Cookies on BBB.org

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
Share
Business Profile

Ophthalmology

Sabates Eye Centers P.C.

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Ophthalmology.

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Sabates Eye Centers P.C.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

Find a Location

Sabates Eye Centers P.C. has 12 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.

    Country
    Please enter a valid location.

    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 3 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 1 complaint 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:07/02/2024

      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 cataract surgery with Sabates Eye Center with ** ******* and the charged me a copay that 2430.30 X2 first one on 10/25/23 and the second on 11/1423. Only to refund 238.42. Surgery was on **** Eye Center across the hall from them. Insurance paid and stated I should have not paid anything. **** was paid in the first Copay of 1474.19 and the second Copay of 971. refund of 503.19. They have told me that I will not be receiving anymore due to I had to pay for the upgrades on my lenses. Insurance said again that we should not have paid anything. The words they use is upgrade, however, insurance did pay what was charged and what was allowed they charged. **** charged 7,740.00 discount was 4,253. and paid 3,487. with me owing nothing per EOB. for both dates of service of 10/26/23 and 11/15/23.
      ** ******* Sabates Eye Center charged 1950. discount applied 1362.77 and paid 587.23 with me owing 0. for both dates of service 10/26/23 and 11/15/23. upgrades or not the insurance paid for what was billed and the discount is contract between Dr and insurance. I am paying on 4,621.58 for ** ******* office and **** ****. plus interest 20.24% on a credit card to pay for surgery and the insurance said I should not have paid anything, our family out of pocket had been met. I am frustrated that Insurance said and the EOB shows that they have been paid and that I owe nothing.
      The ****** lenses in the estimated bill shows it was 1550. charged per lens on the itemized statement. the charged me for the lenses 2430.30 per lens.
      I am paying interest on this as well.

      Business Response

      Date: 07/29/2024

      I have attached the documents supporting the charges that we billed for ***** ******* surgeries on 10-26-23 and 11-15-23. The Good Faith Estimate (pg 2) indicates the amount the patient needs to pay for her portion of the estimated coinsurance and the upgrade professional fees for the physician's portion. In addition to the basic cataract surgery (which is billed to insurance and in this case, paid at 100%), the patient also chose an out of pocket upgraded lens. Of the upgrade, the only portion that Sabates Eye Centers charges the patient, is the professional fee to insert the upgraded lens. **** (the facility) charges and collects the for the lens. This was all explained to the patient prior to surgery and the patient signed consent forms (included in the packets attached to this response). The professional fee is not billable to insurance therefore, the patient is required to pay for this service up front. I have included the insurance explanation of benefits indicating that the insurance paid the basic cataract surgery at 100% and a copy of the patient's credit card refund slip where we refunded the overpayment of estimated coinsurance. There is no other refund due to the patient for the professional fees, as the patient paid up front for the upgraded service. The professional fees are not billed to insurance (per our contact with insurance companies), there were no insurance payments towards the upgrades. Premium upgrades are an out-of-pocket fee.  We do not bill insurances as it's a non-medically necessary procedure.  Our professional contracts do not include these services therefore they are deemed self-pay services.  We contractually cannot bill to any insurance.  Our contracts trump everything else, we are legally obligated to follow those unless otherwise notified of a change.

      As far as the patient calling ****; we are a separate company from the facility and should be treated as such. 

      Customer Answer

      Date: 07/30/2024



      Complaint: ********



      I am rejecting this response because: I feel this is double dipping into peoples pockets. From the older people that I see that have also had the same problems as I am stating. Yes, I do understand that **** Eye Surgery is a different in entity. However, you charge people prior to their surgery to not give them their refunds.  Stating it is a upgrade and then charge one price to the patient and send the charges to insurance with a lower amount.  Charged me 2430.30 times 2  and sent the insurance 1550.00 there is always a difference in what insurance allows part of what you do to get your money.  Insurance paid what they allowed and have told me that I should have not paid anything.  I should have went somewhere else and will not recommend you to any family or friends.  I still think that you should refund what is owed. I am still paying on my surgery and will be for awhile 4860.60 plus is not easy to come by these days.  You use the word upgrade and people walk away.  I am already having issues with my sight and  will go somewhere else. 



