Complaint Review: Breg Inc. - Team Medical Inc.

My husband visited our family physician in October, 2015 for a hyper-extended/sprained hand/thumb.  The doctor recommended a brace (manufactured by Bledsoe Brace) and placed into the doctor’s office by BREG, Inc.  BREG handles all billing for these braces and provides the doctor’s office with a release type form advising the patient that they will be responsible for whatever their insurance does not pay.  BREG requires that the doctor’s office require the patient to sign the release prior to treatment.

I think it's fair to note here that the Bledsoe Brace supplied by Breg, Inc. is a simple cloth brace that fastens with velcro strips.  It is called a Bledsoe Wrist Brace with Thumb Spica.

Today, November 12, I received the billing from Breg, Inc., P.O. Box 844628, Dallas, TX  75284, telephone #800-254-0072.  The bill was for $153.37.  They had billed our insurance company $250 for the brace and the insurance company had “allowed” $153.37 and applied it toward our deductible.

I quickly did a bit of research and found that we could have purchased this brace for a minimum $13 and a maximum $30.  I contacted Breg, Inc. and told them what I had found and requested that they adjust the price.  The refused.  I told them that I would pay them $30 but no more for the brace.  They refused.  The telephone representative advised that those prices were from companies who bought the braces from Bledsoe Brace in huge quantities.  When I inquired if his company, Breg, Inc. purchased each brace individually, he refused to respond to my inquiry.

Products supplied by Breg, Inc. are an enormous rip-off.  

I contacted our insurance company, United Healthcare, and they advised that they had contracted with this Breg, Inc. at this price and stated that I would have to pay the $153.37.  I told them that I would NOT be paying the $153.37 and that I would file a complaint against United Healthcare with the appropriate agencies.

Buyer beware.  If you see the name BREG, INC. – Team Medical, Inc. RUN in the opposite direction.  These people will literally steal from you.  This is one of many reasons that the healthcare industry is a complete disaster.  I hate thinking of elderly citizens, living on a fixed income, receiving this type of billing from a disreputable company.