ComplaintsforRockledge Regional Medical Center

• Initial Complaint

  03/20/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was scheduled for a surgical procedure for 2/7/24. The week before, I received a call stating that there was a supply chain issue involving robotic parts necessary for the procedure. Every week I have called the surgeons office for an update for rescheduling the procedure. I was informed that all procedures needing the parts were cancelled through the month of February. Now here we are well into March and there is no new information. Early on in the process I was advised to contact the patient advocate and did so. Two weeks later I received a certified letter stating my complaint, acknowledging receipt of my complaint, and confirming that there is a supply chain issue with robotic parts that is still unresolved.For context, my procedure is a hernia repair. I have been told that I shouldnt lift over five pounds and to not do anything that *** aggravate it. It could at any time become strangulated, possibly cutting off blood supply to part of my intestine. This would turn it into a life threatening emergency. I have not been given any clue as to when my procedure can be rescheduled- not even a ballpark estimate (could it be next week, could it be next January?). It took two months to get the first appointment with the surgeon from obtaining the referral and one month from that date for the scheduled procedure. Now, its been a month and a half of limbo. I am currently at four months of waiting, being forbidden from picking up anything heavier than 5 lbs (I have a small child, btw, in the 30 lb range). My life is on hold indefinitely and no one has an answer to my most basic question- when can I have this procedure and start getting my life back? I cant make short or long term plans, cant work my job (I am a childrens party face painter and have to carry my equipment with me, so I cant accept gigs at this time).I am just stuck waiting and unable to resume normal activities in fear of this becoming an emergency- if it does, can this hospital even help me?

  Business response

  04/02/2024

  The surgeon's office works with the hospital's surgery scheduling department to coordinate a day and time for a procedure based on available operating rooms and appropriate supplies for the particular procedure. The **************** will communicate with the patient when the surgery has been scheduled. Currently, the **************** and hospital surgery scheduling team are working together to schedule the procedure for the patient. Per the ****************, they have not been able to reach the patient to finalize the procedure date and time. As soon as they hear back from the patient, they will gladly schedule the procedure. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to follow up on this concern. 

• Initial Complaint

  02/26/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The date of service was 5/28/23. The account number is ************. I went there to get tests per my doctor since it was a weekend and I was very sick. After waiting an hour, they told me that they were backed up with emergencies and would not be able to do the tests for a few hours. I wanted to leave but they insisted that I see the doctor since I was already checked in. When the doctor came in, I went over my medical history with her. She wanted to prescribe some medicine since I was sick. Even after going over all my medical history with her, the medicine she prescribed was something I could not take so I did not fill the prescription or take the medicine. The whole trip was a waste of my time. I received no treatment and could not use the prescription provided. It is a good thing I checked what the medicine prescribed was or it could have made me sicker. I still needed to wait and get the tests on another day. The hospital already got most of the money from my insurance, and they didnt deserve that. There is no reason why I should be paying anything out of my own pocket for this horrible service. I had reached out to the hospital when I got the first bill and told them the situation and they refused to credit the account. I also got a letter from their collection agency and again explained the situation, but they still refuse to credit the account. I am looking to get the account cleared. They did not provide any real service to me as stated above and should not have gotten any money, but they already got most of it from the insurance anyway so they don't deserve any more. I appreciate your help in getting this resolved and hope that they are more careful in dealing with their patients in the future.

  Business response

  03/04/2024

  On 5/28/2023, the patient presented to the Rockledge Regional Medical Center ******************** with a complaint of possible bronchitis. The patient was sent to the ******************** from an urgent care facility to have a ** scan due to her concerns at the urgent care. Upon assessment at the ********************, the patient did not have any acute symptoms and was offered a ** scan. The patient declined to have the ** scan at that time and stated she would follow up with her regular doctor. The ******************** provider prescribed a medication with no allergies listed to the medication noted in her chart. Discharge instructions, including medication prescription, were provided to the patient at discharge noting verbal understanding of instructions. 

  We do not see a complaint in our system from the patient, but she is welcome to call our Patient Advocate at ************ if she would like to discuss her concerns further. 

