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:03/29/2023

  Type:Product 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.

  Talkiatry sent first two claims to my health insurance, but those claims were not covered by my health insurance as claims had wrong provider's name (*****************************). I did not get any notices from Talkiatry about this result. Once I found out two claims were not covered, I asked Talkiatry to resend those claims with correct provider's name (*****************************) and to cancel bills for those claims.********* I had a phone call with Talkiatry's coordinator and sent an email to cancel bills, there was no response from Talkiatry. Due date of bills is around 3/31, but Talkiatry did not respond to my request.Consequently, I am filling a complaint against Talkiatry.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/29/2023

  This patient's complaint is being reviewed by our billing team.  They will investigate the claims and reach out to the patient with resolution.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/03/2023

  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 and the matter has been resolved.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************
  
  
  
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/28/2023

  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.

  I have had a billing issue with this vendor. I needed a pre-authorization from my insurance. Instead, they never provided it and have billed me in over $1k for 5 visits since May 2022. Talking to their billing department is useless. I have called and emailed over 30 times (yes, 30) in the past 6 months. When the main billing contact (*****************************) gets back to me (once in a blue moon), her response is similar each time along the lines of, I have to contact ***** and will get back to you. She never gets back to me. 4-6 weeks go by and countless emails and phone calls go unanswered. My doctor also has said that this is unacceptable and she has tried to do everything in her power to get in contact with the billing office, but nothing has changed. She also has mentioned that my complaints of the billing office have gone unresolved for many patients. And this is becoming a widespread problem. I would recommend using another service than Talkiatry. This is my first BBB complaint and Ive had it. The lack of response, the lack of attention to my billing issue, the complete disregard for my constant follow-*** has just frustrated me to no end. I might start messaging employees on LinkedIn because clearly, customer care team does not care.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/29/2023

  This feedback has been escalated to our billing leadership.  Our billing department will take it from here. If they have any further questions, they will reach out to you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/22/2023

  Type:Product 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.

  End of October/Beg. of November 2022 - Requested my first online virtual appointment with Talkiatry. 11/23/2022: Had a one-hour video call with *****************************, DO. She asked questions, took notes, but provided no advice or guidance. She prescribed meds and scheduled a follow up in Dec 2022. Had an allergic reaction to meds and requested something different, which was provided.12/07/2022: Missed follow-up virtual call appointment by ONE DAY because I was in crisis. I asked for a one-time courtesy wave of the $100 no call/no show fee, and was advised that would be taken care of.2nd video call was very short, even though I was guaranteed an hour. ******************** seemed disinterested and rushed me through the call. She asked who I was seeing for help.....um......her? This was the FIRST time I was advised that she was NOT my therapist and that a local therapist (********, ********) was supposed to have reached out to me. They never did.It was at this point that I discontinued care and did not schedule any further visits. It was obvious they didn't care about their patients.I have received countless bills since then and endless harassment. I have communicated with their staff through the portal, via phone calls, and regular mail to no avail. I am always told it will be resolved or someone will call me. Nothing ever happens. Please make this stop.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/28/2023

  I have forwarded this request to our Operations Escalations Team. They will look into this for us, which may take up to one billing cycle (4 weeks).
  
  If there's anything we can do for you in the meantime, please do not hesitate to give us a call at ************ *******  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/21/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnresolvedMore 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 scheduled an appointment with Talkiatry for March 2, 2023.I emailed Talkiatry a few days before the appointment, informing them that I need to reschedule. They responded and offered me new appointment times, and I told them which one I wanted. Screenshot attached.Talkiatry keeps harassing me with a bill for a missed appointment, even though it's their incompetent customer service department who never actually did their job of rescheduling my appointment.This company is a joke. Stop sending me this bill immediately.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/28/2023

  Thank you for reaching out. I have forwarded this request to our Operations Escalations Team. They will look into this for **, which may take up to one billing cycle (4 weeks).
  
  If there's anything we can do for you in the meantime, please do not hesitate to give ** a call at ************ ****** and reference your ticket, *******.
  
