Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Cleveland Clinic Foundation's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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• 

  Cleveland Clinic Foundation

  9500 Euclid Ave Cleveland, OH 44195-0001

  
• 

  Cleveland Clinic Foundation

  16215 Madison Ave Lakewood, OH 44107-5618

  
• 

  Cleveland Clinic Foundation

  551 E Washington St Chagrin Falls, OH 44022-4403

  
• 

  Cleveland Clinic Foundation

  325 Center St Chardon, OH 44024-1184

  
• 

  Cleveland Clinic Foundation

  8254 Mayfield Rd Ste 4 Chesterland, OH 44026-2562

  

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/05/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  May 31, 2023, my wife received an injection at ******** ********. When the claim was submitted to ******* **** it was under my name not the patient's name ***** ****. On July 17th ***** called the billing dept and spoke to ***** and explained that the claim was submitted with the sponsors name and not her name. That the billing dept needed to submit a corrected claim and to pay back the 1,394.76 that they received for me. They needed to submit a claim with ***** as the patient. ***** also told ***** that the Lab/Medical Care on Jun 14, 2023 should have been her as the patient and not me, and that was for 112.06 so total 1,506.82 dollars.
  
  About a month later ***** gets a bill from the Cleveland Clinic for 49.00 dtd Jul 24 2023. So, about Aug 16th I call ******* **** and the agent stated no claims received either for myself or wife. At this point I suspect that billing dept just did an inhouse move of records from my account to *****'s account to create the bill. Then agent called billing 3-way call and explained that the original claim had the wrong patient on it and that it needed to be corrected and paid back and that they needed to submit a claim for *****. On Aug 18th ***** called the billing dept and spoke with Jessica about the June 14th Lab work/Medical/Care of 112.06 dols and was told that the payment /EOB hadn't arrived to my account yet and they couldn't do anything.
  
  Aug 17 the billing dept submitted a claim with ***** as the patient and was paid the 1394.76 but no corrected claim to payback the 1394.76 erroneous claim under my name.
  
  About Sept 6th I called ******* **** after receiving *****'s EOB for the injection. The agent called billing 3 way and she explained 5/31 injection and about the lab/Medical Jun 14th. Billing stated that there wasn't anything under my account and she would take care of it. On Sept 8th they submitted a claim and was paid the 112.06 with no corrected claim to payback the previous 112.06.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/17/2023

  October 17, 2023
  Better Business Bureau
  2800 Euclid Ave, 4th FL
  Cleveland, Ohio 44115-2408
  ***** ****** *****         
  *** ********* *** ********* ********
  Dear *******
  This letter is in response to the billing complaint filed by ***** ****,
  husband of patient ***** ****, to the Better Business Bureau on 10/5/23. I
  would like to first offer my sincere apologies for any frustration this may
  have caused *** **** and **** ****.
  The root cause of the complaint was that the following
  claims had ***** **** listed as the patient, instead of ***** ****. A thorough
  investigation has been completed on *** ****’s account and below are my
  findings:
  May 31, 2023 hospital services (Reference # ***********): The Cleveland Clinic submitted a corrected claim to ******* **** with ***** **** listed as the patient in the amount of $5,518.80. ******* **** sent the Cleveland Clinic the explanation of benefits on August 28, 2023. Per explanation of benefits, ******* **** paid $1,394.76 and contractual adjustment of $4,075.04 leaving $49.00 towards coinsurance as patient responsibility.
  June 14, 2023 hospital services (Reference # ***********): The Cleveland Clinic submitted a corrected claim to ******* **** with ***** **** listed as the patient in the amount of $386.00. ******* **** sent the Cleveland Clinic the explanation of benefits on September 13, 2023. Per explanation of benefits, ******* **** paid $112.06 and contractual adjustment of $273.94 leaving $0.00 towards patient responsibility.
  June 14, 2023 professional services (Reference # ***********): The Cleveland Clinic submitted a corrected claim to ******* **** with ***** **** listed as the patient in the amount of $603.00. ******* **** sent the Cleveland Clinic the explanation of benefits on September 13, 2023. Per explanation of benefits, ******* **** paid $77.10 and contractual adjustment of $491.90 leaving $34.00 towards coinsurance as patient responsibility.
  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address *** ****’s
  concerns. If we can be of any further assistance, please feel free to contact
  me directly at ************.
  Respectfully,
  ****** *******
  Financial Ombudsman
  Revenue Cycle Management, CCHS
  Cc: ***** ****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/17/2023

