American Medical Association [AMA]
reviews and complaints

This is the letter that I sent my physician in response to their billing department putting my unpaid bill into collections.

Dr. Wetherbee prescribed Bacitracin for my Periorbital Cellulitis. It had no effect whatsoever. Upon visiting another medical professional they prescribed a Neomycin, polymyxin B sulfates dexamethasone ophthalmic suspension eye drop. eye drops worked very well.

I have attached a picture of me following Dr. Wetherbee's prescription which did NOTHING for my periorbital cellulitis.

1 If I could give zero stars I absolutely would. I suffer from Lupus, RA, Depression/Anxiety, and just recently diagnosed with MS. I am prescribed 16-18 different medications at this time and I am on MANY serotonin increasing medications due to my conditions. I was suffering from the worst migraine I had ever had in my entire life which left me confused and disoriented. My husband was away on business and my only option was to head to the ER. I get there and immediately tell them I am a PRIME candidate at this point for Serotonin Toxicity and show them my complete medicine bag for full disclosure so they can begin assessing the different types of meds and how they may interact with each other. I also try to show the Dr. (some extremely young resident who is clearly annoyed) my drug interaction report that I printed online - which clearly spells out in BOLD RED LETTERS that every single med I'm on interacts in a MAJOR way and that yes I am the PERFECT candidate for serotonin syndrome. The problem with this is... serotonin syndrome is NOT uncommon. But the doctors who recognize and diagnose it ARE. This is a SERIOUS problem in the medical field and especially this hospital. My frustrations with this dismissive doctor and this staff caused me to then break down and sob uncontrollably. I said fine dont listen to me about that or look at my report; please just treat my migraine as it is literally killing me. He then looked at me and asked if I was suicidal; I said no but the pain is so bad if I thought several Tramadol would have stopped it I probably wouldve already tried that.in no way was I suicidal. I was scared and in pain and begging for help. This doctor mistook my sobbing and begging for help and turned it around and used it against me. At that point I could clearly see him mentally washing his hands of me and giving me the "this emotional woman is clearly mentally unstable" diagnosis. He then told me he would be initiating a Baker Act on me. I had no idea what that was. I was alone and scared and in so much pain all I wanted was for someone to help me. Someone to listen to me and not automatically assume that because I am a female suffering and showing emotion that I am mentally unstable or a risk to myself or others. At this point, he left and I never saw a Doctor again. They completely ignored my migraine pain and no longer viewed me as someone to help; no now I was someone who they were stuck with until they could transfer me somewhere else without dealing with me. I was transferred to the psych unit immediately. Stripped of my clothes and all my belongings. My dignity was nonexistent. I then asked countless nurses to please give me something for my migraine because by now it was about 90% worse. She looked at me and said she had no orders for meds. Well can you ask?!?!?! About 3 hours later I was given a Tylenol. Thanks, Florida Hospital. Long story short, my husband showed up and thank God he was able to fly in from Colorado. He finally talked to a Dr. who seemed to have some sense about him and he had me interviewed by a psychiatrist via Tele Doc who immediately rescinded the Baker Act as clearly I was not in any way a threat to myself or anyone else. My story here is absolutely terrifying and even worse... it is 100% true and it happens every single day. I will be exploring any and all options I have regarding the horrendous misdiagnosis and extreme mental anguish this entire situation has put me and my family through. And btw. My migraine still hasn't subsided but as God as my witness I will never go to this hospital EVER again.

Patient had both a Cardiac Ablation and a Watchman check at the end of October, 2018 She was subsequently sent to a step down unit for recovery rather than the ICU for monitoring due to a Muscular Dystrophy high risk condition. as a result, patient experienced breathing difficulties and periodic vomiting even with oxygen being supplied. Her spouse requested suctioning which was not provided due to equipment malfunction. After almost 24 hours of progressive deterioration of patient's condition, she was transferred to another room with suctioning only after her spouse demanded this action. Unfortunately, it was too late as the patient had already aspirated into her lungs. She was transferred to the ICU and intubated to save her life. Her spouse was asked if he had power of attorney and told by the attending Doctor that if she did not breathe on her own within 36 hours that he would have to make a decision regarding her status...that is to leave her in a vegetative state or pull the plug. Fortunately, she woke up and started breathing on her own after 24 hours. The hospital, Medical Center of Largo, denied any negligence leading up to the Aspiration Pneumonia incurred by the patient. Rather, they stated that her condition was idiopathic in nature which caused her mucous problems leading to her aspiration. By the way, they did state that the suction unit was fixed THE NEXT DAY after the incident.