  Thank you for allowing us to respond to this complaint. 

  Customer response

  03/12/2024

   
  Complaint: 21347633
  
  I am rejecting this response because the information they provided is not accurate.  I have however paid the outstanding balance as I don't feel that an agreeable resolution will be found.  I will be sure to not use the business in the future. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************************

• Initial Complaint

  07/05/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On 6/27/23 I received a letter from RRMC (Rockledge Regional Medical Center giving me 7 days to respond. I am responding to dispute this charge in writing through the BBB on 6/30/23 to once again state that I am disputing this charge. I also sent the same to RRMC via certified mail on 6/30/23. Earlier in June I called your office at (888) 527-1968 and spoke to an African American lady. I told her on your recorded phone call that I am disputing the charge because my medical insurance of Medicare pays 80% of the bill and ******** pays the remainder 20%. It leaves me with zero deductible or out of pocket expense. I asked for an invoice that showed where these charges originated or if this is a single charge. I wanted to know the date and exact amount. The lady said she would put it in the mail to me and that it would take about ten days to receive it. That invoice was never received in my mailbox. A different bill from you did come in the mail. On Tuesday, 6/27/23 when I received your letter, I called ***** ****** ****** **** ******** to inform them that you are attempting to bill me. You are threatening to have this reported on my credit when you are fully aware that Medicare and ******** are contracted to fully cover this bill 100%. The lady at *** said they received an invoice for $248.49. *** said they paid it in full, but they clawed it all back, so you are threatening (in writing!) to harm me by damaging my credit! That is beyond despicable and deplorable from Rockledge RMC. I have noticed a pattern of RRMC trying to collect debts from me that Medicare and ******** are contracted to pay in full 100%. I reported this via a complaint to the Agency For Health Care Administration on 6/27/23. I want RRMC to collect the amount from the insurance contracted (Medicare and ********) to pay this bill and never threaten me whatsoever in the future. I will do my best to not come back to RRMC. You are the only medical facility who threatens and tries to bill me.

  Business response

  07/19/2023

  We reviewed the account and resolved via the following:

  1. The patient was erroneously billed after primary and secondary insurance payments were received.

  2. On 6/6/23, the patient called regarding an itemized statement that she received, and our customer service informed the patient that she should not owe anything, and they would process her itemized statement request.

  3. On 6/8/23, the vendor mailed an itemized statement to the patient to the address on record.

  4. On 6/27/23, the patient called regarding a statement she received, and the vendor advised the patient that the patient's request was still in process.

  5. On 7/13/23, the patient's account was adjusted which reflects a zero-balance and she will no longer receive statement regarding this account. We forwarded of the final statement to patient on 7/17/23.

