts you through. So terrible administrative management. Patient care should be always the top priority which unfortunate I cannot comment on because I will refuse care from this doctor or group due the incompetence of their staff.