Complaint Review: GWINNETT EMERGENCY SPECIATISTS - Nationwide

On January 15, 2016 at around 7am, I visited the Gwinnette Medical Center Emergency Room  in Lawrenceville GA.  for severe eye pain and inflamation. After registering at the desk to see a doctor, a nurse practitioner called me to waiting room and explained to me that they dont have an eye specialist on site till after 12pm and that she woul suggest that i go to see a private optometrist for urgent care and not wait till 12pm when they are not sure the hospital specialist will even come.

She gave me a refferal to a private doctor 20 miles from where i live, but i decieded to go see a doctor arount my home.

Few weeks later, I got a bill notice from the hospital for $512, because it was still below my health insurance deductable, and after a discount was applied, i posted full payment for the charges. A week later, I recieved another bill from Gwinnett Emergency Specialists for $542 for the same visit and the procedure listed for billing was 99284: ED VISIT-LEVEL 4.

I was not sure what the bill was for since i was not examined or treated in any form or fashion on the day of my visit to the hospital emergency room that day. I immediately contacted the customer servcie department and expressed my concerns for this rediculous billing and I was told that they will investigate and review the bill and get back to me on their decision. A lawyer friend of mine advised me to immediately write them to indicate my dispute with the charges and i did. I even got a letter and medical report from my private eye doctor who treated me from the same day after i left the emergency room to show what was done and all.

As stated in that letter, my dispute is based on the fact that I was not examined or given any treatment of any kind by any eye physician or specialist at the emergency room. I have explained this to your agents over the phone on several occasions as well as documented this in writing to your office.

Through several phone calls to and from their office over the last six (6) months, I have made the reason for this dispute very clear. I have severally requested an itemized report for the charged items and have only received additional copies of the attached statement from your facility. I paid the initial charges from the Medical Center facility for my general emergency room visit and then received this subsequent bill GES which their agents assert is for the physician that attended to me. I have told the different agents i speak with numerous times that I was not attended to by a physician and would like proof of your claim.

Again I got a call from GES In July 2016 saying that they have decided that I was treated by the nurse practitioner and was liable for the bill. As soon as i got the bills sent to my home, i immediately wrote them a clear bill disputer letter and again explained the grounds for this dispute and psted the letter to their corporate office in Chicago by USPS recorded mail and sent a copy to the customer servcie email address by email.

As at this moment, as I write this, i have not yet recieved a response or reply from any of my correspondences. I am very upset with this kind of dealings, and big ripoff as far as Im concerned, I dont have a problem paying the money and just letting this go away, but how many people like me is this company doing this to every single day.

Out of principle, i am contemplating taking them to the court to challenge this, or raise a class action again this kind of behaviour by a medical company. However, i will see how they respond to my call when i call them later today. that will determine a lot on what actions I will take.

Any advice would be most appreciated before i make a decision.

Regards

MA