  October 17, 2023
  Better Business Bureau
  2800 Euclid Ave, 4th FL
  Cleveland, Ohio 44115-2408
  ***** ****** *****         
  *** ********* *** ********* ********
  Dear *******
  This letter is in response to the billing complaint filed by ***** ****,
  husband of patient ***** ****, to the Better Business Bureau on 10/5/23. I
  would like to first offer my sincere apologies for any frustration this may
  have caused *** **** and **** ****.
  The root cause of the complaint was that the following
  claims had ***** **** listed as the patient, instead of ***** ****. A thorough
  investigation has been completed on *** ****’s account and below are my
  findings:
  May 31, 2023 hospital services (Reference # ***********): The Cleveland Clinic submitted a corrected claim to ******* **** with ***** **** listed as the patient in the amount of $5,518.80. ******* **** sent the Cleveland Clinic the explanation of benefits on August 28, 2023. Per explanation of benefits, ******* **** paid $1,394.76 and contractual adjustment of $4,075.04 leaving $49.00 towards coinsurance as patient responsibility.
  June 14, 2023 hospital services (Reference # ***********): The Cleveland Clinic submitted a corrected claim to ******* **** with ***** **** listed as the patient in the amount of $386.00. ******* **** sent the Cleveland Clinic the explanation of benefits on September 13, 2023. Per explanation of benefits, ******* **** paid $112.06 and contractual adjustment of $273.94 leaving $0.00 towards patient responsibility.
  June 14, 2023 professional services (Reference # ***********): The Cleveland Clinic submitted a corrected claim to ******* **** with ***** **** listed as the patient in the amount of $603.00. ******* **** sent the Cleveland Clinic the explanation of benefits on September 13, 2023. Per explanation of benefits, ******* **** paid $77.10 and contractual adjustment of $491.90 leaving $34.00 towards coinsurance as patient responsibility.
  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address *** ****’s
  concerns. If we can be of any further assistance, please feel free to contact
  me directly at ************.
  Respectfully,
  ****** *******
  Financial Ombudsman
  Revenue Cycle Management, CCHS
  Cc: ***** ****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/17/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  
  
  As with the prior complaint this is about MY NAME as the patient on 6/14/23 for the ******* **** and the Lab/Medical work instead of the actual patient that's ***** ****.   Billing never submitted a corrected claim removing my name on either 6/14/23 and 5/31/23 to remove the charges that total over 1,506 and change.  That would mean sending money back to Tricare East. 

       If the corrected claims were submitted CORRECTLY and money returned then ******* **** would issue out corrected EOB's for 5/31/23 and 6/14/23 removing the erroneous charges.  This hasn't happened, so that means the 5/31 and 6/14 claims that were originally submitted under my name wasn't done correctly.  According to the Tricare agent in Sept 2023, 2 claims needed to be done.  One that would remove the erroneous charges from my Tricare account and one that was submitted under ***** **** name.  So when billing submitted the corrected claims under ***** **** that didn't have anything to do with the erroneous claims that was submitted under my name.  The corrected claims would need to be under my name not ***** ****.  That is how it would work, since you can't correct a erroneous charge on the wrong person just by submitting the correct patients name.  The insurance company in this case ******* **** thought it was a new patient claim.

  So billing needs to submitted corrected claims under my name to remove the charges and pay back Tricare East.

   

  Regards,

  
  
  
  ***** ****
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/17/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  
  
  As with the prior complaint this is about MY NAME as the patient on 6/14/23 for the ******* **** and the Lab/Medical work instead of the actual patient that's ***** ****.   Billing never submitted a corrected claim removing my name on either 6/14/23 and 5/31/23 to remove the charges that total over 1,506 and change.  That would mean sending money back to Tricare East. 