  You can also reply to this message at any time if you'd like to provide any additional detail or contact preferences.
  
  Thank you for choosing Talkiatry! 
  
  phone: ************
  email: ********************************
  
  
  

  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 my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

   

   

  Ive been getting this same answer for weeks 

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

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

• 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.

  I have called multiple times because they keep sending me a a bill for $100 for a cancelled appointment. I have emails proving that I cancelled both appointments in a timely manner and I keep getting the run around and the fee is about to get sent to collections.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/29/2023

  Thank you for reaching out. I have forwarded this request to our Operations Escalations Team. They will look into this for us, which may take up to one billing cycle (4 weeks).
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/09/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnresolvedMore 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 scheduled an appointment at Talkiatry in November/December 2022. I was 10 minutes into the call and the "therapist" said "I can't help you" and ended the call. This was all ************ started getting emailed invoices and I logged into Talkiatry website and chatted with ***************************** Accounts Receivable Specialist. She stated she looked into my account, and you will not be charged for any visit. (See screen shot) Yet they are still sending me invoices for over $350 for a 10 minutes phone call in which i was hung up on. I have repeatedly attempted to get them to correct their billing and zero out the charges as ******** stated. But they refuse to do so. Account ******, invoice **************.I only dealt with Talkiatry the one time for 10 minutes and will not use their services any longer.Please see screen shot of chat session with Talkiatry stating there would be no charges.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/27/2023

  The patient's feedback was previously investigated by our billing team.  I have escalated the patient concerns to our billing team. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/28/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  The businesses answer is no answer at all.  This event occurred in November 2022.  We are now at April 2023.  I have provided the documentation supporting my case that they stated No Charge.  It doesn't take almost 6 months to escalate and zero out the charges.  

  I am requesting this case be kept open until the business corrects their error and zeros out my account.  

   

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

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

  Business Response

  Date: 04/03/2023

  Hello. 

   

   Patient was seen for 20 minutes.  Attached is our analytics record which the time stamp is generated by the patient being let into the the appointment and the patient disconnecting from the call. Initial visits are not a guarantee of services but rather an assessment that allows providers to get a better understanding of their history and needs so that an appropriate treatment plan can be devised.  This patient was deemed in need of a higher level care than the services we offer and we did refer the patient out.  

   

  There was an error where the rep ***************************** stated the patient would not owe.  The patient somehow had 2 charts in our system.  When this was stated to her, it was a reflection of the duplicate chart that did not contain all billing information.  

  Thank you,

  *********************

  IVS Manager 

  Talkiatry 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/13/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  It is not the patients responsibility to make sure Talkiatry staff is appropriately trained or that there EMR system is accurate.  The staff member which I have in writing stated that there was no charge.  It is not my responsibility to make sure they know what they are talking about.  Since I was told via writing there was zero charge I will NOT be making any payment.  If I go into a store and am told no charge and walk out and then later am told oh we made a mistake.  

  I truly believe that Talkiarty is taking advantage of mentally disabled persons and will go the the ***** AG, Senator *************** and the news media.  I have documentation stating no charge. If there are two charts then clearly their EMR has issues.  I did not create  two charts.

   

   

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/08/2023

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  My initial visit with a Talkiatry Doctor was on 01/13/2023, lasted 1 hour and resulted in a bill of $427.43. My follow up visit on 02/10/2023, lasted 30 minutes and resulted in a bill of $270.08. Prior to these virtual visits, Talkiatry declared that the pricing was variable based on the conditions to be treated and stated they were in network and would work with insurance to be comparable to other virtual visit plans. Normally the insurance plan negotiates a plan discount for the treatment and then covers part of the cost and I would cover the rest (after deductibles) for providers that are in network. However, I have been billed the full amount as Talkiatry does not negotiate plan discounts, which is contradictory to how I understood the services to work. My full amount for 2 visits (1.5hrs total) is $697.51, which turns out to be $465/hr!!! That is an absurd amount of money to be charged, especially when the pricing is hidden from the onset. I reached out to Talkiatry twice regarding the issue and have not received a response regarding the charges. I also informed them that I would escalate this issue to the BBB for investigation if they did not respond. On 03/06/23 I discontinued my treatment through Talkiatry and I know that I am liable for the costs of those treatments. However, I believe this organization is scamming individuals with unreasonable charges and not being forthcoming about their pricing.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/27/2023

