We use cookies to give users the best content and online experience. By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to allow us to use all cookies. Visit our Privacy Policy to learn more.

Manage Cookies
Resources for Businesses My BBB
Share
Business Profile

Medical Service Organization

Sutter Health

Headquarters

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Medical Service Organization.

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Sutter Health's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

Find a Location

Sutter Health has 63 locations, listed below.

*This company may be headquartered in or have additional locations in another country. Please click on the country abbreviation in the search box below to change to a different country location.

    Please enter a valid location.

    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 129 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 35 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    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.

    Sort by

    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:06/01/2025

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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.
      My doctor ordered a cervical spine MRI, so I called Sutter Health on Feb 24, 2025 and spoke to *** to see how much it would cost. She said she could not tell me how much it would cost, but could only give me the code for the procedure, and that I must contact my insurance company to see how much it would cost. So, I called my insurance company ***********, who said that the procedure would cost $2000 of which I would need to pay $300. So I scheduled the procedure based on that, and Blue Shield has paid them $2851. Now, Sutter Health is sending me a bill for another $1991. The hospital is clearly not posting the actual cost of services because they want to ensnare people to pay more by hiding their "real" rates from consumers. By doing so, they can charge 2x the amount for the service that the insurance will pay.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:05/24/2025

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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 visited this urgent care clinic for a simple ear issue on May *******. I was charged $380 upfront and was told the final amount would be adjusted and the balance refunded if applicable. The doctor spent about 10 minutes with minimal examination and prescribed medication. On May 23, 2025, I received a bill asking for additional $472. The bill lacked details and only listed OV New Patient Lev 4, with no explanation for the high charge. I believe the fee is excessive for the limited services provided and request a detailed breakdown and reconsideration of the charge.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:05/14/2025

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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 three separate occasions i visited a Sutter Health medical provider:1. Sept 3, 2024 - i had a fractured left foot that was examined at ********************* in *********, **. I was advised to take x-rays to confirm the extent of the injury in the same facility on the same day. However, i was charged 2 for two separate appointments and charged both for co-pays and for an additional amount. 2. Sept 12, 2024 - i was advised to see a podiatrist and the podiatrist also order an x-ray in the same building on the same day. ** BOTH these appointments required x-rays to evaluate a foot fracture, it was at the request of the physicians.- I spoke to UnitedHealthcare and they explained that these payments would be covered and that i was not responsible for these (other than the copay which i paid). However, Sutter Health continued to relentless hassle me - and i believe their medical service coding for procedure is borderline fraudulent to maximize money over proper health services for a routine broken bone evaluation.3. Furthermore on 2025-01-17 I visited an Orthopedic provider to have an evaluation for shoulder pain. This provider ALSO requested x-rays, not me. And again this provider, under Sutter Health coded this visit as 2 separate medical visits, 2 different copays.I have a United Healthcare ****************** plan, and for these 3 appoints being coded separately as 6 different appointments and totaling over $600 in fees that i was responsible to pay was very frustrating and i could not get clear answers from either UnitedHealthcare OR Sutter Health.I would like to ask the BBB and other agencies to please investigate this matter and i would love to surface this experience to the general public because if someone with a ****************** plan is being asked to pay these amounts for routine injury checkups, health care as a whole is becoming an even greater problem and i believe the health care industry needs to be held accountable.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:05/06/2025

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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.
      Nature of Complaint:Patient abandonment and denial of care due to Sutter Health's unjust "three-year policy."Details of Complaint:I was abruptly removed from Dr. ****** ****** patient roster without notice, discovered when seeking urgent care for a painful abscess during my pregnancy. Sutter Health's policy reclassifies patients as "new" if they haven't seen their PCP in three years. This was applied despite my consistent listing of Dr. **** as my PCP on Sutter Health forms for ongoing prenatal and specialist care. My active engagement within Sutter Health contradicts this. My online portal still lists Dr. ********* removal denied me timely abscess care, causing distress. It took six months to find a trusted physician, now lost due to this policy, which appears financially motivated for "new patient" billing.This constitutes patient abandonment and raises concerns about unethical billing.Desired Resolution:I request:Immediate reinstatement as a patient of ****************** not possible, prompt assignment to a new Sutter Health PCP for timely abscess treatment, without "new patient" billing.Immediate review and change of Sutter Healths unjust "three-year policy."Implementation of a robust notification system for patient-physician changes.A formal written response outlining steps to rectify this and prevent recurrence.Sutter Health's "three-year policy" is detrimental, disrupts patient-physician relationships, and potentially incentivizes unethical billing.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:05/02/2025

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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.
      Received a call from my doctor telling me to head into the emergency room asap that I might be dying due to blood work done that morning. **ove to emergency room and they had no idea i was coming even though ** said she would inform them. After they found out the issue they rushed me into the emergency room took over an hour to see the on call ********** that i told him that I was just there for blood work. They thought I had internal bleeding due to my white blood cell counts being low. they drew my blood and found out it was a mistake made by their lab.I received a bill from Sutter hospital for $500. I should not have to pay this I sent in a dispute multiple times but they kept saying that it was my responsibility to pay even though the mistake was mad by their lab. I am looking for a full refund of what I paid for my hospital visit and lab work that was done that morning. I am also looking for a refund on the extra doctor ************ that this ended up costing. me

