My nightmare with Athletico began almost a year ago. I needed physical therapy and since I had an ok experience with Athletico before, I thought I'd go again. Big mistake. I called to make my appointment and gave all my insurance information. I was called back and told that my insurance said I had already met what they were going to cover but it was not a problem because they have a contract with them and they will pay what they are contracted to pay. Being desperate and thinking these people knew what they were talking about, I went ahead and made the appointment. At my first appointment I was told all about how they have a contract with the insurance company and it will only cover so three visits, which would have been one week. Instead of making the one hour visit, I was told they would schedule shorter visits so I could make progress. After the third visit, I got a call from my insurance company over another matter and when I asked about Athletico, they told me they never told them that. They said I wasn't covered for anything. So, I had to cancel the other appointments.
A month later, I receive a bill and sure enough the insurance company was right. They didn't cover anything. I called to set up a payment plan and ask about why I was told one thing by them and another thing happened. They looked into it and the facility I went to, lied. They told whoever was doing the investigation that I was told by them I had no coverage and I said that was fine with me. Really? Where would I come up with that story and who only schedules an appointment for 25-30 minutes? After complaining, I receive another bill for the same services but this time on the bill the discount they said they gave me was gone. It was $100 higher. That's the one I now have to pay. I talked to a woman Debra who said she was the decision maker and I was put on a payment plan. She told me I had to pay $20 a month. That they don't pressure their clients, they understand etc. I paid the $20 and a few weeks later, I receive a berating phone call from her. Telling me I didn't pay the agreed upon amount. When I said I agreed to $20, she started talking to me like I was a child who needed to be reprimanded and told me in her notes it was $25. Fine. I made the $25 a month payment for the next months.
One day in December, I looked at my bill and noticed it said I was 120 days late. How could I be 125 days late when I was making my $25 a month payment, which I was told was the agreed upon payment. Made another phone call and was told I wasn't on a payment plan that the $25 payment was only for one month and told how much they wanted instead. I told them I couldn't afford that. I was told they were going to let Debra know. A month later, I receive in the mail a form for Financial Aid. No letter of explanation as to why I'm getting this or what I'm supposed to do with it. Just a form. I never asked for financial aid.
Thinking it's to prove to them that I really do have over $6000 worth of medical bills, I don't make that much money, I have no assets, I fill out the form and send them everything they want. Get another phone call from Debra saying they want more information. By this time, I'm done with this and getting physically ill. I let my husband handle it. He is told by her that chances are that I will not get Financial Aid and she has the authority to put us back on the $25 a month payment plan. After discussing it, my husband calls her back and told her since she said chances are we won't be approved, we will continue to make the $25 payment. That's when the story changed.
When this all started back in June, I was told by her that she makes the final decisions. Now, she tells my husband that her manager said that she will not allow us to make that payment and she decides on financial aid. Funny how last year she told us she makes the final decisions. My husband asked to speak to her manager and she wouldn't put him through to her. He asked for her name and phone number and she didn't know the name of her manager, he was given two different names. The name and number he was given was for a manager with the last name of Little. I called that number on Tuesday and received her voice mail. The first name my husband was given is not the same as what was on the voice mail. I left a message asking to have her call me back, with my phone number and I have yet to hear from her.
My husband called Debra yesterday and told her to just send it to collections since they have done nothing but lied to us from the moment I walked into their clinic. She told my husband that there was still a chance we could get Financial Aid. Funny how that story changed again. My husband told her we didn't want financial aid, we just couldn't make the monthly payments they insist upon when we have other medical bills we have to pay, a roof to keep over our heads and a daughter to feed.
Still waiting for that phone call back from Ms. Little. Won't hold my breath. read more