About 3, months ago I noticed my back started hurting. I use to work for the salvation army unloading their trucks with donations hence heavy furniture that people donate.the pain has progressively gotten worse to the point where I'm having trouble walking.i walk a few feet and have to stop until the pain subsides then walk a few more feet.ive been to 5 different emergency rooms two primary care physicians the pain radiates from the left side lower back down my leg into my foot.the pain has become unbearable and effecting my ambulation.the doctors took x-rays that reviled nothing.so they tried to psycologically minipulate me by telling me there was nothing wrong with me.but x-ray s cannot revile everything .an MRI needs to be confucted. I want to file a complaint against the doctors in east emergency room at lac/usc medical center in Los Angeles 3rd watch shift of attending physicians. Ifeel I wasn't give the care I required and felt that I was psycologically manipulated by trying to make me believe their was nothing wrong with me. I'll submit the attending physicians names a little latter this afternoon thank you very much sincerely Robert Joseph MacConnell 10/09/19

I have been receiving these injections for about 11 years and just found out they are charging for any discarded Botox to the last or only patient of the day. I receive 7-8 units each time and on 3/12/19 they also charged me for the 92 unused units as I was the only patient that day. Another time they charged me for the discarded Botox because I was the last patient that day. In addition, I found out they pay from $400-$600 for a 100 unit vile of Botox yet charge $36.85 per unit to the patient. They charged me for all 100 units to a tune of $3399 as the base charge . I filed an appeal and did research and sent all that to customer service and Beverly Brown, the customer service manager, assured me it would not be turned over to collections during appeal and they turned it over anyway. I have all my letter and phone call records showing that I, in good faith, was trying diligently to get it resolved. They rarely returned my calls but when I did connect was told it had been sent to a higher review board and they had no answer. Main complaint, although I have requested it, they have yet to send me documentation that they informed me in advance I would be charged for the unused Botox. By not informing me that took away my decision making on whether the benefit of the shot outweighed the exorbitant cost. Customer service has not been helpful or even cooperative in this matter.
Please research this complaint.
Thank you.
Mary K Vander Veen
2804 Mohawk Drive
Jefferson City, MO. 65101
[protected]

I am a dialysis patient for about 7 years, and here in Lake City, FL our clinic went down and I had to transfer to a clinic over 100 miles away round trip with limited income had to pay for gas I really can't afford, so for the last couple of weeks tried to switch to a Davita clinic here in town and that's the beginning of the night mare. They told me glad to have you, you will be so happy with us and you will be dealing with only one person, for your ease of transfering wow great, so happy. Since then I have been dealing with over 9 people telling me more lies and all sorts of different things than a person could even imagine. Everything a go, show up at this date, to be told everything not a go show up at a later date, will call you back within 2 minutes to tell you what time to show up for dialisis, then not calling back at all. Mean while telling the company that was giving me dialisis I was transfering, only having to call them back and telling them Davita had posponed me again I needed to come back for dialisis over 100 mile round trip. Davita called today and told me to show up Friday 1:00 PM for treatment, to call back a few minutes later to tell me to show up but insurance might not be right and if not no treatment, mean while called my center between those 2 quick calls to tell them I would be transfering, to call them back right away again to tell them I wasn't transfering one of many times. I would try to call back to the Davita person, the only one I was suppost to be dealing with, a number of times today and other days to be told by her ansering machine that mail box was full could not talk to her or leave a message for her to call me back, hello I am suppost to be on dialisis as my life depends on it. If this was a person that had mental slowness or problems they might have missed enough of dialisis to require hospitalization while waiting on Divita to do nothing. Today the Davita dialisis center in Lake City called me and pointed the finger to this Kalie that it was all her fault, , the only one I would have to deal with, already having delt with over 9 others. that's handy they now have a scape goat, it was way more people than just her. Thanks Terry McGee [protected] 20611 CR 137 Lake City, Fl

I went to Dr. Joseph Bax in Niagara Falls, N.Y. on May 30th 2019. He put a cast on that was too tight. I told him and he opened it on the sides. Fifteen days later I went to see him because of the pain in my leg. Had a Doppler done and it was a pinched vein. Went back to the office for a new cast, he was in a terrible mood and very rude. Did not apologize for the pain he put me through. Once again he put the cast too tight. I had him open the sides and he cut the cast. It was very sharp, he did not give me anything to cover it with. On the way home the cast cut my finger. He is very old and I don't think he should be practicing medicine if he treats his patients this way.

My husband is battling stage iv cancer. His doctor told him there was nothing more she could do for him and sent him home to die.
Approx one week later my husband was paralyzed from the waist down. He went to a different hospital and was immediately admitted to ICU. The doctors there told him there were options.
Had his doctor conveyed his options, he would not be paralyzed right now.