       If the corrected claims were submitted CORRECTLY and money returned then ******* **** would issue out corrected EOB's for 5/31/23 and 6/14/23 removing the erroneous charges.  This hasn't happened, so that means the 5/31 and 6/14 claims that were originally submitted under my name wasn't done correctly.  According to the Tricare agent in Sept 2023, 2 claims needed to be done.  One that would remove the erroneous charges from my Tricare account and one that was submitted under ***** **** name.  So when billing submitted the corrected claims under ***** **** that didn't have anything to do with the erroneous claims that was submitted under my name.  The corrected claims would need to be under my name not ***** ****.  That is how it would work, since you can't correct a erroneous charge on the wrong person just by submitting the correct patients name.  The insurance company in this case ******* **** thought it was a new patient claim.

  So billing needs to submitted corrected claims under my name to remove the charges and pay back Tricare East.

   

  Regards,

  
  
  
  ***** ****
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/04/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Since 3/8/23, I have been incorrectly charged $200 of copays by Cleveland Clinic on my credit card. I have been working with Cleveland Clinic since 8/18/23 to remove my credit card from automatic payments in their system and I have yet to receive full reimbursement for the incorrect charges. I have spoke with the billing department and the department ombudsman multiple times. I have been mislead multiple times regarding the amounts of money I expect to get back and the forms of payment return (credit card vs. check). Today they told me to call my credit card company since I never received the $100 back on my credit card that they claimed was submitted on 9/7/23. I spoke with my credit card company and they said to file a complaint with the BBB since there is nothing that they can do for that. Cleveland Clinic claims that a check for $100 was mailed yesterday 10/4/23 and should take 2-4 weeks to arrive at my address. I have been waiting for a check in the mail since 8/13/23 and never received one. My credit card company has been able to dispute most of the charges except $20 from 3/31/23.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/10/2023

  Dear ****** *****,
  
  This letter is in response to the billing complaint filed by, *****
  ***** to the Ohio Better Business Bureau on 10/04/2023. This complaint was received in the
  Financial Ombudsman office for review on behalf of the Cleveland Clinic.
  
  I would first
  like to offer my sincere apology for any frustration this may have caused Ms.
  *****. I have undertaken a full review of the concerns mentioned and I am
  satisfied that all issues raised have been researched and addressed
  appropriately.
  Upon thorough review of Ms. *****
  payment history from February 2023-August 2023, it has been confirmed that an
  overpayment of $220 was indeed made during this period. I have included Ms.
  ***** payment history and how it was refunded or applied.
  Payment made on 02/07/23($20) --applied to reference# ***********
  Payment made on 03/08/23($40) --refunded by check
  Payment made on 3/30/2023($40)-- $20 applied to reference# *********** and $20 was refunded by check.
  Payment made on 4/11/2023($40)-- $20 applied to reference# *********** and $20 was refunded by check
  Payment made on 6/12/2023($40)-- $20 applied to reference# *********** and $20 was a chargeback
  Payment made on 6/14/2023($40) --$20 was a chargeback and $20 was refunded by check
  Payment made on 7/26/2023($40)-- $40 was a chargeback
  Payment made on 8/14/2023($40)-- $20 was a chargeback and $20 was refunded by check
  Ms. ***** initially requested a
  refund on August 18, 2023, through our Customer Service Department.
  Subsequently, the refund request was approved, and we scheduled to send the
  refund via a check on August 21, 2023. Please be advised that our refund
  process takes roughly around 4-6 weeks to be completed. Regrettably, our system
  automatically canceled this refund on August 30, 2023, due to the receipt of a
  chargeback notification in the amount of $100.
  The chargeback was initiated with
  Ms. *****’s bank, and as a result, the original refund request was voided.
  When Ms. ***** contacted our
  Ombudsman Department on September 29, 2023, the financial ombudsman promptly
  initiated a new refund request on her behalf, and I am pleased to inform that a
  check was issued on October 4, 2023.
  We kindly
  request that Ms. ***** direct her concerns and inquiries to her bank, regarding
  the chargebacks of $100 that was requested on August 30,2023 and completed on
  September 7, 2023, as the amount of $100 was reversed to the card.
  
