Patient First review: unauthorized charges 11

I got a text message saying an amount would be charged to my credit card. I did not authorize this because I never saw a bill. The text message said to text help if I need help, which I did. Nothing happened, and my card was still charged. As far as I know, it is illegal or at least unethical to charge a customer without giving them a bill? The billing person refuses to reverse the charge until I have seen my bill and had a chance to review/ agree or dispute it. Is it legal for them to charge me whatever, without me having any proof that this is indeed the correct amount?

Oh my goodness I too have been experiencing the worst from Patient First and they gifted Billing practices, First off I sat in their waiting room for an hour and 30 minutes was never seen by a provider, nobody bothered to check on me or tell me why the wait was so damn long. I grabbed my papers and left. I previkously paid $25 copay-those stupid people put charges thorugh as if I had been seen. When I called about the bills-I told them I was never seen. Our copay is $25 and as of 6-1-18 someone plugs in something that changes the visit from Urgent care over to a specialist visit which caused Anthem Cova Care to pull a $40.00 copayment. So instead of billing correctly they pull credits off other family members and use it moving money around without sending any billing statements out. I work in the medical field -let me say I blew their hair back advising them of fraud. They not only bill for an office visit, labs, but after hour charges that do not apply MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY before 5pm...these people are desparate for money and it clearly shows ...I don't see how they are still operating. Medicare would pop their as*es for some of the things I have seen.

Patient First is horrible. They commit insurance fraud all the time. They are in my insurance's network but they did sketchy billing and tried to bill as the doctor I saw and not as patient first so I am now responsible for a $400 bill. This is fraud! You do not get a choice in what doctor you see, it is an urgent care clinic. I have disputed the bill and they said they tried to contact my insurance company which is not true. I will never go to Patient First again!

Just moved to Va. beach area and it's the third time at patient first and again over billed! Had my husband take my son in for a sports physical. I called prior to them going and was told it was 60.00 . When My husband and son went in they tried billing them 119.00 and then the billing clerk said no you're correct, it's 60.00 . Which was paid at the visit. Today we received a bill for 49.00
The experience prior to this is where I paid 89.00 at the visit and then they sent me another bill for 136.00 Stating issues with insurance .. My insurance is tricare and it was paid but yet they continue to bill me.

I couldn't agree more. I was having severe pains in my abdomen in March and rushed to the location in York, PA. After over an hour there in pain, vomiting and diarrhea, the PA told me to go to the emergency room and that there was nothing they could do (she did nothing). They then quickly sent me the first bill for over $200. I didn't pay it as I knew they hadn't applied my insurance yet. The next month (April/May now), I received another bill for $164. I waited on that one too, as I assumed something was still up. Then in May (5/27), I received a bill for $40.60 with A 6/11 DUE DATE, and fine print at the bottom threatening collections (which I didn't notice). So, then I received a call from a collection agency telling me I owe the 40.60 + a $40 "billing" fee. Never received a phone call. Never noticed the fine print threatening me with collections. It's a shakedown., plain and simple. Mafia-like. How much you want to bet the owners are related in some way to the collection agency? As a nation, we need to do something about medical billing. In what other universe do we, as consumers, give anyone the right to "bill for other services in the future" without prior consent? Get pissed folks - it's time to end this, and Patient First is the straw that broke this camel's back.

I would never go to patient first in Waldorf MD ever again. There doctors are ridiculous . My husband went there for bronchitis and was told he couldn't be treated and was told to go to the emergency room and then we received a bill for 212.00 dollars from a doctor who didn't even treat him. This place is a joke. There care is poor. The place should be shut down. I would not recommend them and my family and I will never go there again.

Absolutely horrible experience. Prior to me receiving follow-up treatment at Patient First from a prior visit, the billing clerk refused to provide me with any treatment because she said there was an unpaid balance on my account. When I called my wife while sitting with the billing clerk, my wife advised that she had just paid the unpaid balance on the automated phone system and she provided a confirmation number. The billing clerk still refused to provide any medical care, stating that she had no way of knowing if my wife was telling the truth or not. In order to receive treatment, they forced me to pay the exact same amount that my wife had just paid on the automated system, which resulted in a double payment for the prior treatment. During my second treatment, the Patient First physician misread my x-ray which resulted in an incorrect diagnoses which resulted in unnecessary treatment in their office. A radiologist called me later that same night to inform me of the physician's incorrect diagnoses. When my primary care physician saw the x-ray, she was shocked at the original misdiagnosis because she said it was so obvious. When I subsequently arrived at Patient First for a third visit, the billing clerk again refused to provide me with any medical care because she said that I had a past due amount owed. When I explained to her that I double paid for my original treatment which should have resulted in a credit to be applied to my second visit, she stated I had not double paid anything as their system only showed that a single past payment had been made outside of co-payments. I called my wife while sitting with the billing clerk, and my wife stated that both equal payment amounts had already posted against our checking account and there should have been a credit applied to the second visit. The billing clerk then refused to provide me with any medical care, and she refused to adjust the bill to account for the double payment of my first visit. When I spoke to a Manager, she checked their billing system and she stated that only one payment had posted on their system, even though my wife's checking statement already showed two equal payments coming out of her checking account. When I complained about the fact that they were refusing to provide me with medical treatment, she said that she would authorize medical treatment only if I could guarantee that my wife had already paid all amounts owed. I explained that I didn't know if she had paid everything owed or not because they only showed that one payment had been received even though the double payments had already come out of my wife's checking account. I then left their office and advised that I would seek treatment at a medical provider's office that was able to account for past payments. On this same date, my wife who is authorized to handle billing for my account, spoke to the manager and requested that the medical bills be sent to our home. Patient First then sent my protected health information to an unauthorized 3rd party in Yorktown, Virginia who notified me in writing about the breach. Numerous Patient First employees denied that a breach had occurred, and they did not admit that a breach had occurred until after I notified their General Counsel & CEO about the breach.

I have filed formal complaints with state and federal regulators, and my health insurance carrier, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, for the many Patient First violations of state and federal privacy violations and illegal billing practices.

If you want your medical information to remain confidential, I would find another medical provider and only use Patient First in the case of an absolute medical emergency.

Patient first billing might have something going on. They always charged extra money which is not patient responsibility, including insurance discounted amount. Also suspect their billing codes. as you would ended up pay money when the service is 100% covered by insurance. Be careful to verifying with insurance company before paying their bills. And keep the receipts after you pay as I read another patient story they ended double paid the bill when patient first declined received the first payment. Their billing issue always disturbing us. so we have to look for other clince without ever back to patient first.

I agree. I went to patient first a couple months ago for a 5 minute visit. No tests were done, no labs done, no medication prescribed. I am now just getting a bill for $200. I will be taking steps to have this fully investigated and will enlist the help of the media, if needed. People need to know Patient First's questionable tactics.

This free standing clinic appears to give prompt service. Then they phone you for the next couple of days to ask how you are feeling. They never tell you that you are paying a lot for these cheery calls. They also fill any prescriptions that their doctors write without asking you. I did refuse their medications but the high pressure was unseemly.

Hi, my name is Teresa and I represent Patient First. I have read this post with great interest and would appreciate your contacting me so that I may learn more about the calls you have received and investigate the matter. Please call me directly at [protected].