      Sincerely,



      ***** *****

      Business Response

      Date: 07/31/2024

      The service that was billed to insurance was not the same service that the patient paid in for in advance, therefore it was not "double dipping". The professional fee was for only pertaining to the upgraded lens that the patient chose in addition to the basic cataract surgery. If the patient had not chosen to receive an upgraded lens, there would not be an additional charge for that service. This was all explained to the patient prior to the surgery. 
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:08/16/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      UnansweredMore 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.
      MY WIFE HAD CATARACT EYE SURGERIES ON MAY FIRST, AND MAY22ND OF THIS YEAR. WE WERE REQUIRED TO PAY FOR EACH SURGERY IN ADVANCE WHICH WE DID FAITHFULLY. WE WERE TOLD THAT ANY MONEYS PAID BY MEDICARE OR OUR INSURANCE WOULD BE REFUNDED TO US. ACCORDING TO OUR INSURANCE DOCUMENTS (ATTACHED), $4802.07 WAS PAID BY ****** FOR THESE SURGERIES, IN ADDITION TO THE $3300.00 PER EYE THAT WE WERE REQUIRED TO PAY, UP FRONT, BEFORE THE SURGERIES COULD PROCEED.. THE BILLING DEPARTMENT OF SABATES NOW SAYS THAT THE MONEY THAT WAS REFUNDED TO SABATES WAS FOR PORTIONS OF THE SURGERY THAT WE DID NOT PAY FOR. THAT IS ABSURD!!! WE WERE REPEATEDLY TOLD THAT THE ENTIRE SURGERY WAS TO BE PAID FOR IN ADVANCE BEFORE THE SURGERY TO PROCEED. IN ADDITION, THE SURGEON, DR. KEVIN PIKEY DETAILED WHAT THE SURGERY ENTAILED.

      I HAVE SENT TWO LETTERS TO THE SURGEON; AND SEVERAL EMAILS TO HIS BILLING DEPPARTMENT TO NO AVAIL.

      THIS IS CLEARLY A CASE OF 1) DECEITFUL PRACTICES; AND 2) OUTRIGHT FRAUD. MANY OF SABATES CUSTOMERS ARE ELDERLY AND RETIRED, AS ARE MYSELF AND MY WIFE. IF THEY ARE ALLOWED TO PERPETRATE THIS FRAUD ON ALL THEIR PATIENTS, I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT THIS IS NOTHING MORE THAN A SCAM PERPETRATED ON THE ELDERLY.

      CAN YOU HELP???

      Customer Answer

      Date: 09/23/2023

      I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING FROM SABATES EYE, AND SUSPECT I NEVER WILL. JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION, I HAVE SPENT LITERALLY ABOUT 40 - 50 HOURS FILING COMPLAINTS WITH ****** INSURANCE; THE MISSOURI ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE; THE MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE & INSURANCE,  AND THE BBB. SABATES HAS ACTUALLY VIOLATED BOTH STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS CONCERNING : "BALANCE BILLING" a/k/a "SURPRISE BILLING" YET NO ONE SEEMS TO WANT TO ENFORCE THE LAW.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/19/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      UnansweredMore 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 went to Sabates to have cataracts removed from both eyes. I was presented three options: the standard (to be near-sided or far-sided) lens replacement or a more advanced lens. Insurance would cover the standard lens procedure. I would have to pay out of pocket expenses (nearly $6000) for the advance lenses.

      I decided to pay for the advanced lenses because I was told I would NOT have to wear glasses after the procedure. A few months have passed, and I still have blurred vision. The doctor told me I'd need glasses to fix my blurred vision. Another option would be to have surgery again, making one eye far-sided and the other eye near-sided.

      I do not want another surgery or want to wear glasses. I would like a full refund of my out of pocket expenses.

    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.