  Our billing team responded to this patient's feedback on 3/16/23 after ensuring that the patient's claims were processed appropriately.  Our ******** sent the following response:

  "Talkiatry bills at our contracted rates not "gross rate".   Meaning our claims will not show a contractual adjustment/plan discounts.  This can be confusing even to insurance reps as it is not the norm, but what you see is all that we are allowed by our contract.  I have confirmed on ************* care website that your claims did process in-network towards your deductible (screen shot below).   Please fell free to reach out any further questions and/or concerns." 
   
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/08/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising 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 scheduled a psychiatrist appointment with online therapy provider, Talkiatry. After booking they confirmed with me that based on my insurance, my copay for the appointment would be $40, which I was more than willing to pay. I had the appointment and was waiting to figure out some other health issues with my primary doctor before scheduling up a follow-up visit. Since the visit, I have been receiving bills for $328.36. When I questioned them, they said that the insurance is actually out-of-network and would not be covering the appointment. The only reason I kept the appointment there is because I was under the impression that they confirmed the cost with my insurance. I would not have used their service had I known that I would receive a $300+ bill.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/27/2023

  This feedback has been forwarded to our billers.  Our billing department will take it from here. If they have any further questions, they will reach out to you.
  
  You can also reply to this message at any time if you'd like to provide any additional detail.
  
  Thank you for choosing Talkiatry! 
  
  phone: ************
  email: ********************************
  6 Tips for a Successful Appointment
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/06/2023

  Type:Service or Repair 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 was told they accept my insurance. They allowed an appointment to proceed than afterward said they do not accept my insurance and charged me $350 for a short virtual visit. I have paid out of pocket previously and that is obscene for an in person appointment let alone a virtual visit.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/27/2023

  Hello.  This was billed in error to the patient.  The self pay fee scheduled erroneously was attached, hence billing the patient.  Thank you for bring to our attention.  I have updated billed his insurance accordingly 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/01/2023

  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 received services from Talkiatry and was charged for services not rendered. I contested the bill and reached out to them dozens of times and no one responds. When I finally did get a response, the representative simply stated "the bill is right".I advised them that I'd like my bill adjusted due to the fact that I am being charged for services I did not receive nor agree to. This company is taking advantage of their patients and charging sneaky fees and services to their clients.My bill should have been about $120 and was over $300. I have been working for months to try to have them adjust this for me and no one will respond. They have absolutely predatory billing practices and I am disgusted.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/23/2023

  Patient's balance was a result of her deductible.  Our billing team has been in communication with patient regarding her balance.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/27/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID# ********, and have determined that my complaint has NOT been resolved because:

  [Your Answer Here]

   My issue was not regarding insurance, it was the fact that Talkiatry billed me for services not rendered. I sought this company for medication management (which I did receive), but they also charged me for psychotherapy time for both sessions. I did not ask for nor did our meetings contain anything regarding psychotherapy sessions. I believe this company is practicing predatory and dishonest billing.

   

   

   

  In order for the BBB to appropriately process your response, you MUST answer the question above.

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

  Business Response

  Date: 04/20/2023

  For a psychiatric visit, its normal to see more than one code, since the doctor is providing more than one type of care (evaluation, management, psychotherapy, and psychoeducation) within a single visit.  These codes are monitored by a team of coders to make sure everything is accurate and your insurance company gets all the information they need.  Providing material and or guidance about proper treatment for your symptoms is considered psychotherapy.  

  If you would like to have the codes reviewed further, please reach out to your insurance and have them request your visit *************** billed.