  I apologize for any
  inconvenience this may have caused and thank you for bringing these concerns to
  our attention. If we can be of any further
  assistance, don't hesitate to contact me directly at ************.
  
  Respectfully,
  Ruth ****** 
  Financial
  Ombudsman 
  Revenue Cycle
  Management

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/16/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  
  My credit card company stated that they will not accept chargebacks. I have not received a refund check from Cleveland Clinic still. Please keep this complaint open. 
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ***** *****
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/26/2023

  Dear ****** *****,
  
  This letter is in response to the rebuttal filed by, ***** ***** to the
  Ohio Better Business Bureau on 10/16/2023. This complaint was received in the Financial Ombudsman office for
  review on behalf of the Cleveland Clinic.
  
  After a
  comprehensive review, the charges related to your account have been thoroughly
  investigated. We have confirmed that the funds were withdrawn from our payment
  processing application, as previously mentioned in our correspondence dated
  October 10, 2023.
  
  In accordance
  with the request from your banking institution, the withdrawal was successfully
  done, and no discrepancies or errors have been identified with the transaction.
  We stand by our initial assessment that your concerns should be directed to
  your banking institution. Please be advised that the chargeback was initiated by
  Ms. *****’s bank on August 30,2023 and completed on September 7, 2023, as the
  amount of $100 was reversed to the card. The outcome of our review will remain
  unchanged, and we regret that we cannot continue to address this matter.
  
  We understand
  that this situation may have been a source of frustration, and we appreciate
  your patience and cooperation throughout the process. If we can be of any
  further assistance, don't hesitate to contact me directly at ************.
  
  Respectfully,
  Ruth ****** 
  Financial
  Ombudsman 
  Revenue Cycle
  Management
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/29/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  
  
  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. 

  I received the check and cashed it. 

  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ***** *****
  
  
  
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/03/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I have called the billing department of Cleveland Clinic 9 times since July of 2022 requesting a refund for the amount I paid over the copayment for the procedure. Each time I called the agent I spoke with told me I should receive a refund. Several of them apparently didn’t forward my claim to the proper department. The last 3 calls I was told that the claim would be sent to the department that issues refunds. I still have not received any refund.
  I

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/13/2023

  Dear
  Sandra,
  This
  letter is in response to the billing complaint filed by ****** ***** to the
  Better Business Bureau on 10/3/23. I would like to first offer my sincere
  apologies for any frustration this may have caused Mr. *****.
  The
  root cause of the complaint was that Mr. ***** states he has called the
  Cleveland Clinic many times requesting a refund for an overpayment. A thorough
  investigation has been completed and upon review, a refund check in the amount
  $2,603.79 has been sent to Mr. ***** as of 10/4/23.
  Thank
  you for allowing us the opportunity to address Mr. *****’s concerns. If we can
  be of any further assistance, please feel free to contact me directly at
  ************.
  
  Respectfully,
  Rachel
  ******,
  Financial Ombudsman
  Revenue Cycle Management, CCHS
  Cc: ****** *****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/16/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  
  
  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. 
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ****** *****
  
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/23/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On May 27, 2023, I utilized the ER at Cleveland Clinic. I have a $450 copay per my plan. When CC billed the visit, they billed the doctor charges separately and my insurance company assigned the responsibility to me in the amount of $188.92. I called my insurance company and explained that I have only a $450 copay for emergency room visits and should not have been responsible for the doctor charges. After they reviewed this, they agreed. They sent me a new explanation of benefits showing I am responsible for $0.00 and they paid Cleveland Clinic. The new EOB AND a copy of the check showing the claim was paid by ****** has been provided to them, but they will not remove this charge from my account. I have made several phone calls and even asked for it to be escalated. I have received two calls from the escalation request, but still the charge remains. I am told this can take months to resolve! This is ridiculous. They make sure you know that you have four billing cycles to get an account paid or they will turn it over to collections. but they are in no hurry to resolve issues! They have all they need to correct my account. The incompetence of the Cleveland Clinic billing department is astounding. They seem unwilling to take the steps necessary to get my account accurate. One can only hope the care team doesn’t mirror the apathy shown by the billing team. If you go to CC for care, watch your billing statements and double check EVERYTHING. In my family, we have had two encounters with CC and both instances where a complete mess.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/06/2023

