Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Virginia Mason Franciscan Health's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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• 

  Virginia Mason Franciscan Health

  1100 9th Ave Seattle, WA 98101-2756

• 

  Virginia Mason Franciscan Health

  PO Box 2197 Tacoma, WA 98401-2197

• 

  Virginia Mason Franciscan Health

  16233 Sylvester Rd Sw 110 Seattle, WA 98166-3044

• 

  Virginia Mason Franciscan Health

  1717 S J St Tacoma, WA 98405-4933

• 

  Virginia Mason Franciscan Health

  11567 Canterwood Blvd NW Gig Harbor, WA 98332-5812

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:03/11/2023

  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.

  My wife recently had her six week check up following the birth of our daughter. Understandably she has been on a roller coaster of emotions. I took her, as I always do to her appointment, but for the first time decided to wait in the lobby so she could talk through her concerns and experiences alone - she accuses me of being to optimistic!The midwife and nurse on staff stated my wife was better off without me, needed to take anti depressants or she would kill our baby and that she was a risk to hurting herselfmy wife just had a baby. My wife just has her emotions all over the place. None of that is true. But guess what? Shes still emotional over it. Questioning her every move. Its beyond disappointing this would happen, its damaging. Oh and the appointment? Our baby wasnt there. Our baby who the pediatrician has stated is in perfect health. Last time these midwives saw me or baby? Delivery date. This is unprofessional and damaging.

  Business Response

  Date: 03/22/2023

  Thank you for raising your concern.  We have attempted to locate who may have received services at one of our care facilities and have been unable to minus any additional identifying information.  Regardless, I would encourage you or your spouse to explore our patient relations resources on our website **************************************************************************************************************** we can be reached at ************ (Virginia Mason) or  ************ / ************ (Franciscan's Customer Concern Line) or feel free to reach out to me directly.  Otherwise, we are unable to follow up.  Please let me know how I can help you.here...

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/05/2023

  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 am hoping you can help me. I found out recently that I carried secondary insurance that I wasn't aware of. I contacted the Franciscan billing department on 11-10-22 and I talked to someone named ****** and asked if they could re-submit the claims that I had already paid for. I paid a total of $1617.24 on May 02, 2022. ****** was more than helpful to get this task done for me. I left the conversation feeling satisfied. The following week I contacted them again to check up on the progress and I was told that nothing was done and that they were going to do it that day. I wasn't very happy, however; I was assured that it would be taken care of that day., and again hung up feeling somewhat satisfied. I contacted them again on 11-29-22 with the same response.. it wasn't done again. This time very frustrated, I asked to speak to a supervisor but, I was hung up on. I called back, another person answered and I had to go through the whole scenario again. She informed me that she would take care of the issue and submit the billing to ****** and that it would take 30 to 45 days to get an answer. After my 35 min conversation with this employee, I asked her if I could speak with her supervisor and I was told that the supervisor would have to call me back. They never did. Yesterday, 1-04-2023, I contacted the Franciscan billing department again, checking up on the status and I was informed that my case was closed and that the billing was never summited. The employee told me that the request was put in as a complaint not a reimbursement complaint and that someone had closed it. I have also done many surveys with Franciscan all negative responses, with no feedback. I am beyond frustrated with Franciscan. This is unacceptable. I have tried several times to contact a supervisor for help, but with no success. I am also waiting for the itemized billing statement I requested on 11-10-22. I am hoping you can help me. My time is running out to submit these bills for reimbursement.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/12/2023

  Dear ****************:
  
  This letter is being sent in response to your communication to the Better Business Bureau, case# ********, regarding the account mentioned above.
  
  St Joseph Medical Center makes every effort to provide excellent customer service and to meet the needs of our patients. We sincerely apologize for any delay in fulfilling your request. The account will be billed to the secondary insurance carrier you requested. Once complete, there is a possibility there could be a an amount of patient responsibility assigned to you per the contract you have with your insurance provider. At this time, without those claims being processed, we cannot guarantee there will be no patient responsibility assigned to the accounts. However, due to payments already being received, there is also a possibility you may be due a refund or funds could be transferred to an open account balance. Once your secondary insurance has processed the claim, we will know more and will follow up with you accordingly.
  
  Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. Patient feedback is one way we review and improve our processes. We hope to have addressed your concerns to your satisfaction. If you have any questions or additional concerns regarding the hospital bill, please feel free to contact our billing office at *************.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/17/2023

   
  Complaint: 18690535
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I have heard the statement before that these bills in question would be submitted. Until I actual see results my complaint will stand. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  Business Response

  Date: 01/31/2023

  We sincerely apologize for any delay in fulfilling your request. The account is being billed to the secondary insurance carrier you requested. Once complete, there is a possibility there could be an amount of patient responsibility assigned to you per the contract you have with your insurance provider. At this time, without those claims being processed, we cannot guarantee there will be no patient responsibility assigned to the accounts. However, due to the to payments already being received, there is also a possibility you may be due a refund or funds could be transferred to an open account balance. Once your secondary insurance has processed the claim, we will know more and will follow up with you accordingly.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/03/2023

  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.

  This complaint is for Virginia Mason Franciscan Medical. I paid ******* for date of service 9/1 *************** paid their portion on 10/3 it was confirmed I only owed ****** Refund of ******* due to me Franciscan claims to have Applied ***** to another open balance on my account. Which results in a refund of ******* due to me that I have yet to receive. I have been calling since October for my refund. I have been promised many times that I would be receiving the refund in **** business days and thats never happened. As of recently I was given a check number that was supposedly sent to me 11/30. The check has not arrived and Ive still not received my refund. It is now 1/3/23. I am repeatedly told the issue has been escalated and is being worked on but have no actual solution. I have taken extensive notes with every call Ive made throughout the last 4 months. I have made now 13 calls to the billing department and spent countless hours of my own time fighting for the money I am owed. Begging for my own money back. I have escalated to the operations manager **** and still have no answers. Literally no update for months. I have left a message with patient relations to express my concerns and continue fighting for my money to be returned to me.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/18/2023

  Please see attached 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/09/2022

  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.

  I am a retired Naval officer with ******** and TriCare for Life coverage.I have been working *** Franciscan directly, with various agencies and with Senator ******************************* office over the past 1-1/2 years to resolve this issue and *** Franciscan has refused or been reluctant to resolve it, despite pressure from the Centers for ******** and ******** Serivices in *******. The basis of this issue is that in March ******************************* ********** ********** at a laboratory affiliated with *** Franciscan ********************** A summary of the issue follows:On 22 March 2021, I gave blood samples for a rheumatology examination for a doctor affiliated with *** (Catholic Health Initiatives) Franciscan Health in *******, **********. On March 28th I received a bill for $211.70 for laboratory costs which had not been first submitted to my insurers, ******** and ******** for Life. I was subsequently billed directly for a total of $224.60. I had written to *** Franciscan, asking why they had not first submitted this bill to my insurers, while paying the first of three installments in order that I would not incur penalties while the issue was being adjudicated. The response I received from *** Franciscan was a demand for payment of a second installment.To date of this writing, Franciscan Health Care Initiatives (*** Franciscan) has neither contacted me to resolve this issue, nor corrected the disputed billing. I have written to the **************** Attorney General in response to my complaint to the ** Consumer Resource Center (CRC). This complaint was assigned case number ****** on the *** Franciscan account number *********. The *** ********************** response to the **************** Attorney General claims that they sent a letter to me on 13 September 2021. This letter WAS NEVER SENT TO ME, and I believe this letter was written only to appease the Attorney Generals inquiry, who have subsequently closed this case. *** Franciscan did not consider responding directly to me worthy of their effort. However, I responded to the Attorney General CRC on 15 October 2021, stating that I had spoken by telephone with the *** Franciscan business office representative on or about 30 September 2021, where *** Franciscan claimed that my insurer information was not available at the time of the blood draw so they billed me directly. I stated to the *** Franciscan business office representative that this was untrue since when I was admitted to the phlebotomy/blood lab at their ******* ********** office, on checking in the clerk asked me if my ******** and TriCare for ************** were accurate, I responded that they are accurate and she directed me to have a seat. So the Lab clerk clearly had that insurer information and did not indicate to me that she did not have what she needed. I also reject *** Franciscans assertion that they inquired by mail (or otherwise) to obtain my insurer information. I certify that DID NOT OCCUR. I NEVER received the 13 September 2021 letter that *** Franciscan states that they sent to me, but which they presented to the Attorney General.This issue has gone unresolved for nearly a year despite repeated complaints to the *** Franciscan business office, to the **************** Attorney General and to the **************** Office of the Insurance Commissioner. I had also referred this to Senator ******************** office who collected information but has done nothing to resolve the issue. *** Franciscan did acknowledge having my insurer information during a call in September 2021, but they elected to retain my money and not to seek reimbursement from my insurers.As of this date, *** Franciscan has obtained reimbursement from my insurers, only after pressure from the Centers for ******** and ******** Services (CMMS) this past August 2022, AND currently retains an amount of my money as well. I see this as fraudulent behavior.Sincerely,********************* ********************************************************************************************* ************** Cell **************

  Business Response

  Date: 12/16/2022

  This letter is being sent in response to your communication to the Better Business Bureau, Case# ********, regarding your refund. 
  

