In 2021, I underwent shoulder surgery on both shoulders--one in February and the second in July. I…read moreintentionally scheduled both surgeries within the same calendar year so my insurance deductible and annual out-of-pocket maximum would be met once. I explained my strategy to S2S at the 1st therapy appointment. They said this will not be an issue, and they dealt with similar situations all the time.
Everything proceeded without issue until about October 2021. When I checked in for my appointment, I was told I owed a copay, despite my out-of-pocket maximum having already been satisfied. I immediately raised the concern, questioned why I owed this charge, but paid it anyway. I explained my strategy to S2S again, and said that I will not pay any out of pocket expense during 2021, and that we should cancel any future appointments until this was resolved. I was told it must be an error on BCBS's end, and they would get it taken care of, and that I needed the therapy, so please continue my scheduled appointments. They told me at my next appointment that BCBS said I had exceeded my maximum allowed sessions for the year, but not to worry. They would get another prescription from my Surgeon for additional therapy, and I would not be charged anything. I suggested cancelling that appointment until they received the prescription, and BCBS had approved it. They assured me that I would not be charged anything, and they were 100% confident they would handle it. Based on these clear and repeated assurances, I continued treatment in good faith.
At no point during my visits was I informed of an outstanding balance, provided documentation of charges, or told payment would be required.
After a few more visits, when checking in, I asked for an update. I was told that I had a balance, and that they had been adding charges every time I came. I was very upset, reminded them of our many conversations about this, & cancelled that appointment, and any future appointments. They kept pressuring me to continue my therapy. I told them that if & when they get these charges removed and provided me with written assurance that I owed nothing, then I would return.
I never heard anything from S2S until several months later. I was contacted by their accounting department and informed that I had a balance of nearly $700. I again explained the prior assurances made by management. I was told the matter would be reviewed and that I would be contacted if there was an issue. I never heard anything else from S2S, until more than a year of no communication. It was their accounting department asking if I contact BCBS and appeal their case and try to get BCBS to agree to pay the balance. I agreed to help, and spent almost 4 hours working directly with my insurance provider trying to appeal the charges, but was unsuccessful. I promptly relayed this information to S2S. They thanked me for trying and hung up. I assumed that was the end of it.
Nearly four years after treatment, I was contacted by Meredith Tittle (the owner) offering me a payment plan, despite the prior assurances that these charges would never be my responsibility. I informed Meredith (in detail) about every conversation I had with her people. Soon thereafter, the account was sent to collections and reported to the credit bureaus, but the new amount is over $1,000.
This dispute is not about ability to pay--it is about reliance on repeated representations made by staff who stated they had authority and assured me I would not be charged. Those assurances were the sole reason I continued treatment.
My advice to others is simple: do not rely on verbal assurances from S2S regarding billing or insurance coverage--get everything in writing.
