I visited the ER at Richmond University Hospital due to a finger injury. They did an X-ray, gave me a tetanus vaccine, and treated the wound with medical glue. They advised me to follow up with a doctor at the hospital.
I saw Dr. Biagio Pacifico. He examined my finger without wearing gloves, which I found unprofessional. He simply said to wash it with soap and water and gave me a two-week work note since I work as a medical technologist and cannot work with an open wound. After two weeks, he told me to return to work with a bandage.
Later, I received a bill from his office--different from the hospital--stating a $4,500 charge for "surgery and wound repair," of which I was responsible for $443. This is incorrect, as no surgery or extensive procedure was done. When I contacted the office, they insisted the charge was valid. My insurance confirmed the claim was for surgery, which never happened.
This feels like fraudulent billing. It's unfair for my insurance or me to pay for services that were never provided. If the bill was for the hospital's actual care, I would understand, but charging for nonexistent procedures is unacceptable and unethical. read more