Business ProfileforSansum Clinic

The letter explains the entire situation of how there is a disconnect between physician office appointment schedulers and the billing system. Three times this year I have been charged $30 missed appointment fees for appointments that were either changed or cancelled. I paid the first one not realizing what it was. It's embarrassing and kind of irritating when I go to the doctor and they say you have a $30 balance and we're required to collect it before you can see the doctor. Then I have to stand there and explain the situation. Both the physician's staff and the physician themselves tell me they are aware of this billing glitch. But it is still problematic for me and I do not want this sent to a collection agency or have it reflected on my credit. I write this letter to notify you of a possible glitch in Sansum’s appointment – billing system. I have had numerable conversations with the billing department but no one is listening or seems to care. So, I write to you hoping you can effectively deal with this on-going situation. Three times this year, so far, I have been charged late or cancellation charges of $30.00. All of these charges are/were in error. Of the three charges: - Two appointments: I called in at a minimum of 24-hours, prior, to cancel. - One appointment: I never made in the first place, didn’t know it existed, therefore didn’t show up for it. (I couldn’t have anyway as I had surgery at your day-surgery facility that day, by the doctor (B****) that I supposedly had an appointment with later that same day. How absolutely ridiculous is that!) The first charge I just paid, not realizing what it was. In the last two instances, I called the billing office and explained that I had cancelled the appointment within the required timeframe and the other appointment I’d never made in the first place and was not aware of it. The billing representative would either disagree with me or tell me charge would be reviewed and someone would call me back or write with the determination. NOTE: No one ever calls or writes with a determination! Why even make this statement if it is never followed up upon. These incurred charges have occurred with two physician’s offices: orthopedics and ob/gyn. I can only assume this is Sansum’s protocol system-wide. I believe I know what is happening, as both these offices seem to work the same way, which is: When someone calls in to cancel an appointment, the appointment is somehow flagged that it must be rescheduled. Until the appoint is rescheduled by someone at Sansum(?) it pends (?), often past the date of the original appointment. Because the original appointment is not actually cancelled within Sansum’s system, it causes a missed appointment charge $30. The last time I cancelled an appointment it was for a Wednesday, May 24th appointment with Dr. Alexander. I called Dr. Alexander’s office to cancel the appointment on Monday, May 22nd. As I have learned not to trust Sansum’s staff to actually cancel an appointment, I called in to Dr. Alexander’s office the next day (May 23rd) to confirm that the appointment had indeed been cancelled and was assured that yes it had been. Dr. Alexander’s office took nearly 2-weeks to reschedule the appointment, to June 15th. I had to call in four times before someone actually took the time to reschedule the appointment. As you can see, by the attached statements, I am being billed $30 for that May 24th missed appointment! I have called the billing office, once again, and explained what has happened. Same old story, I was told it would be reviewed and I would receive the determination. I have heard nothing but continue to receive invoices for the missed appointment. I have consistently followed Sansum’s protocol, yet continue to be billed for missed appointments. A possible second issue with the appointment - billing system is this. Both Dr. B****’s (ortho) and Dr. Alexander’s (ob/gyn) offices will make appointments for the client, not conferring first with the client and will either call with or mail out schedules with 2-3 future appointments. This system, though, time-saving on Sansum’s end does not allow the client to say whether or not the appointment works within their schedule. I believe the second late charge I received, from Dr. B****’s office, was caused by human error on Dr. B****’s staff’s part. Someone on her staff made an appointment for me, did not notice it was for the same day Dr. B**** was operating on me, and did not notify me of the appointment I was not aware of the appointment and never would have scheduled an appointment, of any kind, the same day I had surgery. I was charged a missed appointment fee of $30 because of it.