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:04/21/2025

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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 am filing a formal complaint regarding unexpected and excessive billing practices by Sutter Health / ******************************** Foundation (PAMF), related to a sigmoidoscopy procedure I received on January 23, 2025.I was charged twice for the procedure under separate invoices one for the facility and one for the provider, totaling over $2,600 out-of-pocket after insurance adjustments, please see attachment.I understand that medical billing in outpatient settings often involves both facility and provider charges. However:I did not receive any advance cost estimate, nor was I clearly informed that separate and significant charges would apply from both the provider and the surgery center.The sedation and procedure codes appear overlapping or redundant, raising concern about double billing for the same services.After I inquired, I received a letter from Sutter Health on March 12, 2025, admitting that the original CPT coding was incorrect, and that they submitted a corrected claim to insurance. However, I was told this correction may not impact my final bill, which is concerning why should I be responsible for charges resulting from incorrect or unclear coding?This has been an extremely stressful and opaque process, and I believe Sutter Health has failed to:Provide transparent and upfront billing information,Clearly separate or justify the facility vs. provider charges,Ensure accurate coding before billing patients,Offer reasonable dispute resolution or discounts after admitting billing errors.I am requesting that Sutter Health/PAMF:Provide a clear and itemized explanation of both bills,Review these charges again for accuracy and duplication,Reduce the balance owed to a reasonable amount,And improve their billing transparency for future patients.I believe the current billing practices are misleading and not in the best interest of patient trust and financial fairness. I respectfully request the BBB to assist in resolving this matter.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:04/11/2025

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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.
      Greetings!I would like to address one issue related to insurance coverage:1. The service took place on 8/12/2025 when we were covered by ClearWater Insurance. [The service was a regular manual checkup to get school registration. It was covered by the year before.]2. We just moved to ** from ** last summer. It was our first appointment to see a doctor, so I was extremely careful about this appointment. I made the appointment with Sutter Health through its service line, and they took our insurance information and confirmed that they would accept our insurance; 4. To make things all right, I even went to the clinic in person to double confirm that our insurance would be accepted BEFORE we went to see the doctor. We were confirmed by the clinic that our insurance was accepted.5. Another issue was the increasing amount on the bill received. The billing amount was $456 on the bill dated on 2/11/2025, while $536 on the bill dated on 3/11/2025 received. However, the news up to date [after a very long time from 8/12/2025 to 3/11/2025] is that Sutter Health is out-of-network for ClearWater Insurance and they don't take our claim.I think that Sutter Health should be fully responsible for the medical expenses occurred because they misled us.Thank you so much for your time! I really appreciated! ******* ****

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/17/2025

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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.
      My doctor, Dr. **** *****, has been trying to get imaging results for me from ******************* hospital. Apparently, this request was made 6 times. **** ***** is not complying, resulting in me getting poor care.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/17/2025

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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 appointment with primary care for 530 pm. When I arrived the whole building was empty. The window was closed and there was no sign. I knocked on the window. I said something. There was no one back there, so I looked online. And it said that they were closed already. I talked to a janitor and he said as far as he knew they were close so I went home. There was no sign on there that said, ring a bell or anything. Yet they are trying to bill me $40 for a missed appointment. I did not miss that appointment. I was there on time. I have missed an appointment before and I have made payments on it. But I will not pay for this. This was their fault not mine Please help me get some resolution. Also, also, their ste # is 210. That is not included with the address on this Complaint also, my phone will not take pictures so I cannot upload a picture of the bill.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:02/28/2025

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unanswered
      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.
      During my urgent care visit at ********* ********************* on December 15th 2024 I rejected usage of an inhaler and spacer, but the nurse told us usage of an inhaler and spacer would not incur any additional cost to my urgent care visit. I've now received a bill for both items and have contacted insurance and they are saying the codes were billed correctly. Now either the nurse lied to us or should not have put the code on the bill.

    Sutter Health is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.

    To become accredited, a business must agree to BBB Standards for Trust and pass BBB's vetting process.

    Why choose a BBB Accredited Business?

    BBB Business Profiles may not be reproduced for sales or promotional purposes.

    BBB Business Profiles are provided solely to assist you in exercising your own best judgment. BBB asks third parties who publish complaints, reviews and/or responses on this website to affirm that the information provided is accurate. However, BBB does not verify the accuracy of information provided by third parties, and does not guarantee the accuracy of any information in Business Profiles.

    When considering complaint information, please take into account the company's size and volume of transactions, and understand that the nature of complaints and a firm's responses to them are often more important than the number of complaints.

    BBB Business Profiles generally cover a three-year reporting period, except for customer reviews. Customer reviews posted prior to July 5, 2024, will no longer be published when they reach three years from their submission date. Customer reviews posted on/after July 5, 2024, will be published indefinitely unless otherwise voluntarily retracted by the user who submitted the content, or BBB no longer believes the review is authentic. BBB Business Profiles are subject to change at any time. If you choose to do business with this company, please let them know that you checked their record with BBB.

    As a matter of policy, BBB does not endorse any product, service or business. Businesses are under no obligation to seek BBB accreditation, and some businesses are not accredited because they have not sought BBB accreditation. BBB charges a fee for BBB Accreditation. This fee supports BBB's efforts to fulfill its mission of advancing marketplace trust.