My bill for an office visit (dermatology related) was increased by an extra $146 because the AMA deemed me to be a "new" patient, although it was just over 3-years since my last visit to same clinic. Really? So, essentially, you are encouraging unnecessary visits simply to retain current patient status? Absolutely Ridiculous. What is the point of this nonsensical rule? Why does the AMA even care? Who benefits by this? You? The clinic? What does this have to do with anything? Just another reason why our health care system is so f***ed up. I'm sure the AMA has a lot of lobbying power, but I will be writing to my local government representatives about this matter.

Date of Service: April 9, 2019
Complaint against: Dr Thomas Wilcox of Jefferson Hospital at 925 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, phone # [protected].

Complaint: He claims he performed a procedure on the day of the appointment, which is entirely false. I am being billed, my medical insurance is being billed and now my medical record is false. I have tried to resolve this through the doctor's office and Jefferson Hospital. They don't believe me and will not listen or give me the right to argue my case. They have abused their authority and has belittled me by accusing me to be a liar. The office, the doctor are fraudulent and need to be held accountable for their actions. i want my medical record corrected and not be billed for something a service I did not receive. I have uploaded a transcript as pics to give all details up to date.

thank you!

I filed a complaint on this practice for my wife who was totally discriminated against and harassed. The PA Attorney General checked it out and of course they stuck together and Brandywine Hospital states the record shows. Well of course it is their records. They also blatantly lied said used threating language, nothing could be further from the truth. (they took the emails off of the Patient Portal, so you cannot see I did not use any language except when they lied I told them they lied). But I know how the system works. Now for this bill Dr. Alwine retired and this office has always taken my insurance, I called for an appointment and at no time did they say anything had changed. They made me an appointment with Dr. Kumanova, who was not on the network for my insurance at that time. For some reason (don't know if true of not) the computers were down and I was never billed. Now I am billed after I filed the complaint for my wife with the PA Attorney General. And just to make it more interesting Dr. Kumanova came on the network a week after my appointment. First I should have been told, second they should have said something even if the computers were down. And this just came out after I filed the complaint. I should not have to pay this bill. I know the PA Attorney Generals Office could not do much for my wife's complaint as Brandywine Hospital / Tower Health is a huge organization and they have people to work these claims into their favor and the medical field does stick together. But this is just wrong.
Bob Kennedy, 1348 Valley Road, Coatesville, PA 19320 610.400.8719

So although all over the place, one letter I copied and pasted is what I sent to PA Attorney General, Hospital came back quoting their records...Complaint now is the first letter showing I am being billed the doctor they gave me was not in the network until a week later. I am not going to pay the 350 dollars they are the network office. And I just received the bill about a three weeks after I filed the complaint. Basic retaliation, I realized they are a big company and the office staff will stick together. Just check the attachments showing how they gave me a non network provider, back in January and I get billed after my complaint.

March 18, 2019

To Whom this may concern:
This letter is about the office staff and now the doctors at :
Downingtown Family Medicine

77 Manor Ave Ste 100
Downingtown, PA 19335
(610) 269-9570

Today March 18, 2019, my wife Marlene received a certified letter signed by Downingtown Family Practice, Dr. Kumanova and Daniel Scott PA, stating they will no longer treat her. This is discrimination and retaliation.
Even before Tower Health Systems took over this practice my wife, Marlene Kennedy has been harassed by the office staff, I have two emails from the "Patient Portal" explaining some of the issues. Once Tower took over it only got worse because the office staff answers to no one
Check any social media and/or survey they will tell what a how great Dr. Alwine is but the office staff leaves a lot to be desired. You walk up to the window for an appointment and get ignored. Too many times to count my wife has called to ask the doctor a question or for a prescription and the office staff, mostly Jill, will do two things, tell my wife "he will not fill that" and two never inform the doctor that she called or ask the doctor. This is a very, dangerous practice.
For a more recent example(s):
• My wife called the Monday of Valentines Day Week for a steroid that she always gets and was really having a hard time breathing. The office said no, not sure if they ask Dr. Kumanova or not. But my wife did not receive the steroid. Three days later, on Thursday my wife had a seizure and Brandywine Hospital stated it was from lack of oxygen, had to rushed to the ER in ambulance as we waited in the roadway. Would the steroids have helped? Who knows? In the transition from our car to the ambulance to the ER room, two vertebrae were broken in my wife's back. Did the lack of the steroids cause all of this? Is Downingtown Family Practice Office Staff responsible for this?
• Most recent my wife called the office on Thursday March 7th and they would not help her at all, she needed an anti-biotic. I was able to get in touch with Daniel Scott PA through a number I was given at Brandywine Hospital when my wife was there. I talked with the Administration Office and they contacted the Downingtown Family Practice Office which through the Patient Portal and phone where nice for the first appointment. I believe that when I contacted Daniel Scott on my own the Office Staff retaliated and now will not see my wife. Not sure what Dr. Kumanova had to do with it, she did not deal with my wife except for not prescribing the steroids. I went with my wife on her last visit with Daniel Scott and he did not seem to have an issue with my wife, wrote prescriptions and is having her go to a neurologist to double check why she had the seizure. This is retaliation.
This is totally unethical and there is no integrity. I realize this will fall on deaf ears and the Practice will stick together. I will try to inform as many organizations about this as I can. I had the money I would seek out an attorney. Possibly find one to take this.
My wife is 61 years old and has COPD and emphysema, and except for Dr. Alwine has been harassed and discriminated against by this Practice.