  St. ******* Medical Center makes every effort to provide excellent customer service and to meet the needs of our patients. Our records indicate your account was billed to ********* ******** paid their portion and left a $0 patient responsibility. Our records further indicate your previous payments have been refunded by way of check in the amount of $207.75 on 7/20/22 with check# ********** & $11.85 on 12/14/22 with check# **********. 
  

  We hope to have addressed your concerns to your satisfaction. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the hospital bill, please feel free to contact our billing office at **************. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/03/2023

   
  Complaint: 18524677
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  Per your email, this issue HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED.  I have neither received the check for $11.85 nor have they refunded the entire amount for which they owe me in the amount of $224.60, as I documented in my original complaint.  $219.60 IS NOT $224.60 !!!  You have not fulfilled your commitment.

   

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

  CAPT(ret.), *********

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

  Business Response

  Date: 01/26/2023

   We could not post this response directly into the BBB portal if you can please, this individual is welcome to call us or provide any additional information that supports a discrepancy of $5.  We have reviewed the accounts in question and reconciled the payments to $219.60, all of which has been refunded across two checks.  Our records indicate the refunds were made in the amount of $207.75 on 7/20/22 with check# ********** & $11.85 on 12/14/22 with check# **********.  Please feel free to call our business office if these were not received at **************.  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/27/2023

   
  Complaint: 18524677
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  Attached are the invoices from *** Franciscan Billing, and copies of my cancelled checks paid to *** Franciscan, in the amount of $224.60.  These will document that I am still owed the remainder of my personal funds in the amount of $5.00.  These documents have already been submitted to Noridian Healthcare and to the *** Franciscan ****** billing office; however *** Franciscan has obviously refused to act on the evidence.

  Since nearly two years have passed since I was billed directly by *** Franciscan instead of billing my insurers I wish to emphasize that *** Franciscan is either incompetent or is guilty of fraud and should be investigated.  *** Franciscan only began refunding my money AFTER the Centers for ******** and ******** Services, ******* began to pressure them to do so, in August/September 2022, a year and a half following the incident date.

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

  Business Response

  Date: 02/08/2023

  Thank you for providing additional information. Based on our internal review, a check (#**********) for $5.00 was sent out 08/20/21 to the address we have on file. This check, combined with the other two that we mentioned in previous responses amounts to the requested refund of $224.60. 

   

  Please let us know if that are any further questions or concerns.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/08/2023

   
  Complaint: 18524677
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  I have never received any check for $5.00, as indicated by CHI Franciscan.  I swear that the only reimbursements that I have received from CHI Franciscan are $207.75 dated 19 July 2022, and one check for $11.85, received on January 2023.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  CAPT(ret.), *********

  Business Response

  Date: 03/07/2023

  To Whom It May ********

   

  Attached please find our final response to a complaint filed by Mr. ********************* with your office, file # ********.

   

  If you have any questions regarding our response to ************** complaint, please feel free to contact us.

   

  We ask that the enclosed response not be posted to your website or any public media site as they may contain protected health information.

   

  Thank you

   

   

  Thank you,

  ***********************
  Legal Clerk
  Office (469) 803-3148

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/28/2023

  Received, thank you.   I have received the final payment of funds owed to me by CHI Franciscan.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/28/2022

  Type:Service or Repair 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 an appointment scheduled with ********************* for over a month. I confirmed he was in network with Virginia mason. They told me my insurance requires me to change my PCP and get back to them with a reference number. I've been on the phone for hours today with both my insurance and myself trying to reach Virginia mason to confirm that ********************* bills with my insurance. Nobody was able to confirm with my insurance that he is in network! This is ridiculous. I need someone to confirm he bills with my insurance and to call them to fix this problem. I don't want to reschedule and wait months again for another appointment!

  Business Response

  Date: 12/07/2022

  Our patient access team has reached out to the patient directly to resolve the issue. Thank you for alerting us to this matter.

   

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

  Corporate Responsibility Manager

  VMFH

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/07/2022

   
  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.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/04/2022

  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 wife and I made an appointment for our Daughter ***************************** at this office. We scheduled a routine exam for *****, being a first time patient at this office. This office coded this visit incorrectly to our insurance, which should have been covered at 100% as a routine exam. We called and they said they reviewed this case and claim it was coded correctly, even though we scheduled this as a routine exam it was not coded this way, resulting in our insurance not covering this cost due to not being coded correctly.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/26/2022

  Dear **********************:
  
  This letter is being sent in response to ******************* communication to the Better Business Bureau, Case# ********, regarding the coding of your account.
  
