I have been a patient at Alton Multispecialist for many, many years. I recently switched to a Gynocologist in the building, and really liked her. She was very thorough, she really listened to me and cared about my well being.
I have been on a payment arrangement for a previous balance for a few months. They withdrew $20 a month from my bank account. I am currently about to get laid off for the winter so I called them and told them to stop withdrawing from my account. They didnt want to allow me to cancel my payment plan! (When I first asked for the payment plan, I wasnt even allowed to select the monthly payment, they advised me I HAD to pay $20 or more a month. I told them then, that I would be calling in the winter to cancel my plan, and they said that was not a problem.) I finally got through to someone in the billing department and they cancelled my EFT but told me they couldnt stop the collection process from happening and that I would need to continue to make some type of payment every 30 DAYS. The woman I talked to was rude and it was very uncalled for, especially so close to the holidays and with me getting laid off.
Literally, the very next week, I got the call from their collection department wanting me to make a payment. I advised them that I couldnt make a payment, that they just got a payment from me 20 days ago, and I still had 10 days to make another payment before they started this collection process. Again, rudeness is what I was met with. I terminated the call.
I went the very next day to my Gynocologist appointment. It was a Pre Op appointment, as I have been having some health issues and have decided a Hysterectomy is my last resort. This is an emotional thing to go through as a woman, and a huge decision to make. I showed up at check in, and they refused to sign me in until I made a payment. I advised them about the 30 day policy that I was told over the phone, and that I couldnt afford to make the payment until my Unemployment kicks in. I asked to speak to her boss, and she sent me to a little room to speak with two women, who I am not even sure which department they were from. I would assume Billing. I was already upset, it had been a very emotional morning for me, and I started crying. The lady advised me that they cancelled my appointment for that day, that I would not be seen by the doctor until I made a payment, and that my surgery would be cancelled until my balance was paid in full! I couldnt believe it! I started crying harder, the woman came to me to "escort me out" and I told her to give me a minute to compose myself! I was literally having a panic attack, and these two women just stood there and watched me. She had the nerve to say to me, that I needed to compose myself or she would terminate the conversation.
They were cold, heartless women that day. The level of disrespect that I was shown, was disgusting. I was so heartbroken to know that this huge decision I made for myself, to get this surgery, and ever appointment leading up to that day, was all for nothing. Because I couldnt pay my balance in full? Because I get laid off during the winter?
They asked me about my last paycheck and why I couldnt afford $20 to pay to them. I told them the bills I had to pay. I am pretty sure that information was none of their business. Their response? "AMS has bills to pay too!" Thats when I felt as if my needs no longer mattered. I left the building on my own, crying the whole way. I had another panic attack in my car in the parking lot. Because of these women. These heartless, stone cold women.
I got a letter in the mail a few days later, saying I would no longer be seen by any physician in that building. How am I to blame? Why am I being punished? Because I was emotional? Because I cried?
I have rights. But they took them away that day. read more