Bob Kennedy for Marlene Kennedy
1348 Valley Road
Coatesville, PA 19320
610.400.8719
[protected]@comast.net

cc:
Any agency that I can send a letter or an email.

Attachments:
First two attachments show emails from the Patient Portal (pages 3 & 4)
Third attachment is the letter we received today (page 5)

I was given gadolinium as part of a moving MRI in January of 2017. The next day I was vomiting this continued for 2 days and couldn't hold down water, Gatoraid or even Pedialite. It was only after the fifth day I was able to eat and keep it down .I have had pain in my body and head as well as a burning itching rash on my arm from elbow to wrist where it was injected. I have had loud feed back noise in both ears since then. I have been to doctors about the things I have been suffering and they tell me there is nothing wrong with me. The burning red bumpy rash from my elbow to my wrist is physical proof that there IS something wrong and they keep ignoring and dismissing my suffering since this has been done to me. The pain and stiffness in my joints has been since about two weeks following the procedure and has only gotten worse as time has gone on. Today I saw the doctor about the rash and showed it to him. He diagnosed it as a " Fixed Drug Eruption. I have photos of the rash, records of the Audiologist, ENT and on June 12 I am scheduled to see a Neurologist about the head pain and on the 24 I am to see an Allergist. I know I was given Gadolinium as the nurse technician and I joked about the name of it comparing it to the flower Gladiolas and the flooring Congolium. They are trying to avoid taking responsibility for poisoning me, there can be no other reason for all I have been put through following the exposure and my first complaints over a year ago. They will not order a Gadolinium retention test and I keep getting put off and ignored. PLEASE help me.

My husband Freddy O Quitmeyer has been under the supervision of Dr. Robert Saitz for a very long time. I've never been satisfied with his treatment but my husband wouldn't change doctors. He is a long time heart patient (under a different doctors care) and now lives on a heart assist device. He's had a diabetes and thyroid diagnosis for years. He was on trajenta for several years and a few months ago Dr. Saitz said, " well his numbers look good so discontinue the trajenta and diabetes treatment." Strange! Last week he was admitted to Barnes hospital with a GI bleed from his LVAD and his blood sugars were well over 500. The staff doctor thought I was kidding when I told him what his primary had instructed us to do regarding his diabetes. Yesterday Dr. Saitz's nurse called and told me to take him off his thyroid meds because his numbers were good. I have never heard of anyone who once diagnosed has to DC monitoring or taking meds for either of these diseases.
I found out though a conversation with my mother he's the same doctor that misdiagnosed my father, who had a blood clot. He ended up in the hospital with a blot clot in his lungs and was told he was going to die. He did survive but it was another example of his incompetence.
My husband also has Alzheimers and I had been asking for help for years. Dr. Saitz continued to deny it. I contacted the Alzheimers assn. and they instructed me to write letters to him outlining the behaviors.
I think it's time for him to hang up his stethoscope. He's not competent.
Regards,
Diane Quitmeyer

In November 2018 during my annual physical my MD pointed out that it had been 10 years since my last colonoscopy. I contacted my insurance carrier, UHC, and they confirmed that a colonoscopy was fully covered by my insurance as a well-care procedure.
On the recommendation of my MD, even though I had NO symptoms, I had the colonoscopy done on January 22, 2019. They discovered one benign polyp.

The issue: Park Nicollet Clinic is claiming that since a polyp was found, the AMA told them they cannot code it as a well-care procedure. The last time I had a colonoscopy (granted that was 10 years ago), the procedure was coded as well-care and I was fully covered even though a benign polyp was found.

Park Nicollet submitted the 'diagnostic' codes for colonoscopy to my insurance company. They have billed me for the copay of $921.54.

CPT Code associated with the procedure itself: 45385
Diagnosis code associated with that code: K62.89 and D12.2
CPT code professional charge code 88305 - Diagnosis code D12.2

This is a horrible catch-22. Since I would not have had the colonoscopy done unless it was fully covered, I believe I should not have to pay the $921.54.

Thank you,
Roxanne Sander
Phone: [protected]