Complaints

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:08/08/2022

  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.

  This company is currently extorting me and continues to do so without any explanation.Early in the year, I received a bill for $339.26 from Alpine Family Practice.After multiple calls and getting tossed around, I found that it was from a yearly exam that my insurance company had already paid and they were double billing me.The office won't help at all. They (******) says "Oh we don't deal with billing. I'll give you a number."A number I called over 10 times (on multiple business days/weeks). It rings and no one answers and doesn't go to an IVR or a voice mail so no way to actually leave a number. After 6 months of this bill and no one helping me, I just figured I'd pay it so it doesn't s**** up my credit anymore and just find another doctor.So, fast forward 6 months and they just sent me a new bill for $193 dated 8/7/22.I have not been there in over 6 months and have nothing that could have been billed so this is literally extortion.The company is charging me and ruining my credit when I owe nothing.This company is extorting **** still have no resolution and no one there is going to assist.I will just let the charge go to credit and then dispute.I'm not sure whether to contact a lawyer or what to do. It's very unfair.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/22/2022

     Alpine Family Practice is a small family practice with two doctors, a husband/wife team who were both out of the office until 08/15/22. Our response had to wait until we returned to ******** and could fully investigate the situation, but we were already rectifying the issue from out of state.
     Our ****** is not on site so she has an email and telephone line with a voicemail dedicated to our business that she always answers within 48 business hours. Her first communication from ************** was an email on 08/08/22 before we were even aware if the BBB complaint. She had never received any prior telephone calls or voicemails from him and in fact, the staff member he referred to as giving him the billers telephone number (******) had just begun her MA externship with our office on 06/10/22. I wonder if a digit in that telephone number accidentally got miscommunicated. Our ****** promptly replied to that email on 08/09/22 and responded that she would audit date of service 08/17/21. Indeed, our ****** did discover that the patient was correct about the billing error. His insurance company had never sent an explanation of benefits and therefore the money owed showed as an outstanding balance rather than a paid claim. He inadvertently got billed when we implemented our new billing system. He paid the $339.26 on 07/11/22, but was never harassed or told we were sending his account to collections leading up to this point. Alpine Family Practice actually rarely sends patients to collections because we dont want to ruin anyones credit over medical bills. He already had a refund check in the mail on 08/09/22 when I contacted my ****** to notify her of the BBB claim. He has definitely received the check (# ****) as he cashed it on 08/15/22. Alpine Family Practice sincerely apologizes for any inconvenience that this caused the patient, however we were quick to rectify the problem once we were made aware of it.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/23/2022

   
  Complaint: 17689732
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Respondent is advising that I had not contacted their office regarding being over charged and that is a lie.  I contacted the front office on 3/4/22 and informed them I received a bill but had no idea what is was for.  ********** advised I call their Billing number which I did.  I left a voicemail.  I received a voicemail later that day advising that it was valid and if I had any issues I should call my insurance company.

  I contacted my insurance company who advised that this was a double charge for a Yearly exam on 8/17/21 which had already been paid.

  I contacted Alpine Family Practice and advised to them.  ********** staff advised they could not and would not assist me and to call the billing.

  I did so and left a detailed message and recieved no call back.

  The respondent is responding only to the second over charge and acting as if their people had not knowingly (because I informed BOTH front office staff AND billing) continue to try to get money from me they had no right to.

   

  Further, the respondent called me requesting I call them back to discuss this.

  As I may need documentation of any transactions, I would like to keep our correspondence to written form.

  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/30/2022

  This is my experience.
  
  When I first went there, the staff was not friendly, but everything seemed goods and the doctor and her nurse were amazing.  The rest of the staff seemed annoyed or bored.
  
  I went here for several years.  *** and downs but nothing horrible.
  
  The pandemic hit this place as hard as others and quality dropped off and you could tell that the Doctor was significantly overworked.
  
  I had left a review on the web and updated it to account to the new level of service.
  
  In March of 2022, I received a bill advising I owed $339.26.
  I had not been there in three months and was curious where this came from.
  I put in a call to staff who advised they didn't handle financial matters and it was outsourced.
  
  I was given the telephone number of the ************ financial group which didn't have a name, it was just "their service".
  
  I left voice mail questioning what the charge was for.
  I was called back, and they left a voice mail advising to call them back.
  
  I called immediately back and left a voicemail requesting they leave the information on my voice mail if I cannot answer so I know.
  
  I never received another call from them.
  
  I called my insurance and was advised that the company was double billing me for a yearly exam on August 17th of 2021.
  
  I called the office and once again was told that they don't handle financial.  I advised that they were trying to get monies from me that I did not oe, and I needed to speak with someone.  They advised they could not assist beyond giving me the number or calling their service and asking them to call me.
  I requested they call, thinking it may actually go somewhere if the office called.
  
  No response.
  
  In June, I was warned by a credit reporting service that it would default and go to collections if I did not pay it.
  
  I decided I'd had enough but was too tired to fight it.  I figured I'd pay the $339.26 and just find another doctor and never go back there again.
  
  So I paid the bill and went to another doctor.
  
  Fast forward to August of 2022.
  
  I get a new bill from Alpine Family Practice for $193.00 with a Statement date of August of 2022.
  
  I had not been there since in months and they hit me with it.
  
  I call the office and staff advises to me the exact same thing: "We don't handle that, I have a number."
  I knew from experience that this would go no where.
  I took her up on the option, ONCE AGAIN, to have her call "Their service" to contact me.
  
  NOTHING.
  
  So I respond to the email that sent me the bill.  I advise I will not pay and this is incorrect and I demanded an itemization and response.
  
  No response.
  
  I felt the only thing left I could do is warn others so I posted a complaint and review to the Better Business Bureau website.
  
  In posting a complaint, they ask what would make restitution for you in your eyes.
  I advised if the business:
  1) refunded the money they fraudulently billed me for.
  2) Sent me a Zero balance owed statement showing I do not owe them the additional $193.00.
  
  To the BBB's credit,
  Within the next few days, I get an email from the billing department advising they did an audit on my account and found that I should never have been charged for the $339.26, so they would be refunding that via check.  Additionally, I could ignore the $193.00 bill as it was a mistake.
  
  So . . .  What I had been telling this company for months, and they ignored me on, profiting through a health care system, setup for you not to be able to actually hold anyone accountable.  I guess I was right.
  
  If only anyone had listened.
  
  So I was sent a check.  It cleared.  They said I didn't owe the $193.00 balance.
  
  
  So, if you do run into issues, BBB is the way to go.  Thanks for that, BBB!  You saved me lots of money and tons of headache.
  
  I hope Alpine Family will respect my wishes regarding any further communication. If they do not, you'll be the first to know!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/31/2022

  Resolve it.  Thank you.