  Dear ******,
  This letter is
  in response to the billing complaint filed by ****** ***********, to the Better
  Business Bureau on 9/25/2023. I would first like to offer my sincere apology
  for any frustration this may have caused Ms. ***********.
  A thorough
  investigation has been completed on Ms. ***********’s account. I reviewed the
  account in conjunction with the medical records associated with the services
  rendered from May 27, 2023 to May 28, 2023 below are my findings:
  May 27, 2023 to May 28, 2023 Professional services (Reference # ***********): The Cleveland Clinic has removed the $188.92 from patient responsibility while our Cash Control Department locates the insurance payment and applies it to the account correctly. Please allow time for this process to be completed.  
  I apologize for
  any frustration this may have caused Ms. *********** and thank you for allowing
  us the opportunity to address her concerns. If I can be of any further
  assistance, please feel free to contact me directly at ************.
  Respectfully,
  Brendan *******,
  
  Financial
  Ombudsman
  Revenue
  Cycle Management, CCHS
  Cc: ******
  ***********

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/06/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  
  
  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. 
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ****** ***********
  
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/28/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Every time I call for any reason or any location, I always have to wait at least 20 minutes for anyone to pick up the phone. then it takes 15 minutes to make an appointment for a simple PCP visit. on the phone with them waiting over 2 hours of my calling, i get angry. I calm myself down and try again. All day. no one knew what to do so they would transfer me up to 5 times and i would still end up with orthopedics. I am so tired of your mistakes. my doctor appts and billing are comical. all i wanted to do is schedule urology test. instead i spent most of my day frustrated and angry.
  
  finally got the number for urology. It was a fax number. AAAAAGGGGGGG!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/16/2023

  Business reached out to complainant twice by phone, (once on August 1, 2023 and once on August 2, 2023), and once by mail, (on August 3, 2023), with no response from complainant until August 15, 2023.  Business will reach out to complainant again.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/28/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  THE COLE EYE INSITUTE DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH VALET WORKERS. THE WAIT TIME FOR YOUR CAR IS REDICULOUS

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/03/2023

  I talked with the person who filed the complaint and got the date, time and make of the car that was valet. We took that information and looked at the cameras. From the time that the patient paid for his car until it arrived to him was 11 mins. We apologized for the wait time and sent him some parking validations for the next time he visits the Clinic. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/03/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  
  
  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. 
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  **** *********
  
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/20/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I had an appt with Dr. ****** on February 27 for an RLE consultation, which is free, stated on your website.
  
  ************************************************************************************************ 
  I have received a large bill for this consultation. I am being told that this was a keratoconus evaluation and RLE consultations are not free. I believe there was miscommunication regarding the appt. When I first arrived, the medical assistant (?) was confused and told us RLE consultations are not done on main campus, only Westlake office. She then checked and said they actually did have the necessary equipment to complete it. Dr ****** was very helpful and competent and helped me reach a decision regarding RLE. However, it would seem this was not noted as an RLE consultation in her notes and therefore we have been billed. I have reached out to her office numerous times and to billing without getting this resolved. Many messages have been sent to Jen, her secretary, with no attempt by Jen to follow up with me. Very unprofessional. I have had a few RLE consultations done, due to wanting a few opinions due to this eye condition that I may or may not have, and we have had zero issues like this. Billing has essentially said they've done all that they could. Where does this leave us, with an appointment that was supposed to be complimentary? There are many places to go to receive this kind of consultation without the headache of a massive bill. This is an error on Cleveland Clinic's side. We told staff we were here for an RLE consultation. At no time were we told this was no longer an RLE appointment and we would be billed.
  
