Business ProfileforAvail Hospital Lake Charles

My husband was referred to Avail Hospital on 8/2021 by his employers doctor for severe chest pain that was penetrating thru his back and unable to hold down food and water. We were there at max for an hour where they conducted an EKG and told him his heart was fine and they gave him medication for his stomach and sent him on his way still in pain and unable to eat or hold down water. Days later when we were able to get into a Gastroenterologist we actually learned he had a hernia in his esophagus, and his gallbladder was going out (26% functionality) and should have probably been removed the day he visited Avail. Here we are and in early May 2022 (9 months after his visit) we are greeted with a $3500 bill for an EKG that was senseless and not even close to what was wrong with my husband. Coincidentally he had to visit Avail in January of 2022 (long before we got the bill for his visit in August) when he was sent by his employers doctor with a referral for covid testing. While trying to clear up the August bill we were greeted with another $2800 bill for the covid testing that Avail advertised was completely free. Both of these amounts far exceed his deductible and coinsurance along with his OOPM while the covid testing was supposed to be FREE as advertised. DO NOT VISIT THIS HOSPITAL!!! At this point considering the horrendous misdiagnoses from his August visit and the covid test not being free when advertised to be free, learning from his insurance that Avail never even filed his visits with them and confirmed that we shouldnt be responsible for anything but our copays, and Avail's billing still not having resolved this issue to this very day I shouldn't have to pay a penny for all of these inconveniences ALL while we are trying to buy a home. I SEE WHY THE PARKING LOT IS EMPTY!

Hello Carlee,

I would like to sincerely apologize for your husband's unsatisfactory visit to our ER and the billing issues you have experienced. I want you to know that events like this are genuinely taken very seriously and immediately elevated to the entirety of our leadership team at Avail.

We are investigating both the ER visit and the billing complaints. We would appreciate the opportunity to connect with you to learn more about your husband's experience and resolve your billing concerns. At Avail, we hold our patient care to a high standard and want to make this right for you and your husband while also taking preventative actions to keep this from happening to anyone else.

Please reach out to Gena Millslagle, a member of our leadership team, at 337-656-7622 or you can message us privately. Again, I would like to openly apologize to both you and your husband for any stress this experience has put you through. We ask for the opportunity to gain back your trust in the hopes that we can provide for you and your family if you should ever need us.