  Customer response

  07/25/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me although it took a complaint to the BBB, the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), and ******** Fraud Dept for Rockledge Regional to admit they were wrong for billing me an amount that had been paid by my primary and secondary insurance. A copy of the RRMC bill was provided to the BBB and AHCA. I had no out of pocket expenses to pay, and Rockledge Regional Medical Center was well aware of this. Even more egregious was threatening to harm my credit for an amount I did not owe! This is how Rockledge Regional Medical Center (RRMC) treats sick people who come there for help. I fought back and was successful, but how many people have been harmed this way by RRMC who could not fight back, who did not know how or who to call or write? This infuriates me. Although I am not an attorney, I'm educated, attended college, graduate school, and an ABA accredited law school. As long as I have strength I will fight for what is right and true. If I owe a bill, I will pay it because it's the right thing to do. If I do not owe it I will dispute it regardless of whether someone threatens to or actually falsely reports it on my credit. Eventually I will prevail because truth is on my side. In admitting they wrongly billed me, RRMC, in the following, made five statements in response to my BBB and AHCA complaints. 
  1.) RRMC acknowledged, "The patient was erroneously billed after primary and secondary insurance payments were received."  Thank you, RRMC! This is true. 
  2.) RRMC next says the patient called regarding an itemized statement that she received, and our customer service informed the patient that she would not owe anything, and they would process her itemized statement request." My recollection from notes taken during the call to RRMC on June 6, 2023 concluding at 8:50 AM with Bianca is that I did not have an itemized statement during that call but instead requested an itemized statement pursuant to F.S. 395.301.  RRMC noted in statement #2 that, "She (Bianca) would process my itemized statement request. This is indicative of the fact that if I had an itemized statement during the call there would have been no need to request Bianca mail one to me.  3.) RRMC next claims that, "On 6/8/23, the vendor mailed an itemized statement to the patient to the address on file." On this claim, I dispute it for the following reasons: I never received the itemized statement that was claimed to have been mailed on 6/8/23. Secondly, I subscribe to USPS Delivery Notifications, and there are no notifications (which includes photos of daily mail to be delivered) from RRMC with the itemized statement from the USPS from the dates from June 7, 2023 until July 20, 2023. In response to the BBB and AHCA, RRMC did mail an apology and detailed statement of the bill from 2021. I do not recall Bianca telling me I would not be billed. I was, in fact, actually holding and reading Bianca "the bill" I was, in fact, billed threatening to harm my credit if I did not pay the full amount within 7 days!  4.) The claim made by RRMC about my calling again in 6/27/23 and being told my request is still in process I do not recall. I have no notes regarding this call, so I can neither dispute or affirm that statement. 5.) RRMC says, "On 7/13/23 , the patient's account was adjusted which reflects zero-account balance and she will no longer receive statements regarding this account. We forwarded a copy of this response letter and the final statement to the patient on 7/17/23." On this last statement, it is true. I accept it as that was my resolution goal. I am in receipt of this verification letter and itemization. In conclusion I want to sincerely thank the BBB, the Agency for Health Care Administration and the Office for ******** Fraud for their intervention on my behalf. The belligerence I experienced from RRMC left a lasting negative impression on me. People can be polite in speaking tone, but send notifications in writing that convey the total opposite. I act on what I see in writing as opposed to what people say. I implore anyone being threatened by RRMC to file claims so there is an accurate record of patients reporting threatening letters and messages over money not owed to RRMC. If there is a strong pattern to this behavior RRMC will be forced to cease it.  Ask for help if you need it. There are good people who will help so you don't face this alone. When you're sick, being stressed and threatened by false debt claims is the last thing you need. I am deeply grateful for the support I received. Thank you!
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ********** ****

• Initial Complaint

  12/12/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I delivered my baby at Rockledge Regional Medical Center on January 26th, 2022. We paid the hospital a total bill of $2,987.93 with the understanding that the money was going to pay the doctor who helped during delivery, ************. For some reason, the hospital did not forward that money to the doctor, and instead held it. The doctor still needs to be paid. I called their customer service to see what happened, and they apologized and only gave me 2 options: for them to keep the money for future bills (I'm never going there again), or they can issue me a reimbursement so I can then take the money and pay the doctor directly. I said yes, please issue the reimbursement. They then told me I should get a check in the mail within 45 days.I told **************** billing office that I could not pay them the money until I received that refund, but that the refund is coming.In June I realized I still have not received anything and called them on the 9th, speaking to a ***. He tells me I am not able to get my reimbursement because of a separate claim filed incorrectly from the night before (January 25th) when I went in during early labor and they sent me home because I wasn't dilatated enough. *** says the hospital needs to fix and resubmit that claim to get the *** from my insurance, which will prove that I don't owe them anything, and they can get me my refund.It is December, and they STILL have not made any progress on fixing and submitting that one claim. I have called them and my insurance back and forth nearly every month since June for any progress. They always tell me the same thing: to "check back in another 2 weeks." I just spoke with my insurance, CIGNA, today and when they last spoke with ****** in billing on December 2nd she said there is a ***** day turnover. How I wish that were true!At this rate, I'm concerned they are now intentionally dragging this out to try to hold on to that money. I am sick of it! I still need to pay the doctor!

  Business response

  12/20/2022

  Patient refund complete, refunded the patient cc provided at time of service today 12/20/2022.
  May take 2-3 business days to process.
  
  Delay in refund occurred due to account pending insurance process completion, ******* policy to hold until processed and resolved by payor.
  
  Patient notified of refund completion 12/20/2022

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