  PT Account # ************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/27/2023

  Dear ******, 

  This letter is in response to the billing complaint filed by **** ****** to the Ohio Better Business Bureau on 4/20/23. The complaint was sent to the Financial Ombudsman department to review and respond back to you. 
  I would first like to offer my sincere apology for any frustration this may have caused Mr. ******. The root cause of his complaint is he believes RLE Consultation is free. A thorough investigation has been completed into **** ******’s account. As part of the investigation, the account was sent to our coding department, where an audit on the charges was performed. It was determined that the charges on the account for date of service, February 27, 2023, are correct and there were no financial errors. The patient came in with a known medical condition and that he has KCN(Keratoconus). This is not considered a free Lasik screening. 
  However, if Mr. ****** would like to contact me, I would be willing to offer him the $150.00 self-pay healthy routine eye exam.  
  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to address Mr. ******’s concerns. If we can be of any further assistance, please feel free to contact me directly at ************. 
  
  Respectfully, 
  
  Brendan *******,  
  
  Financial Ombudsman  
  Revenue Cycle Management, CCHS  
  Cc: **** ****** 
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/21/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  In August I scheduled some yearly well visits for my kids.
  My oldest had the appointment in late August. It was billed as a well visit and was 100% covered by our insurance.
  My youngest had the appointment September 15th. She had been sick with an ear infection the week before her appointment, so I took her to a walk-in clinic and she got some antibiotics. She was better by the next day. Then at the well check the doctor checked her height, weight, milestones, I requested her vaccination records & health form for school, etc. The doctor checked the chart, said, "Oh, I see she was seen last week for an ear infection. How is she doing?" I said she was fine & that was the end of the visit.
  Weeks later I get a bill for my youngest's visit. Her pediatrician coded the visit as a "follow-up visit" to her walk-in visit for her ear infection, not as a well check. This follow up wasn't covered by our insurance. Additionally, the well check had been scheduled (then rescheduled as we were on a waitlist to get in sooner) in August, way before we were ever dealing with an ear infection! How could I schedule a follow up for something I didn't know existed yet?
  I called the office & was told that because my youngest went to the walk-in clinic, the doctor had to bill the visit as a follow up. Her pediatrician refused to change the coding. I've talked to the front desk, billing department, customer service, & my insurance. All say there is nothing they can do because the doctor only mentioned the ear infection in her notes. She didn't include all the development questions, vitals, request for school forms, or anything else we spoke about.
  I had been under the impression that we were at a well visit, as that is what I scheduled, and no one informed me that they were changing the nature of the visit. Now I worry about taking my kids to the doctor when they are sick, because I don't understand how walk-in visits might interfere with future scheduled visits.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/03/2023

   

  Dear *******
  
  This letter is
  in response to the billing complaint filed by Mrs. ********* ***** to the Ohio
  Better Business Bureau on 3/21/23.
  
  A thorough
  investigation has been completed on Mrs. *****’s daughter, ******’s account.
  Per my review, it was determined that per the medical record, the type of visit
  that took place on 9/15/22, was clarified with the family during the visit because
  the family declined the Well Care child visit since they had one on 1/25/22. They
  opted to wait to have the well care child visit in January 2023. The family agreed
  with doing a follow up from the Urgent Care visit with Dr. ******** on 9/15/22.
  The diagnosis coding is correct as billed since this visit was not related to a
  well check and documentation in the medical record supports the follow up for
  ear pain. The COVID vaccination was given, but billed separately, which is also
  accurate. However, the CPT code used was for an Established Patient visit, but was
  not correct because ****** was a new patient being seen by Dr. ********. The
  CPT code was updated from Established Patient to New Patient visit type and a
  corrected claim will be sent to ****** overnight.
  
  Thank you for
  allowing us the opportunity to address Mrs. *****’s concerns. If we can be of
  any further assistance regarding this matter, please feel free to contact me
  directly at *************
  
  Best Regards,
  
  
  
  
  Tiffany Bracken
  Financial
  Ombudsman
  Revenue Cycle
  Management, CCHS

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/03/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  
  
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ********* *****
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Contrary to what is mentioned in this response, I was not notified that the visit would not be a well visit. No one explained that to me at any point prior or at the appointment. I did not decline a well check as we were eligible for one.