  Franciscan Women's Health-Fed Way makes every effort to provide excellent customer service and to meet the needs of our patients. Our records indicate BCBS was provided as your insurance carrier at the time of service. Total charges for the services you received were $320.00. A contractual reduction in the amount of $95.35 was applied to your account. BCBS then processed your claim and assigned $224.65 as your patient responsibility. No patient payments have been received for this account. The remaining balance of the account is $224.65.
  
  Our records indicate you scheduled your appointment as a New Patient Annual but also to discuss Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome as well as weight gain. Your medical records indicate the attending physician noted patient presents to discuss PCOS Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome as a new patient. This was coded with the DX code E28.2 Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and CPT ***** outpatient office visit "new". Should you have further questions please request a copy of your medical records at the facility. In addition, only your physician is able to change the coding used on the services you received by making amendments to your medical records. This would need to be discussed directly with your physician, as it is against the law to code medical visits inconsistent with what is indicated by the physician.
  
  Franciscan Women's Health-Fed Way does not determine the amount of your co-insurance, deductibles, co-pays, etc All amounts are determined by the contract you have with your insurance provider and it is ultimately the responsibility of the patient to know if their deductible has been met. If you have any questions about the amount assigned to you as patient responsibility, please contact your insurance provider directly.
  
  We hope to have addressed your concerns to your satisfaction. If you have any further questions concerns or requests, please feel free to contact our billing office at *************.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/27/2022

   
  Complaint: 18167368
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  There has been nothing done in an effort to correct this.  When the appointment was made we made sure to make this appointment as a routine yearly check up.  This is why there is such a problem with this industry.  I pay over $13,000 per year for insurance to cover my family.  It is written in black and white that routine yearly exams are covered at 100% along with preventative services.  So now due to the incompetence and lack of communication of this office we now have medical bills that should have been covered at 100%.  We went through this process and have spoken to several people at this office and there is no resolution.  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/19/2022

  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.

  Service date was 03/12/2022. I was provided service by ********************** at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health ****** care in West ******* because I have cut my finger and wasn't sure if I would need stitches. I informed ******** that I do have health insurance and would like to seek the least expensive route of care. He informed me that I don't need stitches but that gluing the wound shut would be a good idea. I asked if this would be an additional charge and he stated that it would not be extra at all. I even confirmed a second time with ******* that I would not be paying any additional charge on top of the visit charge because I did not have insurance, and would not accept the adhesive closure service if it would cost extra. He, again, reassured me that it would not be extra. I left the office feeling good about the service. When I received the bill in the mail a few weeks later I was surprised to see that the bill included a $217.98 charge for "Wound closure by adhesive". I called in to dispute this multiple times but was ultimately let down each call because there was "nothing that [they] could do" since they could not contact that specific doctor. They have now sent this bill to a collections agency and removed themselves entirely from responsibility because it's "out of [their] hands". I think that this is incredibly unethical that they have taken financial advantage of someone who was in a vulnerable position.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/30/2022

  Dear **************:
  

  This letter is being sent in response to your communication to the Better Business Bureau, Case#
  18047100, regarding the remaining balance on your account.
  

  Franciscan *********** West ******* makes every effort to provide excellent customer service
  and to meet the needs of our patients. Our records indicate no insurance information was
  presented at the time of service. Total charges were $663.00. A reduction in the amount of
  $245.31 was applied to your account as a self-pay discount. No patient payments have been
  received for this account. The remaining balance on the account is $417.69.
  

  Our records indicate there are no notes from the attending physician in your medical record
  about there not being a charge for the wound care services provided. Additionally, as you make
  mention in your communication, you were advised there would be no additional cost. There
  was no additional cost when choosing one wound closure to another. We sincerely apologize for
  that misunderstanding; however, services were rendered and billed appropriately.
  

  In addition, our records further indicate you were properly notified of the potential for your
  account to be transferred to a third party debt collector. However, as a one-time courtesy, we will
  be recalling your account from the third party debt collector in order to allow you an opportunity
  to resolve your account directly with us. Please be advised, should your account remain
  unresolved, collection activity will resume on your account.
  

  We apologize for any confusion this may have caused you and hope to have clarified the issue. If
  you have any questions or additional concerns regarding this bill, please feel free to contact our
  billing office at **************.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/06/2022

   
  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 went ahead and paid the balance of this bill today, thank you for your time.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************