  Yes, my daughter had a well visit in January 2022 through ****** **********, but that was in ******** and we had since moved to Ohio, my husband had a new employer, and we were on a new insurance plan starting July 2022. Therefore, we were eligible for another well visit for 2022 under our new insurance plan. My older daughter had also had her well visit in ******** in January of 2022 under our old insurance and her August visit at Cleveland Clinic was coded as a well visit and was completely covered by our insurance with no issue. 

  (My husband had another job change and we got another new insurance November 1, 2022, which is why we were eligible again for a well visit in January 2023.) The purpose of that doctor visit on September 15, 2022 was not to check on ******'s ear infection, as I no longer had any concerns about it. She was back to normal, had gone back to school, and was feeling fine as she took her antibiotics. The only reason I scheduled and kept the visit on September 15, 2022 was for a well check/physical to get ******'s school forms filled out so she could continue to attend school for the 2022-2023 school year. (The school would only temporarily accept our ******** vaccine and wellness forms until 9/30/22.) I only needed her forms filled out and since ****** was a new patient, I was told that she had to have a well check before the doctor could fill out her forms, which made sense.

  My older daughter's visit was a well visit and was coded as such, but ******'s was not. The only difference in their appointments is that ****** had gone to the walk-in clinic a few days prior, but I still fail to see how that makes her ineligible for a well visit. The insurance wasn't an issue since it was a new plan and I had contacted them prior to the appointments to ensure we were eligible for well checks and got the all-clear. The issue is that the doctor apparently coded the visit as a follow-up, but I don't know her reasoning for this. I didn't want or need a follow-up and literally only needed a physical to get ******'s school forms filled out.

  My concern is that I will never feel comfortable taking my children to the walk-in clinic when they are sick because it may cause billing issues with future appointments. I don't know what else I could have done in this situation - force my daughter to suffer through an ear infection until after her well check? Or cancel the well check and then she would get unenrolled from school? I feel like I was left with impossible choices where there really should have been no issue. ****** was sick, I took her in to get antibiotics, then she had a well check for her school forms - why can't both of these be true?
  
   

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/09/2023

  Response received by BBB Staff via email

   

  Hello *******
  
   
  
  The new issue relating to care in the rebuttal has been forwarded to the Medical Ombudsmen’s office for them to review and respond back to the patient’s mother.
  
   
  
  Thanks

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/13/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  The genetics department at the Cleveland Clinic is completely mismanaged. I had a referral placed in December regarding an evaluation for potential connective tissue disorders. This was flagged as a concern by doctors from neurology, podiatry, orthopedics, and primary care, all of whom have a lot of experience. The ************ number, which is cited as the correct number to call, is rarely ever answered. Option 1, 2, and 3 all go to voicemail. The first voicemail I left was regarding getting an appointment to be seen as my providers were waiting for the information to guide them in future decisions. I was told by **** *. that I would be contacted within 30 days about my referral via. MyChart. I waited about 45 days before sending multiple emails to [email protected] and left multiple voice messages using all three phone options. I was never able to get through and never heard anything.
  
  While at the main campus for a few tests, I went to the R building to see if I could speak with someone. The front desk staff were friendly but said no one from genetics that is an admin or front-line staff was there. I also went to the T building where the website claims genetics is. That area's sign says "Medical Genetics" when in fact it is a Brain Study. First of all, the sign should be updated. Or, there should be a sign by the door saying genetics has moved--a lady I ran into said just in September that is where it was located. The person in the room didn't even know where genetics was. I was told it is in the crile building. That wasn't true. Only after I sent a hostile and aggressive email to Dr. ****** *** and her assistant, did I finally get a call from a medical director the next day who finally made my appointment. She said they are severely understaffed. I got a call from a geneticist the next day who told me she has been scheduling her own patients and the staff have been complaining and nothing has been done. She encouraged me to escalate this forward to seek change.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/05/2023

  The Cleveland Clinic has
  completed a review of your concerns on April 5, 2023. The patient’s medical
  records were reviewed and the concerns were shared with the Administration and
  ********* ********** *** *** ****** *** ************ ******* ****** and the
  Hospital’s Executive Administration. The department leadership has shared they
  have followed up with the appropriate staff and leadership to resolve these
  concerns and are working to make the appropriate changes and updates.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/08/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Visited opthmologist on Jan 11, 2023. Routine vision test was done in addition to other things. I have been billed for the vision test. I called Customer Service to tell them I have vision insurance through ******* and was told she couldn't take the information over the phone. CS said she would send me a form to fill out. That was a month ago and I have not received it. Only receive a bill.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/10/2023

  Dear Ms. *****,
  
  This letter is in
  response to the billing complaint filed by Ms. ********* to the Ohio Better Business
  Bureau on 03/08/2023 regarding not receiving the itemized statement for vision
  services completed at Cleveland Clinic.
  
  A thorough
  investigation has been completed on Ms. *********’s account. Per my review, it
  was found that an itemized statement was requested and generated for the
  patient, Ms. *********, on 02/25/2023. I have mailed the itemized statement to
  the patient.
  
  Her Medicare policy does not cover refraction exams. They are
  considered a vision benefit and not a medical benefit. A refraction exam helps the
  physician determine if the patient need prescription or contact lenses, or if
  there has been a change in their current prescription. It also helps the
  physician diagnose the presence of eye disease and is associated with routine
  annual vision checks.
  
  Thank you for
  allowing us the opportunity to address Ms. *********’s concerns. If I can be of
  any further assistance, please feel free to contact me directly at
  216-636-8029.
  
  Respectfully,  
  
  
  
  Emily P*****
  Financial
  Ombudsman
  Revenue Cycle
  Management, CCHS

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/10/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  
  
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ***** *********
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I wanted Cleveland Clinic to submit the vision test charges to my ******* Vision Insurance which will reimburse them for a prescription vision exam.  Why cant this be done?
  
   

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/16/2023

  Dear Ms. *****,
  
  This letter is in
  response to the rebuttal filed by Ms. ********* to the Ohio Better Business on
  March 13th, 2023. We appreciate Ms. *********’s efforts to resolve
  this matter. Please be advised that the vision charges have been billed
  correctly by the Cleveland Clinic.
  
  An
  additional review has been completed based on Ms. *********’s concern regarding
  having her vision insurance billed. Unfortunately,
  this location cannot bill VSP insurance as it is not a contracted provider for
  any vision insurance so the patient must submit it on her own, hence why the itemized statement was provided
  to the patient to be submitted to ******* insurance. Please be advised, the
  vision charges have been billed correctly by the Cleveland Clinic.
  
  Thank you for
  bringing these concerns to our attention. Please note, this is our final review
  on the above concern, any further questions related to their benefits and how
  claims are processed, should be directed to the patient’s vision insurance.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  
  
  Emily P*****
  Financial
  Ombudsman
  Revenue Cycle
  Management, CCHS
  
  Cc: *********,
  *****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/16/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  
  
  
  I have not received an itemized statement.  When I receive an itemized statement I will submit to my vision insurance.  The details on My Chart are not an itemized statement suitable for submission to insurance.

  It's amazing how Cleveland Clinic treats senior citizens.
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ***** *********
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/24/2023

  Dear Ms. *****,
  
  This letter is in
  response to the rebuttal filed by Ms. ********* to the Ohio Better Business on
  March 20th 2023. We appreciate Ms. *********’s efforts to resolve
  this matter. Please be advised that the vision charges have been billed
  correctly by the Cleveland Clinic.
  
  The
  review has been completed based on Ms. *********’s concern regarding having her
  vision insurance billed. Per the initial response an itemized
  statement was requested and sent via USPS to the patient on March 10th 2023. We ask that the patient allows up to 10 business days to receive the
  itemized statement. In addition, I will send the claim forms for the date of
  service 01/11/2023 as well. As mentioned, these claim forms will be sent via
  USPS and please allow up to 10 business days to receive.
  
  Thank you for
  bringing these concerns to our attention. Please note, this is our final review
  on the above concern, any further questions related to their benefits and how
  claims are processed, should be directed to the patient’s vision insurance.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  
  Emily P*****
  Financial
  Ombudsman
  Revenue Cycle
  Management, CCHS
  
  Cc: *********,
  *****